No victim of sexual assault ever “asked for it.” They never “actually wanted it.” They never “dressed too provocatively,” or “deserved it.”

Plainly speaking, no victim of sexual assault should ever have been one.

Yet, the number of people who have been sexually assaulted in this country is staggering.

According to the Rape Abuse & Incest National Network, on average 321,500 ages 12 and over are victims of rape and sexual assault in the United States every year. That is one sexual assault every 98 seconds. Ninety-eight seconds — less time than is recommended to brush your teeth.

While women and girls experience sexual violence at the highest rate, men also are victims of rape and sexual assault. RAINN reports since 1998 an estimated 17.7 million women and 2.7 million men had been the victim of attempted or completed rape.

One in six women is the victim of attempted or completed rape with ages 12-34 being at the highest risk, while one in 10 rape victims is male. The numbers increase for transgendered individuals.

The numbers could be even higher, as the stigma of sexual assault results in many victims not reporting being assaulted. And the effects of the assault and rape can can be long lasting. Among them are post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, drug and alcohol abuse, and suicide.

April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month and agencies and organizations around the country, including Northeast Michigan, are raising awareness for this crime. And make no mistake, sexual assault is a serious crime.

It will take more than just raising awareness to decrease the number of sexual assaults and eradicate them completely. We can’t let perpetrators go unpunished, and we have to hold accountable anyone who takes sexual assault lightly.

No one should live with the fear of a sexual assault. As a society, we should work to ensure that no one lives with the fear nor is the victim of a sexual assault.