LIFETIME EXPERIENCES OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE

Figure 7. Lifetime experience of sexual violence by type of violence, Louisiana 2023

Overall Women Men

41% of adults in Louisiana have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime

Two-fifths of adults in Louisiana – 41% - have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime (Figure 7).

• One in three (29%) have been verbally sexually harassed

Verbal sexual harassment experiences were often reported as occurring in public spaces

“Men or boys whether I knew them or not whistling, staring or making comments about my body.” 33-year-old woman

“Catcalling while at Walmart by a stranger” 34-year-old man

“They were building a new store around my neighborhood and the guy wouldn’t stop calling for me and making hand gestures at me.” 36-year-old woman

• One in nine (11%) have experienced sexual assault

• All forms of sexual violence were reported more frequently by women than by men, with the exception of trans- or homophobic sexual harassment

Transphobic and homophobic sexual harassment of young men was described

“Growing up many kids would joke and call me faggot or queer, just to be mean to me.”

29-year-old man

“Within recent years most homophobia I’ve experienced directly has been online, but it has happened in the past at school before.” 23-year-old man

“Sometimes a stranger will see me and just call me a fag and tell me I'm going to hell.”

26-year-old non-binary individual

Sexual violence experiences were most common in adolescence and adulthood (Figure 8).

• One in 14 (7%) Louisianans experienced sexual violence in childhood (age 0-12)

• One in five (18%) experienced sexual violence in adolescence (age 13-17)

• One in four (25%) experienced sexual violence in young adulthood (age 18-24)

• One in five (23%) experienced sexual violence in adulthood (age 25+)

• Women and men experienced similar rates of sexual violence in childhood (age 0-12), but women were more likely than men to experience sexual violence at all older ages.