Myths about Rape and Sexual Abuse

There are some common and widespread misconceptions about rape and sexual abuse, which are clearly not true.

Rape is an act committed by someone who is mentally ill.

Most rapists are not psychotic maniacs or monsters, but are men of all ages and from all walks of life. Very few are referred to clinics or hospitals for psychiatric treatment. Prof. M. Amir of Chicago University stated that the 646 convicted rapists studied were no more psychologically disturbed than violence prone offenders of other crimes such as robbery or assault were.

Rape is the result of a sudden and overwhelming urge.
The woman (or man) was asking for it. Women supposedly ask for it in many ways:
   ⇒Wearing something defined by men as provocative
   ⇒Making friendly conversation
   ⇒Walking alone at night
   ⇒Hitching hiking
   ⇒Accepting invitations for a drink/dinner
   ⇒Going back to a man's flat or inviting him back to hers, etc

This myth serves to place the responsibility for the sexual assault with the person who was raped rather than where it should lie, with the rapist. The notion is, if women (or men) follow these rules they will be safe. Not only does this idea fail to guarantee safety; it is severely limiting to women's independence and mobility.

Rape doesn't have to happen; resist and you won't get raped.

Women and men who fight and resist to within inches of their lives are still raped. In many cases the attack in unexpected. Physical force and violence is always present or implied. Women who have survived attacks describe entering a state of shock. In most cases a woman or man can only concentrate on trying to survive rather than think of a devious plan to escape her assailant. Also there are those who give unwilling consent because they are fully aware of the possible futility and dangers of active resistance.

Rape is an act commited by strangers in dark alleys.

It has been shown that in most cases, the woman knows the attacker. Our own statistics over the years show that, on average, 75-85% of attackers are known, and are often in a position of trust or authority. Rapists can be husbands, lovers, ex- partners, fathers, employers, or other authority figures (e.g. doctors, teachers), friends, acquaintances or colleagues.

Only attractive girls are raped.

All women are subject to the possibility of rape whether they are old or young, attractive or unattractive. Babies are raped and grandmothers are raped. Interviews with rapists confirm that the attractiveness of a woman in most cases is not an important factor of the attack. Men are also raped.

Women make false accusations of rape.

Official FBI statistics on the number of false reported rapes put the figures at 2%, which is the same as for any other crime. Reporting sexual abuse involves complex and traumatic procedures. Taking these factors into consideration makes it seem highly unlikely that a woman or man would make a false accusation of rape.

Rape is a well reported crime.

Many incidents of rape and other sexual abuse go unreported. Our own (very limited) statistics show that reporting among the survivors that have come forward to us lies somewhere around 5-10 percent.

There are many reasons why. Some survivors find themselves under a lot of pressure not to report. They might be afraid of being blamed for breaking up their families (if the abuser is in the family), or their abuser might have threatened terrible consequences if they tell or report. These pressures serve to take control away from the survivor and create an atmosphere where sexual violence can happen undisclosed.

Some people are put off by the long, drawn out court procedure, and by the prospect of facing the assailant in court. Often after an attack, survivors just want to forget about it and get on with their lives.

Furthermore, even after a rape or sexual assault is reported, a prosecution or conviction is no guarantee. Many reported cases never make it to court and many cases that come to court do not end with a conviction.

The Law Department at NUIG are currently undertaking research into attrition rates after the reporting of rape.

Women exaggerate the effects of abuse
if they were not raped, it was not all that bad.

All kinds of abuse can have devastating effects on the woman's life.

Sexual violence only happens to an unfortunate few.

The SAVI study commissioned by Dublin RCC in 2002 found that as many as one in four women and one in six men in Ireland have some experience of sexual assault before the age of eighteen.