1.  Rape is rare. No one I know has been raped.
FACT: It is estimated that every 6 minutes someone in the United States is raped. The Department of Justice states that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men in the U.S. will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. Due to myths and stigmatizations surrounding rape and sexual assault, many individuals are scared to disclose current or previous assaults.

2.  There is one "common" reaction to rape.
FACT: Rape is often extremely traumatic, yet every individual responds differently to trauma. Many find intimate relationships difficult. Some people engage in sexual relations erratically while others shut off all intimacy. All reactions are normal.

3.  When women fantasize about rape, they secretly desire to be raped.
FACT: No one asks to be raped. No one wants to be rape. No one likes or deserves to be raped. In fantasies, it is the individual who controls the situation. During rape, however, the perpetrator holds complete control.

4.  Real rapes are committed by strangers.
FACT: Contrary to popular media depictions of rape, 80% of rape survivors know their perpetrator before the attack. Rape is often perpetrated by acquaintances, boyfriends/girlfriends, friends or spouses.

5.  Rape is always violent.
FACT: Rape happens when consent is not given, regardless of whether or not a weapon is involved. The natural reaction to being threatened is to save one's own life. Sometimes this means not fighting back and controlling one's emotional response. Rapists forcefully manipulate to control their victim. 70-75% of the time perpetrators do not utilize weapons during rape, but rather use coercion, intimidation, drugs and/or alcohol to maintain control.

6.  If he spends money on her, she owes him sex.
FACT: This myth is especially common for young adults beginning to date. Sex should not be a commodity traded without consent. No one owes sex in exchange for a date, dinner, a movie or any other material entity. There should never be an expectation that a date will end in sex.

7.  If I loved him, I would have sex with him.
FACT: When true love exists, neither partner will have to say "If you loved me, you would have sex with me." This is manipulation. Sex is an emotional and physical reaction that is only satisfying when both people can freely consent and want to participate.

8.  It is a spouse's and/or boyfriend/girlfriend's duty to have sex with their partner.
FACT: Everyone has a right to their body and to make decisions about their intimate relations that is not lost after being in a long-term relationship or marriage. Simply because a couple had sex in the past, it does not mean they are obligated to have sex now. Approximately 10-14% of women reported a rape by either their husband or ex-husband. Marital rape laws were introduced in the U.S. in 1973 and by July 5, 1993 all 50 states officially enacted marital rape laws making spousal rape illegal.

9.  Women cry rape because they had sex and changed their minds.
Fact: Statistically, women falsely report rape only 2% of the time. This is equivalent to the likelihood of false reporting for most other criminal acts. Quite the contrary, most rapes are never reported. It is estimated that only 16% of rapes are reported to the police.

10.  Only women can be raped.
FACT: Rape can happen to anyone. The Department of Justice estimates that 9% of rape victims are men. Men are often the perpetrators of rape against other men, but women can also be aggressors and rape both men and women.

11. Only young, attractive women are raped.
FACT: This myth coincides with the stereotype that rape is about sex and love. Rape results from a desire for power and control, not physical beauty. Perpetrators search for individuals who are vulnerable and will not easily defend themselves. Assumptions about the 'typical' sexual assault victim further isolate survivors who fear judgment and stigmatization by others.

12. If a man is raped, he must be gay.
FACT: Rape is a criminal act of power and lust. Men who rape other men relate less to overt homosexuality than to power and emasculation of the victim.   

13. If the victim had an orgasm, it must have been consensual.
FACT: This myth is especially prevalent for men whose bodies physical reactions seem to betray their emotions. Rape is traumatic and we all respond differently to fear. Orgasms are not always directly related to emotional responses.

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