By now it should have become obvious to anyone who keeps up with the news that the rate of sexual assault in both the past and the present is huge, way more than the official statistics show, because most survivors don’t report it until well after the offence, if at all. Of course, those who don’t survive don’t report either.

The psychological costs to the survivor of reporting are massive, as are the risks of further harm, with most people feeling too vulnerable to proceed and just trying to wish the experience away or block it out. It doesn’t work, which is why we see ongoing distress many years and decades later.

We really need to prevent it. Part of that is ensuring that there is appropriate supervision where there is a power imbalance between people. This is especially important in protecting children, as they are not cognitively equipped to protect themselves. Young adults are also at risk, with full brain development not occurring until the mid twenties. They also lack the life experience and wisdom to identify many risky situations.