What is a "Myth"?

A "Myth" a commonly held belief, idea or explanation that is not true. Myths arise from people's need to make sense of acts that are senseless, violent or disturbing. They attempt to explain horrible events, like rape and abuse, in ways that fit with our preconceived ideas about the world - they arise from and reinforce our prejudices and stereotypes. Myths have powerful "Implications" for how we look at the world. In this pamphlet, we present some common myths about rape, list their implications, and then provide the facts.

Myth: Rape Occurs Between Strangers in Dark Alleys

Implications:

• assumes "nice girls" don't get raped
• implies that home is safe
• implies that rape can be prevented by avoiding certain places and therefore blames the survivor
• assumes a particular survivor profile and therefore stigmatises her
• entrenches racial and class prejudices

Facts:

Myth: Women Provoke Rape By The Way They Dress or Act

Implications:

• attempts to excuse rape and "blame the victim"
• assumes that a woman who draws attention is looking for sex or "deserves what she gets"
• re-victimises and stigmatises the survivor

Facts:

• dressing attractively and flirting is an invitation for attention and/or admiration, not for rape
• Only the rapist is responsible for the rape!

Myth: Women Secretly Want to be Raped

Implications:

• attempts to excuse rape and blames the survivor
• reinforces stereotypes of passive female receptiveness to male sexual aggression
• re-victimises and stigmatises the survivor

Facts:

• a woman might fantasise about being overwhelmed or overpowered sexually, but that doesn't mean she wants to be raped in reality; many people fantasise about things they do not actually wish to experience - it's important to remember that a woman is actually in complete control of her fantasies - she is NOT in control in a rape situation

Myth: Women Who Drink Alcohol or Use Drugs Are Asking to Be Raped

Implications:

• attempts to excuse rape and 'blame the victim'
• re-victimises and stigmatises the survivor

Facts:

• women have the same rights to use substances as men do
• being vulnerable does not imply consent
• if a woman is unable to give consent because she is drunk, drugged or unconscious, it is rape
• Only the rapist is responsible for the rape!

Myth: Rape is a Crime of Passion

Implications:

• assumes that rape is impulsive and unplanned
• assumes men to be incapable of delaying gratification or controlling sexual urges
• assumes that rape is about uncontrollable lust
• attempts to excuse, minimise and romanticise rape
• assumes that only 'attractive' women are raped
• disregards elements of power, aggression, violence, control and humiliation in rape
• attempts to remove the responsibility for the rape from the rapist

Facts:

• research and evidence from rapists themselves suggests that most rapes are premeditated and planned
• many rapists fail to get an erection or ejaculate
• interviews with rapists reveal that they rape to feel powerful and in control, not for sexual pleasure
• stereotypically unattractive women are raped, including the elderly and babies
• many rapists are involved in sexually satisfying relationships with wives or girlfriends at the time of the rape

Myth: Rapists are Insane

Implications:

• attempts to excuse the crime of rape
• disregards the social context of gender inequality
• assumes a recognisable profile of a rapist and thus blames the survivor for the rape

Facts:

• research shows that less than 5% of rapists can be classified clinically insane
• in a study done on a campus in the US, 60% of male participants indicated they might rape a woman if they knew they would not get caught
• rapists can rarely be distinguished from other men except that they disregard the pain they cause

Myth: If She Didn't Scream, Fight or Get Injured, It Wasn't Rape

Implications:

• disbelieves and re-traumatises the survivor
• invalidates her experience
• discourages her from seeking help

Facts:

• women in rape situations are legitimately afraid of being killed or seriously injured and so co-operate with the rapist to save their lives
• rapists use many manipulative techniques to intimidate and coerce women
• women in a rape situation often become physically paralysed with terror or shock and are unable to move or fight
• non-consensual intercourse doesn't always leave visible signs on the body or the genitals

Myth: You Can Tell if She's 'Really' Been Raped by How She Acts

Implications:

• disbelieves and re-traumatises the survivor
• invalidates her experience and individuality
• discourages her from seeking help

Facts:

• reactions to rape are highly varied and individual (see POWA's pamphlet "Rape Trauma Syndrome")
• many women experience a form of shock after a rape that leaves them emotionally numb or flat - and apparently calm

Myth: Women Cry Rape When They Regret Having Sex or Want Revenge

Implications:

• reinforces stereotypes of the 'vindictive woman'
• reinforces stereotypes of women as untruthful
• re-victimises and stigmatises the survivor
• undermines her support for seeking justice

Facts:

• studies have indicated that only 2% of all reported rapes are false, which is slightly less than false reporting in all other crimes

Myth: White Men Rape Black Women and Black Men Rape White Women

Implications:

• reinforces racial and class prejudices

Facts:

• statistics from the SA Police show that most rapes occur within the rapist's own community
• men of all races and ethnic groups rape women

Myth: Husbands Cannot Rape Their Wives

Implications:

• assumes that marriage means perpetual consent
• disempowers married women

Facts:

• it is always rape if the woman does not consent, no matter what her relationship with the man
• the Prevention of Family Violence Act of 1993 makes rape in marriage illegal throughout SA

Myth: Women's Liberation Causes or Increases Incidents of Rape

Implications:

• encourages fear of women's empowerment
• reinforces negative attitudes towards women
• attempts to justify the oppression of women
• assumes that men are not concerned with societal oppression of women

Facts:

• the women's movement has spread awareness about rape in society and has empowered more women to report rape, but is not responsible for actual increases in rates of rape

Myth: Only Gay Men Get Raped/Only Gay Men Rape Men

Implications:

• reinforces homophobic fears and prejudices
• creates the illusion of the safety for straight men
• re-traumatises and stigmatises male survivors
• results in very few reported rapes on men

Facts:

• men of all sexual orientations get raped
• men who rape other men are often heterosexual; they usually have a relationship with a woman
• rapists rape other men as part of their violence and need for power, dominance and control

Myth: Prostitutes Cannot be Raped

Implications:

• further disempowers sex workers
• provides an excuse for abuse

Facts:

• prostitutes have the same rights with regards to consent as anyone else: the transactions they negotiate with clients are for consensual activities, not rape

For More Information on Rape See POWA's:

"Rape: The Basic Facts,"

"Rape Trauma Syndrome," and

"A Woman You Care About Has Been Raped"

For more information or assistance, contact POWA:

People Opposing Women Abuse

We offer telephonic, face-to-face and correspondence counselling to rape survivors, and family and friends of survivors. We also offer training, education and information about rape and other forms of violence against women. Services are offered in clients' home languages whenever possible.

Phone: (011) 642-4345 FAX: (011) 484-3195

Mail: POWA, PO Box 93416, Yeoville 2143