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Common Myths of Sexual Assault
- MYTH: If there is no weapon or physical abuse involved, it is not really rape.
FACT: There does not have to be a weapon or physical abuse involved for it to be rape. Rapists may use threats of abuse or coercion to rape.
- MYTH: Most individuals who experience sexual assault do not know their assailant.
FACT: Most rapes are committed by someone the individual knows.
- MYTH: Most people who experience sexual assault tell someone immediately.
FACT: Most people do not immediately tell and most rapes go unreported to the police.
- MYTH: Immediately after a rape an individual is usually hysterical.
FACT: After being raped or sexually assaulted, individuals may have a range of emotions from hysterically crying to being absolutely numb. However someone responds is acceptable and OK. People deal with things in different ways and should not be judged based on how society perceives someone should act after being raped or sexually assaulted.
- MYTH: Men are never raped.
FACT: While women are raped at a much higher rate than men, men can and are raped as well.
- MYTH: The primary motivation of rape is sex.
FACT: Rape is an act of violence where sex is used as the weapon. Rape occurs in a situation where one person has power over another and finds this gratifying.
- MYTH: It is OK to force someone to have sex with you if they lead you on.
FACT: It is NEVER okay to have sex with someone against their will, regardless of what they did or said prior to the attack.
- MYTH: If you are raped, always submit, never fight back physically.
FACT: Whatever you do to survive is appropriate. Some people may fight back. This is a judgment call and you must do whatever you feel safest doing.
- MYTH: If a person hitchhikes, goes out alone after dark, dresses or acts sexy, they are asking to be raped.
FACT: These are high-risk situations, but no one ever deserves to be raped no matter how they dress or act. People do not ask to be raped; it is never the individual's fault.
- MYTH: Husbands cannot rape their wives.
FACT: Anytime a person has sex with another person when that person does not want it, it is rape, regardless of whether they are married. Marital rape is a crime in Virginia.