Violence against Women Coalition

Sexual Assault

Myth vs. Fact

Download the pdf version of this chart here

Myth	Fact:
Myth #1 Sexual assault is a rare occurrence.	Sexual assault is all too common. According to recent studies, 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men have been raped at some point in their lifetime. Incidences of sexual harassment such as leering, touching, pinching and hearing suggestive remarks are an everyday occurrence for many women. Further statistics from the survey can be found here on the National Institute of Justice Website.
Myth #2 If the victim has consumed alcohol or drugs, then it is not a sexual assault.	Whether the victim consumed alcohol or drugs prior to the offense is irrelevant. The assault is the responsibility of the offender, who chose to commit a crime. Some offenders will prey on people in this vulnerable state. The law states that consent cannot be given if a victim is intoxicated, so any sexual contact where the victim is intoxicated is sexual assault. Learn more about the relationship between alcohol and sexual assault.
Myth #3 It is impossible to sexually assault someone against their will. If they did not want to be assaulted, they could have fought or run away. If there are no bruises or injuries, there was no assault.	No one is responsible for being sexually assaulted. Even in cases where no weapon used, the offender may threaten to hurt or kill the victim if there is resistance. The victim may also fear that they or someone close to them will be hurt or killed. Submitting without a struggle does not mean the victim consented to the sexual assault. Victims may submit after being threatened, hoping to reduce the chance of injury or death. Whether the victim judges it safe to resist or not, the victim is never to blame for the assault.
Myth #4 Victims of sexual assault "ask for it" by dressing or acting a certain way.	No person ever asks to be sexually assaulted. The idea that someone deserves to be assaulted because they dress or behave "provocatively" shifts responsibility away from the offender and onto the victim. The rapist is the one who decides to force sex on the victim. Everybody has the right to dress and behave any way they wish without having to fear sexual assault.
Myth #5 Victims are sexually assaulted by strangers lurking in dark alleyways. Offenders are strangers to the victim.	The vast majority of sexual assault victims know the offender, and the offender may be a friend, partner, family member, relative, neighbor or co-worker. The Crime Safety Survey (1998) found that more than 85% of sexual assault victims knew or may have had contact with the offender in the most recent incident
Myth #6 Victims make up stories about rape and sexual assault, or "cry rape" to get back at someone.	The FBI has found that only 1-2% of rape reports are suspected to be false. This is approximately the same rate of false reports as that for all other violent crimes. It is estimated that only between 5% and 10% of rapes that occur ever get reported.
Myth #7 Victims enjoy being sexually assaulted or raped.	No one ever enjoys being sexually assaulted. In some cases, a person may respond sexually during the assault, but this is purely a reflex physiological response. It does NOT indicate that the abuse was welcome. In fact, for many survivors, any pleasurable sensations may be more upsetting than painful ones. Rape is about power, not sex, and is an expression of hostility and aggression intended to humiliate and degrade the victim. Sexual assault involves coercion, manipulation, threatened or actual injury, mutilation, and/or death. In the short term, victims can suffer terror, shock, illness and physical injury. In the long term, it can mean loss of self-esteem, ongoing psychological problems, breakdown of relationships, and economic hardship.
Myth #8 Males who are sexually assaulted do not suffer to the same extent as female victims.	Sexual abuse is a crime of violence and all victims suffer. Male victims experience many of the same reactions to the crime as female victims do. Some of these reactions include self-blame, fear, anger, relationship problems, questions about sexuality, addictions, and trust issues. Not everyone will experience all of these reactions, nor will they experience them to the same extent, regardless of gender.
Myth #9 Only gay men sexually assault other men.	Most men who sexually assault other men are heterosexual. The sexual assault usually deals with violence, anger, and control over another individual, not lust or sexual attraction. In many cases, heterosexual men assault homosexual or bisexual men as a form of gay bashing.
Myth #10 It's not as traumatic to be raped by someone you know.	Just because the victim knows the rapist doesn't make it any less a crime or any easier to deal with. Often the emotional impact of acquaintance rape seems greater than that of stranger rape. Also, the victim may have a strong feeling that no one will believe her or him. Her or his trust in others and in her or his own judgment are violated.
Myth #11 Sexual assault is the victim's fault: "If she didn't want to do it, why did she go to his place? She knew what kind of guy he was!" "You know how he gets when he's drunk." "Oh, she sleeps around."	Statements such as these put the blame on the victim and not on the offender. Rape is never the victim's fault. Even if she/he did something that puts her/him in a vulnerable position, she/he did not ask to be sexually assaulted.