Sexual abuse can cause trauma, depression, loss of sexual interest, and even suicide. It can happen at a young age, leaving lasting effects that alter one’s quality of life.

81% of women have experienced sexual abuse, and so have 43% of men. Another fact? The United States has approximately 750,000 registered sex offenders.

However, it doesn't stop there. Many of these offenders committed more crimes than they were charged with. That said, an encounter with a sex offender can be frightening.

This article aims to provide essential statistics to help us know more about them. Let's begin!

Editor's Choice

  • Sexually abused children know their perpetrators 93% of the time.
  • 51.1% of female rape victims were assaulted by their intimate partners.
  • 50% of sex offenders in the US are aged 30 or older.
  • Only 12.9% of men raped before their 18th birthday report what was done to them.
  • 57% of sex offenders in the US are white.
  • 46% of rapes done by a relative or intimate partner go unreported.
  • Sex trafficking makes up 79% of human trafficking in the world.
  • 97% of rapists in the United States do not go to prison.
  • 15% of sex offenders are minors.

Sexual Assault and Sex Offenders Overview 

Policymakers have been struggling to find a solution for sex offenders. They debate between punishing, rehabilitating, or isolating offenders. 

Sex offense laws differ across states. However, the federal government has established mandates for specific offenses, including rape, molestation, bestiality, and prostitution.

Federal law also requires sex offenders to register themselves; failure to do so is considered a new crime.

The following data will cover demographics, reports, and global comparisons of sex offenders. Continue reading to learn more!

Sex Offender Statistics 

A sex offender could be a stranger, coworker, peer, relative, or intimate partner. Intimate partners commit 33% of sex offenses, acquaintances 39%, strangers 19.5%, and relatives 2.5%. Here are the general statistics:

1. In 2020, 73.8% of sexual offenders admitted to committing more sexual crimes than they were charged with.

(Iowa State University)

69% of sexual offenders confessed to more offenses in 2016. The percentage increased to 73.8% in 2020.

Most sex offenders have committed additional crimes, including more serious ones. For instance, 59% of low-risk child pornographers admitted to committing sexual abuse.

2. About 12 to 24% of sex offenders re-offend.

(Golden Police, Scientific American)

The reoffense rates for different types of sex crimes vary. It is 13% for incest, 24% for rape, and 35% for child molesters. Studies also suggest that repeat offenders have higher reoffense rates than first-time offenders.

3. 90% of rapes and sexual assaults are committed by one offender.

(Rainn, Scientific Research)

Only 10% of rapes and sexual assaults involve two or more offenders. Group offenses are more complex than individual offenses. Individual crimes satisfy their desires, while group offenses give offenders pride and power. 

Sex Offender Demographics Statistics 

Sex offenders are mostly men, but most sources say 1% to 9% are women. The numbers are not definite because some cases go unreported.

The case of Jeffrey Epstein shows how hard it is to determine the numbers. They estimate that Epstein had over a hundred victims. Some of his victims became perpetrators because he paid them to recruit new girls.

It shows that anyone can be a sexual offender, whether a stranger or someone you know. Here are the demographic profiles of sex offenders:

4. 50% of sex offenders in the US are aged 30 or older.

(Rainn, Department of Justice)

25% of them are aged 21–29. 9% are aged 18–20. 15% of them are minors. Sex offenders' motives are unknown, making it difficult to stop them. 

5. 57% of sex offenders in the US are white.

(Rainn, National Registry of Exonerations)

Over half of sex offenders are white, and 27% are black. A black sex offense convict is three and a half times more likely to be innocent than a white one. Eyewitness misidentification, stemming from racism, could be credited for this.

6. 93% of abusers are familiar with the children they abuse.

(Registered Offenders List)

Among child abusers, only 7% are strangers to the victims, 59% are acquaintances, and 34% are family members.

It is heartbreaking when someone you trust commits such a crime. Victims suffer both a violation of their rights and the pain of betrayal. 

7. 25% of sexual predators are female.

