Midnight Fallacies
"You know, he can never take your soul. There can be scars, but he will never take your soul. Your soul is yours. You take it back okay? You keep your soul."
~ Tori Amos



The statistics are frightening. And what is even more frightening is that the real life numbers are probably even worse. I was very naive in thinking that it would never happen to me. That I was safe, and everyone else was not. I know there are many that have that "invincibility complex". We believe bad things happen to everyone else. Well. The truth is, rape can happen to ANYONE. It can happen to EVERYONE. Perhaps if we focus on education and prevention, we can change some of those numbers. Of course, there's the theory that instead of teaching our girls to protect themselves, why not teach our boys to have respect for women and their bodies... but I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon. So. We do what we can. And hope that someday it will be enough.


Statistics

Every 2 minutes, a woman in America is raped.

In 1996, 307,000 women were victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault.

In 1995, 32,130 men were victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault.

In 1996, only 31% of rapes and sexual assaults were reported to law enforcement officials - less than one in every three.

Approximately 68% of rape victims know their assailant.

1 of every 4 rapes take place in a public area.

1 of every 4 women will be or has been raped.

68% of rapes occur between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.

75% of female rape victims require medical care after the attack.

In 1995, local child protective service agencies identified 126,000 children who were victims of either substantiated or indicated sexual abuse; of these, 75% were girls. nearly 30% of child victims were between the ages of 4 and 7.

Approximately one-third of all juvenile victims of sexual abuse cases are children younger than 6 years of age.

1 in 2 rape victims is under age 18; 1 in 6 is under age 12.

Teens 16 to 19 were three and one-half times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault.

51% of boys and girls ages 11 to 14 said forced sex was acceptable if the boy "spent a lot of money" on the girl.

31% of boys and 32% of girls ages 11 to 14 said it was acceptable for a man to rape a woman with past sexual experience.

Rape is the most frequently committed violent crime in this country.


Myths and Facts

myth: rape is sex.
fact: rape is experienced by the victims as an act of violence. it is a life-threatening experience. while sexual attraction may be influential, power, control and anger are the primary motives. most rapists have access to a sexual partner. gratification comes from gaining power and control and discharging anger.

myth: victims incite rapists.
fact: research has found that the vast majority of rapes are planned. rape is the responsibility of the rapist alone. women, children and men of every age, physical type and demeanor are raped.

myth: a victim should be discouraged from dwelling on the rape. the victim should "forget it."
fact: all victims should be offered the opportunity to talk about the assault with those personally close to them and knowledgeable professionals. victims who are not allowed to talk about the rape have a much more difficult time recovering form it.

myth: rapists are non-white. rapists are lower class. rapists are "criminal types."
fact: a rapist can be anyone: doctor, policeman, clergyman, social worker or corporate president.

myth: men can't be raped.
fact: there were approximately 20,000 sexual assaults of males ages 12 and over in the United States in 1991.

myth: incest is rare.
fact: incest is common and happens in every community. an estimated 77% of reported sexual abusers are parents (57% of the total being natural parents), 16% are other relatives, and 6% are non-related.

myth: sexual violence affects few people...no one i know has been raped.
fact: sexual violence is very common. most likely, someone close to you has been profoundly affected by sexual assault. not only are victims reluctant to discuss their assaults but many succeed in totally blocking the assault from conscious memory.

myth: women often make false reports of rape.
fact: according to f.b.i. crime statistics, less than 2 percent of the reported rape cases are found to be false. there are no more false reports of rape than there are of any other crime.

myth: you can tell a rapist by the way they look.
fact: rapists are not physically identifiable. they may appear friendly, normal, and non-threatening.

myth: all women fantasize about being raped.
fact: no woman fantasizes about really being raped. fantasies about aggressive sex may be controlled and turned off if they become threatening. in rape, the victim is unable to control the violence and stop it.

myth: a man can't rape his wife.
fact: many states now have laws against rape in marriage. most battered women have experienced some form of sexual abuse within their marriage.

myth: rape only happens to a certain type of person.
fact: anyone can be raped, and it is never, under any circumstances, the victim's fault. rapists act without considering their victim's physical appearance, dress, age, race, gender, or social status.

myth: sexual assault usually occurs between strangers.
fact: it is estimated that over 70% of rape victims know their attackers. the rapist may be a relative, friend, co-worker, date or other acquaintance.

myth: rape is a crime of passion.
fact: rape is an act of violence, not passion. it is an attempt to hurt and humiliate, using sex as the weapon.

myth: of male victims, only gay men get raped.
fact: the vast majority of male rape victims, as well as their rapists, are heterosexual. rapists are frequently motivated by the desire to have power and control over another person, not by sexual attraction.

myth: any person could prevent rape if he or she really wanted to.
fact:in 1991, 14% of the rapes reported involved the use of a weapon. 74% involved physical force and/or threats of force.

myth: if a person doesn't fight back they weren't really assaulted.
fact:any sort of unwanted sexual advances, whether the victim resisted physically or not, are real and important.

myth: gang rape is rare.
fact: in 43% of all reported cases, more than one assailant was involved.

myth: people who are drunk are willing to engage in any kind of sexual activity.
fact: the fact that a person has been drinking does not imply consent. alcohol and drugs can render a person incapable of consent.

myth: as long as children remember to stay away from strangers, they are in no danger of being assaulted.
fact: children are usually assaulted by acquaintances; a family member or other caretaking adult. children are usually coerced into sexual activity by their assailant, and are manipulated into silence by the assailant's threats and/or promises, as well as their own feelings of guilt.