The Truth About Rape

Myth: Most rapes are committed by a stranger.
Fact: The FBI reports that 80% of victims know the assailant.

Myth: Rape is rare on college campuses.
Fact: 1 out of every 4 women in college has been a victim of rape or attempted rape.

Myth: It’s no big deal if a person is forced to have sex with a friend, date, lover or spouse, and it isn’t really rape.
Fact: This is rape. In some ways it can be more traumatic than stranger rape because the victim’s trust in others and in his or her own judgment can be seriously damaged.

Myth: It’s not rape if the victim doesn’t struggle.
Fact: Nonconsensual sex is rape whether or not the victim physically or verbally resists.

Myth: There are some women who ask for or provoke rape.
Fact: No one asks to be raped, regardless of where she goes, what she says, wears, or does, or how drunk or drugged she may be, just as no one asks to be robbed because s/he is carrying money. The responsibility lies with the person committing the crime, not the victim.

Myth: A person under the influence of drugs or alcohol is "fair game".
Fact: No one is "fair game". In fact, someone who is impaired by alcohol or other drugs may be incapable of understanding the situation, making it impossible for her or him to give consent to sex.

Myth: Kissing and touching are a prelude for sex.
Fact: Everyone has the right to say no at any time to any form of sexual activity regardless of what has occurred up to that point.

Myth: A man can tell by a woman’s body language when she wants to have sex.
Fact: By assuming what a body movement means, you project what you want onto your partner. Acting on assumption often leads to rape.

Myth: It’s not your fault if you commit rape while drunk or drugged.
Fact: Being drunk or drugged is not a legal defense against committing rape or any other type of sexual assault.

Myth: Men can’t stop themselves when they are sexually aroused.
Fact: Men are capable of, and responsible for, controlling their minds and their bodies, just as women are.