Myth Busting

There are many myths that exist around Sexual Violence. These are often disguised as ‘facts’ because they are societal held beliefs.

These myths are often one of the reasons why survivors choose to not disclose, in fear of not being believed, in fear of being blamed or fear of the perpetrator’s actions being defended.

These are some of many myths that exist in society. All of these myths attempt to excuse the behaviour of perpetrators and imply they are not responsible for their actions.

• Myth: Rape can be an act of lust and passion.
• Fact: Rape is about power and control and is not motivated by sexual gratification.
• Myth: If she brought him back to the hotel room, she had intention so it’s not his fault?
• Fact: At any point consent can be withdrawn, even during sexual intercourse.
• Myth: If a victim of sexual assault does not fight back, they must have thought the assault was not that bad or they wanted it.
• Fact: Many survivors experience tonic immobility, often known as a ‘freeze’ response during an assault where they physically cannot move or speak. You can be 5^th Dan at Karate and freeze.
• Myth: A lot of victims lie about being raped or give false reports.
• Fact: Only 2-6% of rapes are falsely reported, the same percentage for any other crime.
• Myth: A person cannot rape their partner or spouse.
• Fact: Nearly 1 in 10 women have experienced rape by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
• Myth:  Sexual Violence doesn’t happen by people you know.
• 90% Of perpetrators are people we know.