Myths & Realities
Myths perpetuate the problem, encourage society to blame the victim, and worse, excuse the actions of the rapist. Myths allow the rapists to get away with their crimes and discourage victims from making police reports or getting real help.
Myth: Only pretty and young women are raped.
Reality: Rape victims can be of all ages, from toddlers to the elderly. Appearance is seldom a consideration. Rapists choose to attack those who are vulnerable. A rapist rapes when there is an opportunity and this has nothing to do with the looks or age of the victim.
Myth: Girls who wear sexy clothes or flirt provoke men to rape.
Reality: A rapist chooses his victim for their vulnerability and accessibility, without regard to her physical appearance or behaviour. The only person to blame for rape is the rapist. Children, elderly women, modestly-dressed women, or women with head scarves have also been raped. Rape is not related to the way a girl dresses or the way she acts. This is a myth that excuses the rapist’s behaviour by blaming the victim.
Myth: Rape is an uncontrollable act of lust. Most rapes are spontaneous acts of passion where the offender cannot control himself.
Reality: The vast majority of all rapes are planned. Rape is not about lust. Rape is a premeditated act of violence and not a spontaneous act of passion. The vast majority of rapists are motivated by power, anger and control, not sexual gratification.
Myth: Women often lie about getting raped.
Reality: Women often does not lie on such crimes like rape. Research indicates that false reporting on rape is only 2% – 3%, no different than that of other crimes. In reality, global research has shown that only 1 in 10 rape cases are reported and of that, only 1 in 10 reported cases get taken to court.
Myth: Most women are raped by strangers.
Reality: Police statistics tells us that only a small percentage of rapes are committed by strangers. In 90% of the cases, the woman knows the rapist. In those cases, the rapist is an acquaintance, friend, or even family member.
Myth: Most rapes happen in dark alleys, deserted areas, and other dangerous places.
Reality: Statistics show that around 70% of rapes happen in homes and buildings. Although women should generally be careful at night, on quiet streets, or in poorly lit areas, it is important to know that women are largely at risk of being raped in places familiar to them.
Myth: It is impossible for a husband to sexually assault his wife.
Reality: Regardless of the marital or social relationship, if a woman does not consent to sexual activity, she is being sexually assaulted. Some countries have laws against rape in a marriage. Many women who suffer from domestic violence have experienced some form of sexual abuse within their marriage. In Malaysia, it is against the law for a man to hurt his wife sexually.
Myth: A woman can prevent rape if she really wanted to.
Reality: Many victims do not fight back due to fear, shock, or the perception that fighting back will lead to greater harm, especially where physical force or threats are involved. Rape is a potentially life-threatening crime, thus, whatever the rape victim does to survive the assault is an appropriate action.
Myth: A rape victim will be hysterical.
Reality: Rape survivors can exhibit a range of emotional responses to an assault. She may be calm, withdrawn, or hysterical or can appear “normal”. She may also react with laughter, anger, apathy, or shock. Each survivor copes with the trauma of the assault in a different way. As the rape victim is suffering from trauma, mentally and psychologically, we should not expect the behaviour that we think it should be. Often the rape is told to you long after the rape incident, and she is finally braving herself to tell someone. Listen to her and give support.
Check out books, posters & pamphlets and videos on Rape.