Facts and Myths about Rape

MYTH: Most sexual assaults are committed by strangers
FACT: Approximately 80% of rape survivors know their assailant in some fashion prior to the assault.

MYTH: It can’t happen to me. I won’t be raped or assaulted.
FACT: One in four women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. Approximately one in seven men will be victims of sexual assault.

MYTH: Women lie about rape in order to get revenge or because they feel guilty about having sex.
FACT: According to the FBI, only about 2% of all reported rape charges are found to be false. An individual is more likely to lie about being robbed than being sexually assaulted.

MYTH: Women ask to be raped.
FACT: The way people look, act, or dress does not invite sexual assault. No individual “asks” to be the victim of a violent crime. Nor is any person responsible for the violent criminal behavior of someone else. Sexual assaults are never the fault of the victim.

MYTH: Rapists are lonely, sexually unfulfilled men.
FACT: Rapists do not fit a stereotyped image. Assailants can be anyone from a family member, friend, boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, co-worker or another acquaintance. Studies of convicted male rapists indicate that over 60% were married and virtually all had normal sexual relationships with women at the time they committed the assault.

MYTH: Boys and men cannot be sexually assaulted.
FACT: Again, approximately one in seven men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime.
Unfortunately men often do not report sexual assaults because of even greater social stigma. If a male is sexually assaulted it does not mean he is or will become homosexual. Often sexual orientation of both the rapist and victim are not relevant to the assault that occurs.

MYTH: Most rapes occur in streets or parking garages.
FACT: The vast majority of rapes occur in either the victim or the assailant’s home.

MYTH: If people fought or resisted hard enough sexual assaults would not occur.
FACT: Most adult victims, even those who are not physically harmed, fear injury and death during a sexual assault. Children who are assaulted are often confused, unable to question the power and authority of the abuser, and do not know how to get help. Choosing not to fight is not the same as giving consent.

Women:
• Trust your intuition.
• Be assertive. State clearly what you want and do not want. Do not be afraid to set limits.
• Be aware of your surroundings. Are your friends still around? Who else is in the apartment/house/residence hall?
• Use alcohol responsibly. 80 - 90% of acquaintance rapes involve alcohol and /or drugs. Alcohol and drugs cloud your judgment and make it difficult to anticipate situations in which sexual assault might occur.
• Practice healthy behavior, which reduces your risk. For example, always have a buddy you trust. Don’t isolate yourself.
• Beware of men who are angry or hostile if you say no; threaten, bully, or try to control you; have been violent with previous girlfriends; engage in sexual harassment or tell sexist jokes; or try to make you feel guilty or accuse you of being uptight if you say not to advance.

What to do if you are assaulted:
• Your first responsibility is to yourself.
• Get medical attention for possible external or internal injuries, STD’s, and pregnancy. Also, evidence collection can be done at this time, whether or not you choose to press charges.
• Tell someone. Confiding in someone you trust can help you begin the healing process.
• Consider whether you want to report the rape to the police. This is a decision only you can make. Filing criminal charges, however, give some women a sense of empowerment.
• Believe in yourself. What happened to you was wrong; regardless of whether you were dating the person who attacked you, were longtime friends, casual acquaintances, or strangers to each other. THE RAPE WAS NOT YOUR FAULT.

Alcohol and drugs
Effects of Alcohol
- Change in perception
- Decrease in coordination
- Depressant effects
- Decreases attention and memory
- Black-Outs

90% of campus rapes occur under the influence of alcohol.

55% of female students involved in acquaintance rape admit to having been drinking or using drugs at the time of the attack.

75% of male students involved in acquaintance rape admit to having been drinking or using drugs at the time of the attack. (American Council for Drug Education)

A large number of studies have shown that women who typically consume more alcohol are more likely to be victims of sexual violence. (Testa & Parks, 1996)

Studies among college students indicate that the majority of female victims and male perpetrators report using alcohol at the time of the assault. (Testa & Parks, 1996)

Sexual assaults involving the use of alcohol by either the offender or the victim are higher in severity than those not alcohol-related. (Ullman, Karabatsos & Koss, 1999)

Drinking by offenders and victims was associated with assaults occurring in less planned social situations (e.g. bars, parties) in which the victim did not know the offender well prior to the assault. (Ullman, Karabatsos & Koss, 1999)

In a study at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, 16% of men reported that they had “given or encouraged the use of drugs or alcohol to obtain sex”. (Mill & Granoff, 1992)

Sexual assault against women is widespread on college campuses, and that men will often use alcohol or drugs as a means to obtain sex. (Mill & Granoff, 1992)

Based on victim reports, on average each year about 183,000 rapes and sexual assaults involve alcohol use by the offender.

Combined use of drugs and alcohol accounted for 18% of the alcohol-involved rapes and sexual assaults. (Greenfeld, 1998)