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Keeping it Real: The Facts about Sexual Assault on Campus
Read the statements below and decide if it is a myth or fact
1. Victims make up stories about being sexually assaulted
[Myth] [Fact]
Myth. Victims don’t usually lie about sexual assault. It is very hard for a person to tell someone that he or she has been sexually assaulted, especially if the offender is someone known and trusted. If someone tells you that he or she was sexually assaulted, you should believe them and find a way to help.
2. Victims provoke sexual assaults when they dress provocatively or act in promiscuous manner.
[Myth] [Fact]
Myth. Rape and sexual assault are crimes of violence and control that stem from a person’s determination to exercise power over another. Neither provocative dress nor promiscuous behavior are invitations for unwanted sexual activity. Forcing someone to engage in non-consensual sexual activity is sexual assault, regardless of the way that person dresses or acts.
3. If a person goes to someone’s room or house or goes to a bar, she assumes the risk of sexual assault. If something happens later, she can’t claim that she was raped or sexually assaulted because she should have known no to go to those places.
[Myth] [Fact]
Myth. This “assumption of risk” wrongfully places the responsibility of the offender’s actions with the victim. Even if a person went voluntarily to someone’s residence or room and consented to engage in some sexual activity, it does not serve as a blanket consent for all sexual activity. If a person is unsure about whether the other person is comfortable with an elevated level of sexual activity, the person should stop and ask. When someone says “No” or “Stop,” that means STOP. Sexual activity forced upon another without consent is sexual assault.
*See Understanding Consent
4. It’s not sexual assault if it happens after drinking or taking drugs.
[Myth] [Fact]
Myth. Being under the influence of alcohol or drugs is not an invitation for nonconsensual activity. A person under the influence of drugs or alcohol does not cause others to assault her; others choose to take advantage of the situation and sexually assault her because she is in a vulnerable position. Many state laws hold that a person who is cognitively impaired due to the influence of drugs or alcohol is not able to consent to sexual activity. The act of an offender who deliberately uses alcohol as a means to subdue someone in order to engage in non-consensual sexual activity is also criminal.
5. A person who has really been sexually assaulted will be hysterical.
[Myth] [Fact]
Myth. Victims of sexual violence exhibit a spectrum of responses to the assault which can include: calm, hysteria, withdrawal, anger, apathy, denial, and shock. Being sexually assaulted is a very traumatic experience. Reactions to the assault and the length of time needed to process through the experience vary with each person. There is no “right way” to react to being sexually assaulted. Assumptions about a way a victim “should act” may be detrimental to the victim because each victim copes with the trauma of the assault in different ways which can also vary over time.
6. All sexual assault victims will report the crime immediately to the police. If they do not report it or delay in reporting it, then they must have changed their minds after it happened, wanted revenge, or didn’t want to look like they were sexually active.
[Myth] [Fact]
Myth. There are many reasons why a sexual assault victim may not report the assault to the police. It is not easy to talk about being sexually assaulted. The experience of re-telling what happened may cause the person to relive the trauma. Other reasons for not immediately reporting the assault or not reporting it at all include fear of retaliation by the offender, fear of not being believed, fear of being blamed for the assault, fear of being “revictimized” if the case goes through the criminal justice system, belief that the offender will not be help accountable, wanting to forget the assault ever happened, not recognizing that what happened was sexual assault, feelings of shame and/or shock. In fact, reporting a sexual assault incident to the police is the exception and not the norm. Because a person did not immediately report an assault or chooses not to report it at all does not mean that the assault did not happen. See Reporting Options
7. If physical force is not used, it is not rape.
[Myth] [Fact]
Myth. It is still considered rape if the perpetrator uses intimidation, coercion, or if the victim is impaired by drugs or alcohol and is unable to consent to sexual contact.
8. The victim must scream or fight back for the behavior to be a sexual assault.
[Myth] [Fact]
Myth. The offender will often use this myth as an excuse when caught. The offender will argue that the victim agreed or didn’t really mind being sexually touched or assaulted. If the victim didn’t want sex, he or she would have fought back or fought harder, etc. There’s no excuse for sexual assault.
9. Sexual Assaults are committed by mentally sick or sex starved men.
[Myth] [Fact]
Myth. Sexual assaults are committed every day by healthy, ordinary looking individuals. They do not look strange. The offender may even be someone that you know… a brother, a cousin, a date, a neighbor. Most offenders look and act like ordinary people and lead fairly typical and normal lives.
10. On a college campus, most assaults are by someone the victim knows.
[Myth] [Fact]
Fact. Date and acquaintance rape are far more prevalent among college age individuals than stranger rape.
11. Sexual assault is an act driven by sexual desire.
[Myth] [Fact]
Myth. Sexual assault is more about control and power than sexual pleasure. Offenders are often in relationships or have a sexual partner with whom they are able to satisfy their sexual urges.
12. Sexual assault can happen in lesbian and gay relationships.
[Myth] [Fact]
Fact. Sexual violence can happen in any relationship when one person has the potential to have power and control over another. This can include same-sex relationships as well as opposite-sex relationships.
13. Men can not be victims of sexual assault.
[Myth] [Fact]
Myth. Although there are more assaults reported by women, men can be and are victims of sexual assault.
14. One in four women will be the victim of rape or attempted rape.
[Myth] [Fact]
Fact. Based on national statistics, at least one in four women will be victimized. Chances are you or someone you know has been victimized.
15. Sexual Assault can cause long-term emotional trauma.
[Myth] [Fact]
Fact. While some individuals appear to recover quickly, others may suffer initial denial and long term emotional trauma. All victims are encouraged to seek professional counseling to assist with the aftermath of rape.
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