Why do assaults occur

Just because someone bought you a drink or dinner, it does not entitle them to have sex with you. Date rape is never okay.

Sexual assault and sexual abuse are committed by both men and women, although the majority of offenders are male and are known to their victim. Usually incidents are planned and occur because the perpetrator wants to feel a sense of power and control over another person.

It is usually not about sexual pleasure. Sexual assault and sexual abuse do not discriminate. They can happen to women, men and children, regardless of age, race or culture. In Australia, statistics show that 1 in 5 women and 1 in 20 men over the age of 15 years will experience sexual violence at some stage in their life time. It is important to know that sexual assault or sexual abuse do not happen because of the dress or behaviour of the victim.

This publication is provided for education and information purposes only. Sexual violence is notoriously difficult to measure, and there is no single source of data that provides a complete picture of the crime. Based on those interviews, the study provides estimates of the total number of crimes, including those that were not reported to police. While NCVS has a number of limitations most importantly, children under age 12 are not included , overall, it is the most reliable source of crime statistics in the U.

We have also relied on other Justice Department studies, as well as data from the Department of Health and Human Services and other government and academic sources. When assembling these statistics, we have generally retained the wording used by the authors. MYTH: Most sexual assaults occur between strangers. FACT: Most sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows: a neighbor, friend, acquaintance, co-worker, classmate, spouse, partner or ex-partner.

MYTH: Sexual assaults only occur in dark alleys and isolated areas. FACT: A sexual assault can happen anywhere and at any time. The majority of assaults occur in places ordinarily thought to be safe, such as homes, cars and offices. This is the same rate of false reporting as other major crime reports. MYTH: Men cannot be sexually assaulted. FACT: Men can be, and are, sexually assaulted. In Colorado one in seventeen men are sexually assaulted in their lifetime.

Sexual assault of men is thought to be greatly underreported. Any man can be sexually assaulted regardless of size, strength, sexual orientation, or appearance. MYTH: Most sexual assaults are interracial.

FACT: Almost all sexual assaults occur between members of the same race. Supportive and loving parents who respond to the basic needs of their child instill self-confidence and an interest in social environments. These children are generally well-adjusted in relating to others and are far less likely to commit crimes. By the late twentieth century the general public had not accepted that criminal behavior is a psychological disorder but rather a willful action. The public cry for more prisons and tougher sentences outweighed rehabilitation and the treatment of criminals.

Researchers in the twenty-first century, however, continued to look at psychological stress as a driving force behind some crimes. Searching for the origins of antisocial personality disorders and their influence over crime led to studies of twins and adopted children in the s.

Identical twins have the exact same genetic makeup. Researchers found that identical twins were twice as likely to have similar criminal behavior than fraternal twins who have similar but not identical genes, just like any two siblings. Other research indicated that adopted children had greater similarities of crime rates to their biological parents than to their adoptive parents.

These studies suggested a genetic basis for some criminal behavior. Prisoner in California being prepared for a lobotomy in At the time, many psychiatrists believed that criminal behavior was lodged in certain parts of the brain, and lobotomies were frequently done on prisoners.

With new advances in medical technology, the search for biological causes of criminal behavior became more sophisticated. In psychologist Robert Hare identified a connection between certain brain activity and antisocial behavior. He found that criminals experienced less brain reaction to dangerous situations than most people. Such a brain function, he believed, could lead to greater risk-taking in life, with some criminals not fearing punishment as much as others.

Studies related to brain activity and crime continued into the early twenty-first century. Testing with advanced instruments probed the inner workings of the brain. With techniques called computerized tomography CT scans , magnetic resonance imaging MRI , and positron emission tomography PET , researchers searched for links between brain activity and a tendency to commit crime.

Each of these tests can reveal brain activity. Research on brain activity investigated the role of neurochemicals, substances the brain releases to trigger body activity, and hormones in influencing criminal behavior. Studies indicated that increased levels of some neurochemicals, such as serotonin, decreases aggression.

Serotonin is a substance produced by the central nervous system that has broad sweeping effects on the emotional state of the individual.

In contrast higher levels of others, such as dopamine, increased aggression. Dopamine is produced by the brain and affects heart rate and blood pressure.

Researchers expected to find that persons who committed violent crimes have reduced levels of serotonin and higher levels of dopamine.

This condition would have led to periods of greater activity including aggression if the person is prone towards aggression. In the early twenty-first century researchers continued investigating the relationship between neurochemicals and antisocial behavior, yet connections proved complicated. Studies showed, for example, that even body size could influence the effects of neurochemicals and behavior. Hormones are bodily substances that affect how organs in the body function.

Researchers also looked at the relationship between hormones, such as testosterone and cortisol, and criminal behavior. Testosterone is a sex hormone produced by male sexual organs that cause development of masculine body traits. Cortisol is a hormone produced by adrenal glands located next to the kidneys that effects how quickly food is processed by the digestive system.

Higher cortisol levels leads to more glucose to the brain for greater energy, such as in times of stress or danger. Animal studies showed a strong link between high levels of testosterone and aggressive behavior.

Testosterone measurements in prison populations also showed relatively high levels in the inmates as compared to the U. Studies of sex offenders in Germany showed that those who were treated to remove testosterone as part of their sentencing became repeat offenders only 3 percent of the time.

This rate was in stark contrast to the usual 46 percent repeat rate. These and similar studies indicate testosterone can have a strong bearing on criminal behavior. Cortisol is another hormone linked to criminal behavior. Research suggested that when the cortisol level is high a person's attention is sharp and he or she is physically active. In contrast, researchers found low levels of cortisol were associated with short attention spans, lower activity levels, and often linked to antisocial behavior including crime.