This was a final project from a composition class where I had to present an argument using a visual aid.

A little Q&A first:

Why an infographic was used for this data.

Infographics have become an exceptionally powerful tool. With the advancements of technology and the explosion of digital art, infographics have become an almost natural medium for sharing information that is viewed as important. It was for this reason that the infogrpahic was chosen to show data regarding rates of male rape and sexual assault, and how that data compares to the information surrounding female instances of rape and sexual assault.

Why this information is important.

Unfortunately, it is often assumed that when discussing rape and sexual assault, the victim is female and the attacker is male. It is often seen as a '“woman's issue”. Additionally, many people who do acknowledge that men can be victims of rape consider their stories “less important” than when women are victims. The data and numbers surrounding men as rape victims are extremely difficult to gather for multiple reasons. Law enforcement suspects that the number of men who report their rape or sexual assault is actually much lower than the number of times those rapes and assaults actually happen.

By putting the data out into the public and making it easily read and understood, more individuals can become aware of the issue. The more people who understand that rape is not a “woman's issue” but rather a human issue, the more likely that victims will not feel alone in their experiences. If unity can be achieved through knowledge, then more men and women who have become victims of rape will have the strength to come forward to seek justice and tell their stories.

View a larger form of this infographic here.