Jaime+Lochner

Jaime Lochner- I will be researching rape victims. I feel this is important because I feel it is a total violation of a person and the damage done is not only physical but mental.I feel what is important in forensic social work is helping people who really need it. Many people (as mentioned by Faith Sills) have no friends or family to care about them, or look after them. Everyone needs someone and I think it is important that the social workers play guardian for them. I think forensic social workers help make the world a better place because they help get people out of jail and into a system that will help them, and make them able to function in society.

How often does sexual assault occur? Printer-friendly versionSend to friend

In 2007, there were 248,300 victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault.1 (These figures do not include victims 12 years old or younger.) Every 2 minutes, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted.

Here's the math. According to the U.S. Department of Justice's National Crime Victimization Survey -- the country's largest and most reliable crime study -- there were 248,300 sexual assaults in 2007 (the most recent data available).

There are 525,600 minutes in a non-leap year. That makes 31,536,000 seconds/year. So, 31,536,000 divided by 248,300 comes out to 1 sexual assault every 127 seconds, or about 1 every 2 minutes.

General Tips for Helping a Friend

1. Do Get Involved ! Though leaving a violent situation may appear simple from the outside, victims of violence against women and children are almost always trapped in the abuse by multiple obstacles and they need your help very much.

2. Talk with the Victim in a Safe and Comfortable Place. Ask questions. Listen carefully and empathetically. Try as well as you can to understand the mesh of obstacles that keeps her from getting free. It's usually very complex. You can use the guide Tips for Talking with a Friend to help yourself and the victim figure out her most pressing needs and form a strategy for getting help.

3. Make Phone Calls for the Victim. It's extremely difficult for persons traumatized by violence to make the round of phone calls needed to get good information and find the right people to meet her needs. Victims are quickly thrown back into despair when they encounter an unfriendly or unhelpful response. One of the nicest and most helpful things you can do is make that initial round of calls for her or with her.

4. Help Your Friend Start and Keep a Notebook. A notebook is crucial to keep the barrage of names, titles, appointments, specialized terms, case numbers, etc. from becoming an additional anxiety. Putting it all down in one notebook gives a victim control.

5. Accompany Your Friend to Police, Courts, Social Workers and Counselors. Or help her find someone who can accompany her. There are many reasons this is so important. See Tips for Helping a Friend Through the Criminal Justice System.. When accompanying your friend, ask questions, take notes, and don't hesitate to speak up if she's not getting the help she needs.

6. Be Clear with Your Friend about What You Can and Can't Do. You simply can't do it all. Help her find others who can help.

You don't always have to say the "Right Things." Seeing the intensity of trauma in violence against women can be very upsetting. Don't feel you always have to be saying "right things.". Calmness, your presence, and a few kind words work wonders!





RAINN is the leading national organization that runs the 1-800-656-HOPE rape crisis hotline. That hotline forwards calls to the local rape crisis center phone number. The online counseling is run by RAINN volunteers.