Myth: Sexual Assault is caused by lust or
uncontrollable sexual urges and the need for
sexual gratification.
Fact: Sexual Assault is an act of physical
violence and domination that is not motivated
by sexual gratification.
Myth: Once a man gets sexually aroused, he
can't just stop.
Fact: Men do not physically need to have sex
after becoming sexually excited. Moreover,
they are still able to control themselves after
becoming aroused.
Myth: Women often lie about sexual assault or
falsely accuse someone of sexual assault.
Fact: Statistical studies indicate false reports
make up two percent or less of the reported
cases of sexual assault. This figure is
approximately the same for other types of
crimes. Only one out of 10 rapes are actually
reported. Sexual Assault by someone the
victim knows are the least likely to be
reported.
Myth: Women provoke sexual assault by their
appearance. Sexual attractiveness is a primary
reason why a perpetrator selects a victim.
Fact: Perpetrators do not select their victims
by their appearance. They select victims who
are vulnerable and accessible. Victims of sexual
assault range in age groups from infants to the
elderly. Sexual attractiveness is not an issue.
Myth: Sexual assault is a topic that only
concerns women, and men do not have to be
concerned about sexual assault.
Fact: According to recent sexual assault crisis
center statistics, men, both straight and gay,
suffered 10 percent of the sexual assaults
reported in the United States last year. In
addition, men have wives, friends, sisters,
mothers and daughters who may someday need
assistance in coping with sexual assault. Sexual
Assault is a concern for everyone.
Myth: If a woman really did not want to be
sexually assaulted, she could fight off her
attacker.
Fact: Even if the perpetrator is not carrying a
weapon, the element of surprise, shock and
fear or the threat of harm can overpower a
victim.
Additional Facts about Sexual Assault
Women and girls are the vast majority of
victims: nearly 1 in 5 women – or nearly 22
million – have been raped in their lifetimes.*
Men and boys, however, are also at risk: 1
in 71 men – or almost 1.6 million – have been
sexually assaulted during their lives.*
Young people are especially at risk: The
majority of sexual assault victims are young
between the ages of 16 and 24. The Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
reports that 80% of female victims were
sexually assaulted before they turned 25.*
College students are particularly vulnerable,
with 1 in 5 women being sexually assaulted
while in college.***
Other populations are also at higher risk of
being sexually assaulted, including people
with disabilities and the LGBT community.*
Most victims know their assailants: 51% of
female victims were sexually assaulted by a
current or former intimate partner, and 41%
were sexually assaulted by an acquaintance.
Assault by strangers , in contrast, accounts for
only 14% of the total. Of men and boys, 52%
report being sexually assaulted by an
acquaintance and 15% by a stranger.*
The vast majority (nearly 98%) of
perpetrators are male. 98% of female and
93% of sexual assault victims report that their
assailants were male.*
The Impacts of Sexual Assault. Sexual
assault victims often suffer from a wide range
of physical and mental health problems that
can follow them for life – including
depression, anxiety, chronic pain, diabetes,
sexually transmitted diseases, eating disorders,
and post-traumatic stress disorder. They are
also more likely than non-victims to develop
alcohol and substance abuse problems and
attempt or consider suicide.**
Victims may be further traumatized by
social media – through which the details of an
assault can “go viral.” While this is an un-
researched issue, a number of high profile
sexual assault cases have drawn attention to
this relatively new and disturbing dynamic.**
Campus Sexual Assault: A Particular
Problem:
As noted, 1 in 5 women have been sexually
assaulted while in college.***
Reporting rates for campus sexual assault are
also very low: on average only 12% of student
victims report the assault to law
enforcement.***
The dynamics of college life appear to fuel the
problem. Most college victims are assaulted
by someone they know; parties are often the
site of these crimes, and many victims are
abused while they’re drunk, under the
influence of drugs, passed out, or otherwise
incapacitated. This is called “incapacitated
assault.”
Perpetrators often prey on incapacitated
women, and sometimes surreptitiously provide
their victims with drugs or alcohol.
Perpetrators who drink prior to an assault are
more likely to believe that a woman’s drinking
itself signals that she is interested in sex. ***
References
*Black, M.C., Basile, K.C., Breiding, M.J.
Smith, S.G., Walters, M.L., Merrick, M.T.,
Chen, J., & Stevens, M.R. (2011) The National
Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey
(NISVS): 2010 Summary Report. Atlanta, GA:
National Center for Injury Prevention and
Control, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
In calculating the prevalence of rape, The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) counts completed forced penetration,
attempted forced penetration, or alcohol/drug
facilitated completed penetration. Like other
researchers, the CDC considers attempted
forced penetration to fall within the definition
of “rape” because that crime can be just as
traumatizing for victims. As the CDC further
explains, the most common form of rape
victimization experienced by women was
completed forced penetration: 12.3% of
women in the United States were victims of
completed forced penetration; 8% were victims
of alcohol/drug facilitated completed
penetration, and 5.2% were victims of
attempted forced penetration. These are
lifetime estimates and a victim might have
experienced multiple forms of these subtypes
of rape in her lifetime.
**The White House Council on Women and
Girls (2014). Rape and sexual assault: A
renewed call to action. Office of the Vice
President.
***Krebs, C.P., Lindquist, C.H., Warner, T.D.,
Fisher, B.S., & Martin, S. L. (2007). The
Campus Sexual Assault (CSA) Study (221153).
Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice,
U.S. Department of Justice. [Hereafter cited as
CSA (2007)].; Krebs, C.P., Lindquist, C. H.,
Warner, T.D., Fisher, B.S., & Martin, S. L.
(2009) College Women’s Experiences with
Physically Forced, Alcohol- or Other Drug-
Enabled, and Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault
Before and Since Entering College. Journal of
American College Health, 57 (6), 639-647.
****Kilpatric, D.G., Resnick, H.S., Ruggiero,
K.J., Conoscenti, L.M., & McCauley, J. (2007).
Drug facilitated, incapacitated, and forcible
rape: A national study (NCJ 219181).
Charleston, SC: Medical University of South
Carolina, National Crime Victims Research &
Treatment Center.
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in comments are
those of the comment writers alone and does not
reflect or represent the views of Victor Duru
Comments