Nationally, it is estimated that 17% of women and 3% of men have been victims of sexual violence in their lifetime. In Oklahoma, the rate of rape and attempted rape among females reported to law enforcement has been 35-45% higher than the U.S. rate for the past decade.
The IPS addresses the issue of sexual violence through primary prevention efforts which work upstream to prevent sexual assault before it occurs. This work is funded through the CDC Rape Prevention and Education program (RPE) and the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant.
About the RPE Program
The goals of the sexual violence prevention program are to:
Prevent first-time perpetration of sexual violence,
Reduce risk factors and enhance protective factors linked to sexual violence perpetration and victimization,
Increase the number of non-violent interactions and healthy relationships, and
Reduce cultural influences that support sexual violence.
The Injury Prevention Service administers a sexual violence prevention program by funding six domestic violence and sexual assault programs across the state to implement comprehensive prevention strategies tailored to the needs of their local communities.