(Canadian Children's Rights Council)

While women can be sexual predators, numbers show that females are less likely to commit such offenses. Women's victims rarely speak up. When they do, they are not believed 86% of the time.

A female sex offender once admitted to raping over 100 children. She was only charged with 15 counts of rape. 

Sex Offender Reports Statistics 

Sexual abuse often goes unreported or may occur multiple times before victims come forward. Speaking up about abuse is not easy. Some people do not feel safe, and they feel powerless.

Shame and guilt over the assault can also contribute to the fear of reporting. Here are the statistics on reporting sexual offenders:

8. Less than 30% of sexual crimes are reported to authorities.

(Summit County, Colorado)

More than 80% of adults with rape convictions admit to abusing kids. Child molesters also report sexual assaults on children. Victims, especially those who know the perpetrator, are less likely to report these crimes. 

9. Only 12.9% of males who were raped before the age of 18 reported the abuse.

(Golden Police)

This percentage is smaller than that of women, which is 19.1%. Compared to the actual crime rate, reported cases remain low.

Only 12% of college women who experience rape report the incident. A significant 46% of rapes committed by a relative or intimate partner go unreported.

In a survey of 40,000 households, 38% of victims of sexual crime were men.

(Slate, Centre for African Justice)

Rape victims are often women. Even so, men can be sexual crime victims too. It is a misconception that erections always mean consent or willingness for sexual activity.

Men can be subjected to forced penetration and have their bodies penetrated against their will. Similarly, the assumption of male power and dominance is not universally accurate.

US Sexual Assault Rate vs. World

Sex crimes exist in every part of the world, with 35% of women experiencing it worldwide. Of the harassed women, only 4 of 10 sexually seek help, and 1 of 10 asks for assistance from law enforcement.

In the US, 97% of rapists walk free, and only 3% spend time in prison. Here are the statistics comparing sexual assault in the US versus the rest of the world:

10. One in four men admits to committing rape in South Africa.

(TBS News, Anadolu Agency, TIME)

Rape is the highest in South Africa, with 66,196 incidents per 100,000 people. Nearly half of those men admitted raping more than one victim. From July to September 2021, there were nearly 10,000 rape cases in South Africa.

South Africa's Medical Research Council cites a few reasons: the culture of violence against women and men wanting to feel powerful. They also discovered that rapists are likelier to be educated and wealthy than uneducated and poor. 

11. 70% of sex trafficking victims are from Asia and the Pacific.

(USA Today)

Seven out of 10 sex trafficking victims are from Asia and the Pacific. Europe and Central Asia follow with 14% of victims, while the Americas have 4%.

Human traffickers exploit vulnerable populations in Asia and the Pacific, even from different continents. In the US, massage parlors often harbor victims, primarily from China and South Korea.

12. Sweden has the highest rape rate in Europe.

(Wonders List)

1 in 4 women in Sweden is a victim of rape. In 2013, more than 1,000 women were raped by immigrants. These numbers make Sweden the country with the second-highest rape rate globally.

13. There are 84,765 rape incidents per 100,000 people in the United States.

(TBS News, Rainn) 

When accused of a crime, they are presumed innocent until proven guilty. 97% of rapists do not go to prison, and not all sexual offenders get reported.

A huge number of those who are reported are not proven guilty. It allows the offender to walk the streets, freeing him to commit the crime again.

14. Sex trafficking makes up 79% of human trafficking in the world.

(Etactics)

Human trafficking has high returns. Sex trafficking alone has a market value of $99 billion, making it more valuable than cocaine. 

Sex trafficking can include pornography, bars, strip clubs, and other illicit activities. Even more shocking is that in 38% of cases, partners engage and recruit their partners for sexual work.

Final Thoughts

Sexual assault takes many forms. A sex offender could be a stranger, your intimate partner, or a relative. The statistics show the variation among the victims as well. 

Society often tends to blame the victim of sexual assault, leading to the existence of dress codes. However, sexual assault has no connection to how a person dresses.

The root cause of sexual assault lies with the offender. Governments, institutions, and society should prioritize addressing and confronting this issue.