11 Myths About Sexual Assault and Dating Violence

Sexual assault survivors are men and women and boys and girls of all races and social class, but 80% of them are under 30 years old when the violence takes place. DoSomething.org talked with Megan McKendry, a board member of Students Active for Ending Rape (SAFER), who dispelled 11 myths about sexual assault and dating violence.

1. Myth: Most rapists are strangers.
   Fact: 77% of female sexual assault victims know their assailants. On college campuses, 9 out of 10 female victims know their attackers.
2. Myth: If victims don't aggressively fight back, they weren't raped.
   Fact: Intentional sexual contact without consent of the other person constitutes sexual assault, regardless of whether or not victims fight back. Victims may not use physical force for a number of reasons, including fear or physical incapacitation.
3. Myth: Rape requires the use of a weapon.
   Fact: According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 80% of rape and sexual assault incidents do not involve a weapon.
4. Myth: "Promiscuous" women cannot be raped.
   Fact: Just because someone has consented to sex many times beforehand does not mean that he or she has consented to all future sexual acts. All 50 states have "rape shield laws" that apply to criminal cases and limit the introduction of evidence regarding a victim's sexual history.
5. Myth: Men cannot be raped.
   Fact: 1 out of 33 men will be a victim of rape or sexual assault in his lifetime.
6. Myth: Most often, a rapist is arrested and jailed after the assault.
   Fact: 60% of rapes and sexual assaults are never reported, and only 40% of reported rapes are prosecuted. 15 out of 16 rapists will never serve jail time.
7. Myth: It is impossible to rape a spouse or significant other.
   Fact: Just because someone has consented to have sex with a spouse or partner once, twice, or a hundred times before does not mean that he or she has consented to all future sex with that person.
8. Myth: Women don't rape.
   Fact: Anyone can sexually assault. In 2008, 1.3% of offenders were female.
9. Myth: People in same-gender relationships cannot be victims of dating violence.
   Fact: LGBT intimate partner violence happens, but it is underreported. A survey which collected data from 16 community-based, anti-violence organizations across the United States found over 3,000 reported incidents of LGBT domestic violence in 2007. Experts estimate that 90% of these intimate partner violence situations involved sexual abuse.
10. Myth: A woman is "asking for it" if she is dressed a certain way or acts a certain way.
    Fact: Intentional sexual contact without consent of the other person constitutes sexual assault, regardless of whether or not victims fight back. No one "asks" to be raped regardless of what the person is wearing or how the person is behaving.
11. Myth: Sex workers cannot be raped.
    Fact: Just because someone has accepted money or goods for a particular sexual act does not mean she or he has consented to all sexual acts at any given time. A sex worker always has the right to say no.