Get the Facts
Myths vs. Facts
Common Myths about Sexual Violence:
MYTH
If a woman doesn’t put up a fight, she wasn’t actually raped.
FACT
In most cases, the victim is unable to fight back due to trauma, impairment, fear, or other factors.
MYTH
Sexual assault and rape are usually “he said/she said” communication problems.
FACT
There are many ways to say “No,” both verbally and nonverbally. Assailants choose to continue despite receiving clear messages that the other person is uncomfortable. They choose to try to “make them relax” rather than backing off. Many perpetrators will testify that the sex was consensual, minimizing the extent to which the survivor was pressured or coerced.
MYTH
Women can avoid being raped by dressing sensibly, not acting “sexy,” not getting drunk, and not going out alone at night.
FACT
There is no causal link between a woman’s clothing and social behavior and crimes of violence. Nothing a person does or wears causes a brutal crime like sexual assault.
MYTH
Only attractive young women are assaulted.
FACT
Survivors range in age from infancy to old age, and their appearance is seldom a consideration. Assailants often choose victims who seem most vulnerable to attack: old persons, children, physically or emotionally disabled persons, substance abusers, and street persons.
MYTH
Many people lie about being raped.
FACT
Only 2-8% of sexual assault cases are based on false accusation. This percentage of unsubstantiated cases is the same as with many other reported crimes.
MYTH
Assailants are usually crazed psychopaths or leering men on a dark street corner.
FACT
Assailants can be charming, convincing, or even someone you know intimately, like a coworker, a friend or a family member
MYTH
Men rape because they cannot control their sexual urges.
FACT
There is no medical evidence to substantiate that men biologically have uncontrollable sexual urges. Rape is an act of violence committed out of desire for power and control.
MYTH
In most cases, black men attack white women.
FACT
In most sexual assault cases, the assailant and victim are of the same racial background.
MYTH
It is impossible for a boyfriend or girlfriend to sexually assault their partner.
FACT
Regardless of relationship status, if a person does not consent to sexual activity he or she is being sexually assaulted.
MYTH
Sexual assault is a crime of passion and lust.
FACT
Sexual assault is a crime of violence. Assailants seek to dominate, humiliate and punish their victims, and most sexual assaults are planned events.
MYTH
A person who has really been assaulted will be hysterical.
FACT
Survivors exhibit a spectrum of emotional responses to assault: calm, hysteria, laughter, anger, apathy, shock. Each survivor copes with the trauma of the assault in a different way
MYTH
It is impossible to sexually assault a man.
FACT
Men fall victim for the same reasons as women: they are overwhelmed by threats or acts of physical and emotional violence.
MYTH
Men who get an erection or ejaculate during a sexual assault gave consent or enjoyed the assault.
FACT
Erection and ejaculation are physiological responses that can’t be controlled and can even result from stress. An erection or ejaculation does not equal consent
MYTH
A “real” man can and should always be able to resist an assault.
FACT
It is common for both men and women to freeze during a sexual assault, and in some cases drugs, alcohol or the presence of a weapon or the threat of other force or injury can prevent someone from fighting their assailant.
MYTH
Jealousy in a relationship is a sign of love.
FACT
When a person continually accuses their partner of flirting or cheating, and is suspicious of everyone in their partner’s life, it is possessive and controlling behavior, not love.
MYTH
When someone hits their girlfriend or boyfriend, that person must have provoked the behavior in some way.
FACT
While anger can be provoked during an argument, abuse is a choice the perpetrator makes to establish control during the argument. It is an intentional act or set of acts designed to force the abused partner to submit to the will of the abuser.
MYTH
People in abusive relationships stay because they enjoy being abused.
FACT
People who are abused by their partner do not stay in the relationship because they enjoy maltreatment. They may stay for practical or emotional reasons including love, fear of reprisal, economic factors, social isolation or shame, or to keep a family together.
MYTH
A relationship is not abusive if there is no physical abuse.
FACT
Perpetrators of violence maintain control over the victim by using physical, sexual, economic or emotional violence, or threats of violence.
Get the Facts
Sexual Assault:
- 44% of survivors experienced a sexual assault under the age of 18.
- 80% of survivors who experienced a sexual assault are under the age of 30.
- 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime.
- Every 2 minutes, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted–that’s 207,754 assaults each year.
- 54% of sexual assaults are not reported to the police.
- In 9 out of 10 sexual assault cases, the survivor knew the perpetrator.
Stalking:
- 4 out of 5 survivors are stalked by someone they know.
- 30% of survivors are stalked by a current or former intimate partner, while only 10% of stalking victims are stalked by a stranger.
- 1 in 4 survivors report being stalked through the use of some form of technology.
- 503,485 women in the United States are stalked by an intimate partner each year.
- Approximately 1 in 6 women and 1 in 19 men in the U.S. have experienced stalking at some point in their lives in which they felt very fearful or believed that they or someone close to them would be harmed or killed.
Intimate Partner Violence:
- Nearly 3 out of 4 Americans personally know someone who is or has been a victim of intimate partner violence.
- Women ages 20-24 are at the greatest risk of nonfatal intimate partner violence.
- As many as 1 in 5 couples in the United States experience at least 1 episode of partner-to-partner violence.
- It is estimated that in this country, a woman is severely assaulted by her male partner every 15 seconds, and a man is severely assaulted by his female partner every 14.6 seconds.
- 11% of lesbians reported violence by their female partner and 15% of gay men who had lived with a male partner reported being victimized by a male partner.
Sexual Harassment:
- Of college students, 62% of females and 61% of males report having been sexually harassed at their university.
- 39% of students who experienced sexual harassment say the incident or incidents occurred in their residence hall.
- 35% or more of college students who experience sexual harassment do not tell anyone about their experiences.
- 16% of female students who have been sexually harassed found it hard to study or pay attention in class, and 9% dropped a course or skipped a class in response to sexual harassment.
- 27% of female students stay away from particular buildings or places on campus as a result of sexual harassment.
Sources:
RAINN or 800-656-HOPE
(4673)
Pathways 2-1-1 Crisis Hotline & Information Center
Family Health Services 740-344-9291 or 800-688-3266
The American Association of
University Women (AAUW)
National Institute of Justice
Bureau
of Justice Statistics
CDC
Office
for the Prevention of Domestic Violence
Allstate Foundation National Poll on Domestic
Violence
The Ohio State University