| Myth |
Reality |
| It could never happen to me. |
Everyone is a potential rape victim: females/males of any age, race, class, religion, occupation, education or sexual orientation. |
| Most rapes occur as a “spur of the moment” act in a dark alley by a stranger. |
Most rapes are planned and often occur in one’s home. Many times the offender is a relative, friend, neighbor, or other acquaintance of the victim. A rapist will rape again and again, generally in the same area of town and in the same manner.
|
| Rape is primarily a sexual crime. |
Rape is a violent crime that is acted out sexually. It violates not only the victim’s personal integrity, but also her/his sense of safety and control over their life. |
| A rapist is easy to spot in a crowd. |
Most Rapists appear to be normal. Most are married and young. They can be of any race, color or economic class. |
| Most rapes are interracial. |
The overwhelming majority of rapes involve persons of the same race or culture. |
| Rape is a non-violent crime. |
Rape is a violent crime — 87% or rapists either carry a weapon or threaten the victim with violence or death. Forcible rape is increasing in this country, more than any other violent crime. |
| Rape happens only to young women. |
Rape occurs to victims of all ages. In the U.S., there are reports of rape victims ranging in age from 4 months to 92 years. Rape is an act of fource for which everyone must be prepared. People of all ages, socioeconomic groups, neighborhoods and lifestyles can be victims. |
| Some victims are “asking for it” by the way they dress or by their actions. |
Again, most rapes are planned. Research shows that rapists are looking for available, vulnerable targets, not victims who dress or behave in a particular way. No person asks to be hurt or degraded. |
| It is not really possible to rape a non-consenting adult. |
It is indeed possible to rape a non-consenting adult. Fear of death, threat of violence, or physical brutality can immobilize anyone. |
| Women frequently make false accusations about sexual assault. |
This myth asserts that there is a high rate of false reporting in sexual assault cases. In fact, only about two to four percent (2-4%) of sexual assault calls turn out to be false reports, which is the same false report rate for other felony crimes. Survivors who are aware that many other people believe this myth may be afraid to report and may hesitate to tell anyone for fear that no one will believe them. |
