Survey of Sexual Assaults Survivors

4. EXPERIENCES OF ABUSE

The women who participated in the survey were asked about the type(s) of sexual abuse they had experienced. The response categories were child sexual abuse, adult sexual assault and sexual harassment. Figure 4.1 clearly indicates that the large majority of the women (71) reported having experienced more than one type of sexual abuse.

FIGURE 4.1: TYPE(S) OF SEXUAL ABUSE EXPERIENCED

FIGURE 4.1: TYPE(S) OF SEXUAL ABUSE EXPERIENCED
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In fact, over half (55) of the women had experienced both child sexual abuse and adult sexual assault. Almost a third (33) had experienced all three types of abuse. It is interesting to note that all of the respondents who reported being sexually harassed also reported experiencing at least one other form of sexual abuse.

Although the women were not specifically asked about their relationship to the abuser, some women spoke of it during the course of the interview. In most of these cases the perpetrator was a man who was known to them. These men included family members, spouses or acquaintances as well as men in positions of trust or authority such as teachers, doctors or – in one case – a police officer. Very few women reported being abused or assaulted by a stranger. This finding is consistent with data from other studies.[5]

[5] Tomlinson, D. Police-reporting Decisions of Sexual Assault Survivors: An Exploration of Influential Factors. Calgary: Calgary Communities Against Sexual Assault, (1999).