On today’s episode, we’re answering a question from local teens about false reports of abuse.
This is Jessica Skultety, Outreach and Prevention Manager at Safe+Sound Somerset. We are Somerset County, New Jersey's lead domestic and sexual violence response organization, providing services at no charge to survivors for over 40 years.
Today's question from local teens is: “Dear Ava, How many people lie about abuse?”
Not many. False reports of abuse are rare – that’s why we tend to hear about them in the news. Plus, a lot of people ask this question, and what they’re really trying to do, is question whether abuse is real or not, or if it’s serious enough. Dating, domestic, and sexual abuse are very real though, and very serious.
The large majority of cases are real. Here are the United States national numbers according to national studies. 1 in 3 women, 1 in 4 men, and over 1 in 2 transgender and nonbinary people will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. More than 1 in 3 women and nearly 1 in 4 men, experience sexual violence involving physical contact, and about 47% or almost half of transgender and nonbinary people experience sexual assault in their lifetime. It is very likely that you know someone or will know someone (or multiple people) who have experienced these things.
There are also many, many people who never report abuse. For example, most instances of rape actually never reach the courtroom. Also, the US Bureau of Justice reported that less than half of domestic violence cases are ever reported at all.
For false reports of sexual assault, stats are extremely low. Researchers estimate that this between 2 to 10%. Again, that means that the large majority of cases are real.
There may be fact finders in certain cases, like police officers, court, etc. For many of us, whether we are friends and family, or working with survivors, it’s not our job to find out the facts of the case. Our job is to listen and support survivors in finding safety, hope, and healing.
This is why we believe survivors at Safe+Sound Somerset. And we serve any person who says they have experienced abuse. We invite everyone else to join us in believing survivors.
When we do this, when we all do this, it makes for a safer world. Survivors may be able to better access services and feel more comfortable reporting abuse. It takes a whole community effort to do this. So, join us!
To speak with an expert about relationship or sexual violence, call or text the Safe+Sound Somerset 24/7 confidential helpline at 866-685-1122 for supportive listening, information, and safety planning.
Want to “Ask Ava” a question? Visit our website at www.safe-sound.org/ask-ava. Thank you for listening today. Join us next time here on Ask Ava.