Myth: Sexual assault is a crime of
passion, not violence. Fact: All sexual assaults are violent, involving
emotional, physical and sexual violation. The purpose of the assault is to
intimidate, dominate and control the victim (Klinic, 2001)
Myth: "Nice" girls are never
sexually assaulted. Fact: Any female can be the victim of sexual assault.
Victims range in age from a few months old to women in their nineties. They
represent every class, race, religion, neighbourhood, sexuality,
physical/personality type, and lifestyle. One in four women will be sexually
assaulted in her life. (Brickman & Briere, 1984) 38% of women surveyed were
fourteen to seventeen years old at the time of their sexual assault (Warshaw,
1988).
Myth: Men cannot be sexually assaulted.
Fact: One out of three males is sexually assaulted before the age of eighteen
(Klinic, 2001). Men who are sexually assaulted are not necessarily homosexual,
and being assaulted by another man does not make them homosexual. Men who
assault other men are not generally homosexual either - they are often
heterosexual men looking to dominate and control others.
Myth: Most sexual assaults are committed
by strangers on the street late at night. Fact: 75% of sexual assaults
occur in a home or car, 49% in broad daylight. In 75-85% of assaults, the
assailant is someone the victim knows and trusts (Warshaw, 1988).
Myth: It is easy to spot a potential
rapist - most are obviously mentally disturbed. Fact: Less than 5% of
assailants have a diagnosed mental disorder. The majority of assailants appear
normal, self-confident, and likeable. Half are married or in common-law
relationships (Klinic, 2001). One out of twelve men surveyed had committed acts
that met the definition of rape or attempted rape. 84% of the men who committed
acts that met the definition of rape stated that it definitely was not rape.
30% of men questioned stated they would commit rape if there was no chance they
would get caught. This figure rose to 50% when the word "rape" was
changed to "force a woman into having sex" (Warshaw, 1988)
Myth: Sexual assault is a rare occurrence
and is almost always reported. Fact: Sexual assault is committed more
frequently and reported less often than any other violent crime. Only 5-10% of
sexual assaults are reported to police (Warshaw, 1988).
Myth: A woman who has been sexually
assaulted will "get over it". Fact: Studies indicate that sexual
assault has traumatic, long-lasting and debilitating effects upon victims. One
in five rape victims attempt suicide whereas the rate is one in fifty in a
non-victimized population (Stark, 1985) The emotional trauma resulting from
rape is not always immediate but often results in long-term depression, fear
and sexual disfunction (Canadian Family Physician, 1985).