Health and Well-Being: Texas Statewide Sexual Assault Prevalence Study

Final report from a study conducted in 2015 on the prevalence of sexual assault in Texas. The study was based on a statewide telephone survey conducted in English and Spanish using a randomly selected, representative sample of 1,203 adult Texans. The report presents descriptive findings on sexual assault prevalence, health and well-being in Texas, including the victims’ relationship to perpetrators, involvement of alcohol, reporting of sexual assault to the police and the impact of sexual assault on victims. Among its findings: 6.3 million (4.2 million women and 2.1 million men) or 33.2% of adult Texans have experienced some form of sexual assault in their lifetime. 413,000 (2.3% women and 2% men) or 2.2% of adult Texans experienced sexual assault within a year prior to the survey. 65.2% of victims report multiple victimizations. Sexual assault affects all genders; however, women (2 in 5) are twice as likely to be sexually assaulted as men (1 in 5) in their lifetimes. Women are more likely to experience sexual assault when they are 18 or older (26.1%), and men when they are ages 14 to 17 (10.6%). The study was a collaboration between the Institute on Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault and the Bureau of Business Research at The University of Texas at Austin.