Myth: Sexual violence happens, but only in really big cities, not here in college.įact: Sexual violence happens everywhere, perhaps especially on college campuses. The people who commit these crimes appear just as normal as anyone else. Incidences of sexual violence are controlled and premeditated to frighten, humiliate or dominate another individual. (Sexual Assault on Campus: the Problem, and the Solution, 1992) Myth: People who commit sexual violence are psychotic, crazed individuals who don’t know any better.įact: Sexual violence is most often not the product of psychotic episodes. These crimes are reported even less than when females are assaulted. It is estimated that about 10 percent of acquaintance rape victims are male. (Acquaintance rape of college students, 2003) Myth: Only women can be raped.įact: Men can also be raped or in violent relationships or stalked. This means that approximately 92 percent of sexual assault reports are true. In fact, the rate of false or unfounded reports for sexual assault is the same as is for any other violent crime: 8 percent. (National Criminal Victimization Survey, 2003) Myth: Women often lie about being sexually assaulted.įact: Unfortunately, false reports do happen for sexual assault and rape as they do for other violent crimes. This is especially true on college campuses.
Myths Myth: Most rapes are committed by strangers.įact: While sexual assaults and rapes are also committed by strangers, the vast majority of the time (80 percent), the survivor knows her assailant.