How to reduce your risk of becoming a victim of sexual assault

The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness, and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival- Aristotle Sexual assault is non-consensual sexual contact. Women, men and children of all ages can be victimized by sexual assault. A rapist may be a stranger, acquaintance, or relative. In 1998, the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Statistics reported that roughly 18% or 17.7 million women had experienced rape or attempted rape at some point in their lifetime. While there is no absolute protection against sexual assault, there are precautions you can take to help reduce your risk of being sexually assaulted by a stranger. Here are an important few: