And one in three Utah women will experience some form of sexual violence - child molestation being the most common, according to a new report released Thursday by the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice.

Rape is the only violent crime in Utah whose rate exceeds the national average. By comparison, Utah's rates for other violent crimes - such as murder, robbery or aggravated assault - are historically half to a third of the national average, according to the report, entitled "Rape in Utah: A Survey of Utah Women About Their Experience with Sexual Violence."

Almost 90 percent of victims experienced their first sexual assault before the age of 18, according to the report. And women are rarely assaulted by strangers, who account for less than 10 percent of sexual assault. Most often, the perpetrators are acquaintances, friends or family members, the report says.

"These findings indicate sexual violence is more prevalent in our community than many of us would like to believe," said Mike Haddon, the commission's director of research. "Often the victims are our children."

Laurel Duncan, executive director of the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault, called the new statistics staggering.

"This is something we as a community need to deal with," said Duncan, whose organization advocates for programs that assist sexual assault victims. Gov. Jon Huntsman said he would ask the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, the Sexual Violence Council and the Utah Sentencing Commission to "develop a comprehensive strategy to address sexual assault in Utah, from prevention to sex offender monitoring."

According to the report, rape and sexual assault continue to be hidden crimes that are rarely discussed in public:

l Less than 10 percent of the victims surveyed reported the assaults to police.

l Less than 3 percent of victims went to rape crisis centers.

* Only 30 percent of those surveyed sought counseling.

In fact, sexual assault victims reported they were more concerned about friends and family members discovering the assault than about getting pregnant or catching a sexually transmitted disease, the survey discovered.

"We need to create an environment where victims of sexual assault are more comfortable approaching others for any assistance or support they need," Huntsman said. "This issue is far too critical not to address it with tangible actions."

Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said the report is "a grim reminder that we need to do more here in Utah to guarantee everyone is safe." He also pledged to work with the governor's office and advocacy groups to encourage victims to report their crimes and pursue the perpetrators.

A national study had earlier estimated 20 percent of Utah women, or one in five, would be raped in their lifetime. The commission's study puts the number closer to 12 percent.

"The report is the first of its kind specific to Utah," Duncan said. "Now we can say we've looked at our own community and we know that it's one in eight who will be raped in their lifetime."

But Duncan said obtaining funding for programs and delivering services to those who need them remains a problem.

"The very nature of sexual assault - cloaked in social stigma, denial and myths - has served to minimize the perception of the crime's prevalence and, in turn, has resulted in an ongoing struggle for adequate funding," she said.

Duncan urged Utahns to contact their senators and congressmen to urge them to support renewal of the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which is set to expire Sept. 30.

She said the 2005 VAWA legislation includes a new Sexual Assault Services Act to provide funding to rape crisis centers.

The Rape in Utah report - which surveyed more than 1,200 women over the age of 18 - can be accessed at http://www.justice.utah.gov.

Utah's darkest crime statistics

* One in three women will experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime.

* One in eight will be raped.

* 90 percent of female sexual assault victims experience their first assault before age 18.

* More than 90 percent of sexual assaults are committed by a family member or acquaintance.

Source: Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice