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| Myths about male rape |
What are the myths and facts about sexual assault?
Home: Workers: Counselling Issues: Rape myths
This article is written for women and assumes a male offender, however SECASA acknowledges that both men and women can be survivors of sexual abuse and that offenders can be male and female.
There are a number of commonly held myths about sexual assault. Unfortunately these are prevalent in all areas of society, from the victims/survivors themselves through to the police and the judiciary. It is important to explode these myths and set out the real facts.
MYTH - Women "ask for it".
FACT - No woman ever wants or asks to be
sexually assaulted. The idea that women deserve to be raped because
they dress or behave "provocatively" shifts responsibility
away from the offender and onto the victim. It reinforces the idea
that "good" women aren't raped and that "bad"
women are. Every woman has the right to dress and behave as she
chooses without having to fear sexual assault.
MYTH - Women are raped by strangers lurking in dark streets.
FACT - The vast majority of sexual
assault victims know the offender. The Crime Safety Survey (ABS,
1998) found that more than 80% of victims knew the offender in the
most recent incident. In addition, over half (58%) of all incidents
reported to the Crime Safety Survey took place in the home.
MYTH - Men can't be sexually assaulted.
FACT - Men are sexually assaulted. Any man can be sexually assaulted
regardless of size, strength, appearance or sexual orientation.
MYTH - Sexual assault is an unusual occurrence and rape is rare.
FACT - Sexual assault is all too common.
Sexual harassment such as leering, touching, pinching and suggestive
remarks is an everyday occurrence for many women. At the other end
of the scale some researchers have estimated that 38% of girls and 9%
of boys will be sexually assaulted in some way by the time they are
eighteen (Finkelhor, 1979; Russell, 1983; Goldman, 1986) and that one
out of ten women will be raped during their lifetime (Offir, 1975;
Haines, 1985).
MYTH - Only young stereotypically "attractive"
women are raped.
FACT - Women under the age of 24 are of
the highest risk of sexual victimisation. (Recorded Crime 2001)
However in the Women's Safety Survey (Coumarelos & Allen 1998)
one percent of the women over 40 surveyed reported sexual assault.
MYTH - Women make up stories about rape.
FACT - Statistics suggest that "false"
reporting of rape is minimal at only around 2% of reported assaults
(Williams and Gardener, 1989). In fact rape is notoriously one of
the most underreported of crimes. In 1996, The Women's Safety Survey
conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) estimated that
only one in ten sexual assaults is ever reported to the police.
According to the 1999 Victorian Crime Victimisation Survey victims of
sexual violence are the least likely to report when compared with
victims of other person related crime such as robbery and non-sexual
assaults. This is hardly surprising given the level of disbelief
which women often face when they do report to police and the
treatment they sometimes receive in our courts.
MYTH - Men cannot be sexually assaulted by women.
FACT - Although the majority of perpetrators are male, (97 - 98%)
women can also sexually assault men.
MYTH - Rapists are sex-crazed "madmen".
FACT - The overwhelming majority of
rapists are ordinary men from the complete range of socio-economic
classes, occupations and nationalities. They do not suffer from any
psychological disturbance and are not the victims of "uncontrollable"
sexual urges. All men can control their sexual urges if they wish to
and no sexual urge ever gives a man the right to rape a woman or
child. Most rapes are, in fact, premeditated and well-planned. They
are not spontaneous, uncontrollable sexual acts.
MYTH - Women enjoy being raped.
FACT - No-one ever enjoys sexual
assault. In some cases a person may respond sexually during the
assault, but this is purely a reflex physiological response, it does
not indicate that the abuse was welcome. In fact, for many
survivors, any pleasurable sensations may be more upsetting than
painful ones. Rape is about power not sex and, as such, is an
expression of hostility and aggression intended to humiliate and
degrade the victim. Sexual assault always involves coercion,
manipulation, and/or threatened or actual injury, mutilation or
death. In the short term victims can suffer terror, shock, illness
and physical injury. In the long term it can mean loss of
self-esteem, ongoing psychological problems, breakdown of
relationships and economic hardship.
MYTH - Only gay men are sexually assaulted.
FACT - Heterosexual, gay and bisexual men are equally likely to be
sexually assaulted. Being sexually assaulted has nothing to do with your
current or future sexual orientation. Your sexuality has no more to do
with being raped than being robbed.
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Disclaimer
Copyright Updated: 9 Feb 2010
The South Eastern Centre Against Sexual Assault acknowledges the traditional Aboriginal owners of country throughout Victoria. We pay our respects to them, their culture and their Elders past, present and future.