New Research on a Tragic Subject


Rembrandt’s Lucretia is a compassionate depiction of the tragic consequences of sexual assault. Recent research on sexual violence in American society suggests that our understanding of these crimes—about both the victims and perpetrators—needs updating: about a third of rape victims are male, and a sizable number of rapes are committed by women.  

What accounts for this? Among other things, law enforcement groups are broadening the definition of “rape” to cover more forms of sexual aggression. Also, previous statistics on rape have not included populations living behind bars, for which the incidence of male victimization—often at the hands of women—is astonishingly high.    —Alex Bortolot, Content Strategist, May 1

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Image: Photo by Thomas Northcut/Thinkstock

Source: Hanna Rosin, “When Men Are Raped: A new study reveals that men are often the victims of sexual assault, and women are often the perpetrators,” Slate, 4/29/14