Sexual Assault Myths vs Reality

1. Myth: The primary motive for sexual assault is sexual.
Reality: While sexual attraction may be influential, power, control and anger are the primary motives. Most rapists have access to a sexual partner. Gratification comes from gaining power and control and discharging anger. This gratification is only temporary, so the rapist seeks another victim.

2. Myth: Sexual assault is an impulsive act.
Reality: Seventy-five percent of all assaults are planned in advance.

3. Myth: You can tell a rapist by the way he looks.
Reality: Rapists are not physically identifiable. They may appear friendly, normal, and non-threatening. Many are young, married and have children. Rapist types and traits however can be categorized.

4. Myth: Most sexual assaults are by people of one race assaulting people of another race.
Reality: The majority of rapes involve persons of the same race or culture. The majority of rapists are white males.

5. Myth: Men cannot be sexually assaulted.
Reality: Men can be raped, and they are often raped by heterosexual males. Male rape occurs in the public sector, not just in institutional settings. Once again, we must look at the motivation for rape, that of power, control and anger. At times, gangs use male rape as a way to control gang members. Male rape is rarely reported, due largely to the lack of support and unrealistic male sex-role expectations in our society.

6. Myth: Rape only occurs outside and at night.
Reality: Rape can and does occur anytime and anyplace. Many rapes occur during the day and in the victims’ homes.

7. Myth: You cannot be assaulted against your will.
Reality: Assailants overpower their victims with the threat of violence or with actual violence. Especially in cases of acquaintance rape or incest, an assailant often uses the victim’s trust to isolate her/him. You cannot be assaulted against your will. Assailants overpower their victims with the threat of violence or with actual violence. Especially in cases of acquaintance rape or incest, an assailant often uses the victim’s trust to isolate her/him.

8. Myth: Sexual assault usually occurs between strangers.
Reality: By some estimates, over 70% of rape victims know their attackers. The rapist may be a relative, friend, co-worker, date or other acquaintance.

9. Myth: Gang rape is rare.
Reality: In 43% of all reported cases, more than one assailant was involved.

10. Myth: If an attacker doesn’t use a weapon, it’s not rape.
Reality: A weapon is not necessary for rape to occur – physical force, psychological pressure, and the victim being under the influence of drugs or alcohol – all count as rape.

11. Myth: If the victim isn’t a virgin, then it’s not rape.
Reality: The victim’s past sexual history has no bearing on whether or not she was raped. Even if she has had sexual relations with the rapist before, if she was forced to have sex with him against her consent, it is still rape.

12. Myth: “She asked for it.” Women often provoke rape by their own behavior: wearing provocative clothing or non- traditional clothing, going out alone, staying out late, being friends with boys/men, being drunk, etc.
Reality: No one asks to be sexually assaulted. Nor does anyone’s behavior justify or excuse the crime. People have a right to be safe from a sexual violation at any time, any place, and under any circumstances. The offender, not the victim, must be held responsible for this crime.

13. Myth: A person who has really been sexually assaulted will be hysterical.
Reality: Survivors exhibit a spectrum of emotional responses to sexual assault: calm, hysteria, laughter, anger, apathy, shock. Each survivor copes with the trauma of the assault in a different way.

14. Myth: If it is really rape then the victim will report it to the police right away.
Reality: Sexual assault is the most underreported crime. Only one in three victims report their assault. The most common reasons given by victims for not reporting these crimes are the belief it is a private or personal matter and that they fear reprisal from the assailant.

15. Myth: Women often make false reports of rape.
Reality: According to FBI crime statistics, less than 2 percent of the reported rape cases are found to be false. There are no more false reports of rape than there are of any other crime.

16. Myth: Women fantasize about being raped.
Reality: No woman fantasizes about being raped. Fantasies about aggressive sex may be controlled and turned off if they become threatening. In rape, the victim is unable to control the violence and stop it.

17. Myth: A man can’t rape his wife.
Reality: Many states now have laws against rape in marriage. The idea that a man can’t rape his wife suggests married women do not have the same right to safety as do unmarried women. Most battered women have experienced some form of sexual abuse within their marriage. It is also known that estranged or ex-spouses sometimes use rape to retaliate against the victim.

18. Myth: Rape only happens to young attractive women.
Reality: Rape can and does strike anyone at anytime. Age, social class, ethnic group and has no bearing on the person a rapist chooses to attack. Research data clearly proves that a way a woman dresses and / or acts does not influence the rapists choice of victims. His decision to rape is based on how easily he perceives his target can be intimidated. Rapists are looking for available and vulnerable targets.