| Myth: |
|
Rape is a crime committed by strangers
jumping out of bushes or in dark alleys. |
| |
Reality: |
|
The reality is that more than 80% of rapes committed
by people who knew the victim and are often committed in either the house
of the perpetrator or victim. |
| |
| Myth: |
|
Only women can be sexually assaulted. |
| |
Reality: |
|
Although the majority of rape victims are women,
and in fact they are 10 times more likely to be victims of sexual assault
than men, many men are still victims of rape every year. |
| |
| Myth: |
|
Victims of rape often ask to be raped
by the way they were acting or the way that they dressed. |
| |
Reality: |
|
Nobody asks to be raped no matter how they are
dressed or how they were acting. The way an individual behaves is their
choice, but it is never justification for an individual being sexually
assaulted. |
| |
| Myth: |
|
Persons who rape are psychopaths. |
| |
Reality: |
|
The majority of rapists are actually not psychopaths,
they are mostly the people we see around us everyday. Very few rapists
actually have mental problems. |
| |
| Myth: |
|
The only way a rapist can really force
a woman to have intercourse is by using a weapon. |
| |
Reality: |
|
A weapon is not necessary for a sexual assault
to occur. Fists, body weight, psychological pressure or the victim being
drunk are all ways in which rape can occur without the use of a weapon. |
| |
| Myth: |
|
If a victim isn't a virgin then they
can't be raped. |
| |
Reality: |
|
A victim's sexual history has nothing to do with
a case of rape. A victim could even have had sex with their attacker
at an earlier time and can still be raped by them. |
| |
| Myth: |
|
Women who don't actually physically
fight back have not been raped. |
| |
Reality: |
|
A woman may not fight back for any number of reasons,
she may feel it is not safe for her to do so, but this does not mean
that if she doesn't fight back it does not mean that the victim is consenting,
and rape has still occurred. |
| |
| Myth: |
|
If a man pays for dinner or a movie,
the woman owes him sex so rape has not occurred. |
| |
Reality: |
|
A woman doesn't have to do anything in return
for a date, especially having sex against her will. |
| |
| Myth: |
|
When a man becomes sexually aroused
they have to have sex or they will literally "explode." |
| |
Reality: |
|
Just because a man has an erection it doesn't
mean that he has to put it somewhere. Although it may be desirable there
are no physical consequences if a man doesn't have sex when he is aroused. |
| |
| Myth: |
|
Women often lie about being raped
to get revenge, for their own benefit or because they changed their minds
afterwards. |
| |
Reality: |
|
Only 2% of reported rapes are false accusations.
Most women will not lie about being raped for any reason. |
| |
| Myth: |
|
When a woman says "no", she really
means "maybe". |
| |
Reality: |
|
Although mixed messages can be given, when a woman
says no she means no. Never assume that no means anything else but no
and if in doubt, ask. |
| |
| Myth: |
|
If a woman goes to a man's room and "makes
out" with him it means that she wants to have sex. |
| |
Reality: |
|
Just because a woman goes to a man's room or makes
out with him it does not mean that she wants to have sex with him. People
can want to "fool around", without wanting to actually have intercourse. |
| |
| Myth: |
|
If a woman has passed out because
of excessive alcohol it is okay to have sex with her. |
| |
Reality: |
|
If someone is unconscious they are unable to give
you consent and therefore having sex with them would be rape. |
| |
| Myth: |
|
If the attacker is drunk at the time
of the assault then they cannot be accused of rape. |
| |
Reality: |
|
The attacker is responsible for their actions
no matter how intoxicated they are. Being drunk is not an excuse to force
sex on someone against their will. |
