Injury - Sexual Violence
Summary Indicator Report Data View Options
Criminal Sexual Penetration Incidents per 100,000 Population by County, New Mexico, 2018
Why Is This Important?
Sexual violence can have a profound and long lasting impact on a victim?s physical and mental health. The victim is often made to feel responsible for actions of the perpetrator. Victims of sexual abuse often live in fear and isolation, have low self-esteem, and abuse substances including alcohol. Victims may also become sexual violence perpetrators. Those sexually abused as children are at increased risk of becoming a victim of domestic violence. Rates of sexual assault are higher in New Mexico than in the United States overall -- according to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NIPSVS), 24.0% of women have been raped during their lifetime in New Mexico compared to 19.5% of women in the U.S. Forty-nine percent of all women in New Mexico, and 21% of all men, have reported they had experienced some form of sexual violence other than rape. Data from the 2015 New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey (YRRS) indicate that 10.6% of high school girls and 4.1% of high school boys have been physically forced to have sex at some point during their lifetime. Data further indicate that youth who reported having a history of forced sex had more than twice the risk for alcohol use, tobacco use, and illicit drug use; and more than three times the risk for poor mental health outcomes, including suicide attempts and suicide ideation; compared to those youth who did not report a having a history of forced sex.
Definition
Number of criminal sexual penetration incidents reported to law enforcement
Data Source
The New Mexico Interpersonal Violence Data Central Repository(nmcsaas@swep.com)
How the Measure is Calculated
| Numerator: | Number of criminal sexual penetration incidents reported to law enforcement |
| Denominator: | Number of persons in the population |
How Do We Compare With the U.S.?
Data from the 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey indicate that 24% of women in the US have been raped at some point during their life, compared to 19.5% of women in the US.
What Is Being Done?
The NMDOH Office of Injury Prevention supports sexual violence prevention and services. Prevention activities include work at all levels of the Spectrum of Prevention, including individual-level education for youth, norms change through messaging strategies, and changes to organizational policy to prevent sexual violence. During FY16, NMDOH OIP funded 11 sexual violence prevention programs reaching 4,814 students in six communities that adhered to the Principles of Effective Prevention.
Evidence-based Practices
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend four strategies for the primary prevention of sexual violence: promoting social norms that protect against violence, teaching skills to prevent sexual violence perpetration, providing opportunities to support and empower girls and women, and creating protective environments. Specific norms that have been linked to future sexual violence perpetration include acceptance of rape myth and adherence to rigid gender norms. According to the Principles of Effective Prevention, prevention programs should be comprehensive, include varied teaching methods, provide sufficient dosage, be theory driven, provide opportunities for positive relationships, be appropriately timed, be socio-culturally relevant, include outcome evaluation, and involve well-trained staff.
Other Objectives
People who are members of marginalized communities are at increased risk for sexual violence victimization, and reducing this disparity is a priority for NMDOH OIP. This includes people who identify as LGBTQ, people who are living with mental, emotional, or physical disabilities, people who are foreign-born, and people who are Black or African American and American Indian/Alaska Native.
Available Services
NM Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs (505) 883-8020 Arise Sexual Assault Services, Portales, NM (575) 226-4665 Community Against Violence, Taos, NM (575) 758-8082 Resolve Personal Safety, Santa Fe, NM (505) 992-8833 ABQ Area Indian Health Service, Albuquerque, NM (505) 256-6717 La Pion Sexual Assault Recovery Services of Southern New Mexico, Las Cruces, NM (575) 526-3437 NM Asian Family Center, Albuquerque, NM (505) 717-2877 Rape Crisis Center of Central NM, Albuquerque, NM (505) 266-7712 Sexual Assault Services of Northwest New Mexico, Farmington, NM (505) 325-2805 Silver Regional Sexual Assault Support Services, Silver, NM (575) 313-6203 Solace Crisis Treatment Center, Santa Fe, NM (505) 988-1951 Tewa Women United, Espanola, NM (505) 747-3259 Valencia Shelter Services, Los Lunas, NM (505) 565-3100
More Resources
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/sv-prevention-technical-package.pdf