Research finds public underestimates rates of sexual abuse in Utah

LOGAN — Sexual abuse may be more prevalent across Utah than is thought, according to data from a women's advocacy group at Utah State University.

The Utah Women and Leadership Project compiled data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, issued in schools, saying the prevalence of child sexual abuse is higher in Utah than nationally. Yet, upon surveying participants, fewer than half indicated agreement with that sentiment.

Slightly more than half of the respondents disagreed, or said "neither agree nor disagree," that child sexual abuse is a problem in their communities.

"It is striking that in the combined samples, 2,525 participants (51.4%) either disagreed at some level or selected neither agree nor disagree, while the research is clear that there is a serious and urgent problem in all Utah communities," the study says. "There is significant work to do in Utah to raise awareness that child sexual abuse is a problem in our own communities."

The Utah Women and Leadership Project, founded by USU professor Susan Madsen, created a comprehensive 83-item survey that evaluates Utahns' awareness, understanding and attitudes toward the challenges that Utah women and girls face.

The latest research report focused on the responses to four topics: child sexual abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, and poverty and homelessness. Tracking the shifts in public awareness is critical in helping Utahns make progress in these areas, the study said.

"We cannot disregard the fact that without safety and security, women, girls and their families are simply surviving — and some barely so," Madsen said. "We cannot continue to claim 'This Is the Place' when, for too many of our girls and women, this is a place where suffering is ignored, even tolerated. We can do better. The health of Utah's future families hinges on making definitive changes now."

How understanding can lead to taking action

More than 87% of responses agreed that child sexual abuse can be prevented, but more awareness is needed to raise that number even higher, the study states.

"Child sexual abuse can be prevented, and when people believe this, they are more likely to take steps to prevent it with children in their homes and within their broader circles of influence," the study said.

The study also cited that Utah is ranked seventh in the nation for forcible rapes per capita. About 75% of responses said they recognize sexual assault is a big problem in Utah.

But only two-thirds of people indicated they know how to help reduce sexual assault. Specifically, men were more likely to agree with the statement "I don't think there is much I can do about sexual assault in my community."

"For positive societal change to occur, residents need to believe that their own actions — and those taken by people and entities in their community — can help decrease sexual assault," the study said.

Almost 60% of respondents agreed on some level with the statement: "Domestic violence is a problem in my community."

"Research shows that one in three Utah women will experience some form of intimate partner violence in her lifetime," Madsen said. "This is deplorable, and we need to make it a top priority to keep women safe."

Broken down by demographics, the research found that the higher the educational attainment, the stronger the participant agreed that domestic violence is a problem in their community. Looking at gender, there was a "significant difference" between men and women, with women agreeing more strongly with the statement, the research found.

When asked if people knew where to find domestic violence resources and support in their community, about 72% of people said they did.

"It is encouraging to see that many Utahns in both samples agreed at some level that they could find resources and support in their own communities," the research said.

The survey included two open-ended questions about the challenges and opportunities women and girls face in Utah. A theme that surfaced in many of the responses was the frequency of intimate partner violence in Utah, indicating a prevalence of the issue in the state, the research shows. A significant portion of responses mentioned not feeling safe, feeling like sexual assault is not taken seriously and the impact the sexualization of women has on them.

Other responses touched on how not enough people understand the different types of abuse that can occur, the importance of increasing awareness for resources and support networks for those being abused and improving education around consent and sexual assault.

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