Why I Wrote Cease & Desist
Every 2 minutes an American is sexually assaulted.
And every 8 minutes, that victim is a child. Meanwhile, only 6 out of every 1,000 perpetrators will end up in prison.
A majority of child victims are 12-17. Of victims under the age of 18:
34% of victims of sexual assault and rape are under age 12.
66% of victims of sexual assault and rape are age 12-17.
One in 9 girls and 1 in 53 boys under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse or assault at the hands of an adult.
82% of all victims under 18 are female.
Females ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault.
The effects of child sexual abuse can be long-lasting and affect the victim&’s mental health. Victims are more likely than non-victims to experience the following mental health challenges:
About 4 times more likely to develop symptoms of drug abuse
About 4 times more likely to experience PTSD as adults
About 3 times more likely to experience a major depressive episode as adults
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Young people are bombarded with confusing and often misogynistic messages from the world around them —60% have seen online porn by the age of 14. Teenage girls are getting pressured into having sex, and a recent BBC Freedom of Information request revealed that 5,500 sexual offences, including 600 rapes, were reported to police as having taken place in schools over a 3-year period. That’s almost exactly one rape per school day.
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