Rape is one of the horrendous and heinous crimes that could be committed to an individual. It is an attack on not only their body, but their self esteem, confidence, and trust as well. When raped, a victim is exposed emotionally and physically. Their lives are scrutinized to see what type of person they are, if they do drugs, drink, have multiple partners, and just plain honest. If someone is a prostitute, it is more likely that their case will be thrown out of court and seen as an occupational hazard. If a man is raped, then they assume that he’s lying. A man is capable of overpowering a woman in, most circumstances, and is thought to never complain about having sex.  

 1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime (14.8% completed rape; 2.8% attempted rape).1

 17.7 million American women have been victims of attempted or completed rape.1

 9 of every 10 rape victims were female in 2003.1

 About 3% of American men — or 1 in 33 — have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.1

In 2003, 1 in every ten rape victims were male.1 2.78 million men in the U.S. have been victims of sexual assault or rape.1

 15% of sexual assault and rape victims are under age 12.1

29% are age 12-17. 1 44% are under age 18.1 80% are under age 30.1 12-34 are the highest risk years. Girls ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault. 1

 7% of girls in grades 5-8 and 12% of girls in grades 9-12 said they had been sexually abused.1

3% of boys grades 5-8 and 5% of boys in grades 9-12 said they had been sexually abused. 1

 Victims of sexual assault are:

3 times more likely to suffer from depression. 1 6 times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. 1 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol. 1 26 times more likely to abuse drugs. 1 4 times more likely to contemplate suicide. 1

 Due to the severity of a rape charge, detectives investigating the case are more likely to be over skeptical of what the victim is saying. It is harder to prove a rape that it is to prove a theft. The person accused, if convicted, also has to register as a sex offender and lose a lot of their rights. Detectives do not want to persecute anyone until they have a solid case, and in doing so dissect every aspect of the victims lifestyle and habits. The prosecutors want to have the jury and judge sympathetic to the victim. Though there is a reason to be skeptical (from the judicial point of view) of a rape victim, it is not fair. The victims of rape feel as if their lives have been torn apart and do not need the extra criticism and critique from the outside world.

http://www.rainn.org/get-information/statistics/sexual-assault-victims