RAPE MYTHS AND BELIEFS
WHAT IS A MYTH?
 MYTHS PRESENT A REALITY THAT
SEEMS PLAUSABLE.
 HOWEVER, THE VERY CONCEPT
MYTH IMPLIES AN UNTRUTH AND
AN ALTERNATIVE REALITY
HOW DOES ONE DEFINE
RAPE MYTH?
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
BURT DEFINES RAPE MYTH AS:
PREJUDICAL
STEREOTYPED, OR
FALSE BELIEFS ABOUT
RAPE, RAPE VICTIMS, AND RAPISTS
(BURT, 1980:217 [JOURNAL OF Personality and Social psychology, Vol 38, no2 pg 217-230])
HOW WOULD I DEFINE RAPE
MYTH?
A NOTION BASED MORE ON
UNCRITICALLY HELD LONG
STANDING BELIEFS (TRADITION)
THAN ON DEMOSTRATABLE FACTS.
ILL FOUNDED BELIEFS BASED ON
MISINFORMATION AND
UNINFORMED PERCEPTIONS
HOW BEST TO APPROACH
MYTHS
• RAPE MYTHS ARE BELIEFS ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT THAT
ARE WROUGHT WITH PROBLEMS. SOME MYTHS ARE JUST
COMPLETELY AND BLATANTLY UNTRUE. HOWEVER, WHAT
OFTEN HAPPENS IS THAT BELIEFS SURROUNDING CERTAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES, SITUATIONS, AND CHARACTERISTICS OF
INDIVIDUALS CONNECTED TO RAPE ARE APPLIED TO ALL
CASES AND SITUATIONS UNCRITICALLY.
• THE BEST WAY TO APPROACH RAPE MYTHS ARE TO
CONFRONT THEM HONESTLY AND FRANKLY. DON'T DENY
THE EXISTENCE OF MYTHS AND DON'T DISMISS ONE
UNGROUNDED STATEMENT WITH ANOTHER.
Identified Rape Myths (1)
 SUPPORT FROM
FAMILY MEMBERS
IS ESSENTIAL TO
THE VICTIM'S
RECOVERY.
 A VICTIM SERVICES STUDY FOUND THAT
EMOTIONAL AND PRACTICAL SUPPORT
OFFERED BY FAMILY AND FRIENDS DOES NOT
NECESSARILY SPEED THE RECOVERY OF
RAPE VICTIMS. HOWEVER, WHEN THE
PEOPLE THAT A VICTIM RELIES ON BEHAVE
IN UN SUPPORTIVE OR NEGATIVE WAYS, THE
VICTIM FACES A LONGER, MORE DIFFICULT
RECOVERY PROCESS. THESE NEGATIVE
BEHAVIORS INCLUDE WORRYING MORE
ABOUT ONESELF THAT THE VICTIM,
BLAMING THE VICTIM, WITHDRAWING FROM
THE VICTIM OR BEHAVING IN A HOSTILE
MANNER, AND ATTACHING A STIGMA TO THE
RAPE AND DEMANDING SECRECY FROM THE
VICTIM.
Identified Rape Myths (2)
 A VICTIM SHOULD  ALL VICTIMS SHOULD BE
OFFERED THE OPPORTUNITY
BE DISCOURAGED
TO TALK ABOUT THE
FROM DWELLING
ASSAULT WITH THOSE
ON THE RAPE. SHE PERSONALLY CLOSE TO
THEM & KNOWLEDGEABLE
SHOULD "FORGET
PROFESSIONALS. VICTIMS
IT".
WHO ARE NOT ALLOWED TO
TALK ABOUT THE RAPE HAVE
A MUCH MORE DIFFICULT
TIME RECOVERING FORM IT.
Identified Rape Myths (3)
 MEN CAN'T BE
RAPED.
 THERE WERE
APPROXIMATELY 20,000
SEXUAL ASSAULTS OF
MALES AGES 12 AND
OVER IN THE UNITED
STATES IN 1991. (BUREAU
OF JUSTICE STATISTICS,
1992)
Identified Rape Myths (4)
 WOMEN OFTEN
 ACCORDING TO FBI
MAKE FALSE
CRIME STATISTICS, LESS
REPORTS OF RAPE. 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.
Identified Rape Myths (5)
 ONLY "BAD"
WOMEN GET
RAPED.
 NO OTHER CRIME VICTIM IS LOOKED
UPON WITH THE DEGREE OF SUSPICION
AND DOUBT AS A VICTIM OF RAPE. WHY?
IF WE BELIEVE THE VICTIM WAS
RESPONSIBLE (SHE PUT HERSELF IN AN
UNSAFE POSITION, SUCH AS BEING OUT
LATE AT NIGHT, DRINKING ALCOHOL,
DRESSING IN A CERTAIN WAY, OR
"LEADING ON" THE RAPIST), THEN WE
ARE ABLE TO FEEL SAFER. BUT, WITHOUT
CONSENT, NO MEANS NO, NO MATTER
WHAT THE SITUATION OR
CIRCUMSTANCES.
Identified Rape Myths (6)
 RAPE ONLY
 RAPE CAN AND DOES
OCCURS OUTSIDE OCCUR ANYTIME AND
AND AT NIGHT.
ANYPLACE. MANY RAPES
OCCUR DURING THE DAY
AND IN THE VICTIMS'
HOMES.
Identified Rape Myths (7)
 SEXUAL ASSAULT  BY SOME ESTIMATES,
USUALLY OCCURS OVER 70% OF RAPE
BETWEEN
VICTIMS KNOW THEIR
STRANGERS.
ATTACKERS. THE RAPIST
MAY BE A RELATIVE,
FRIEND, CO-WORKER,
DATE OR OTHER
ACQUAINTANCE.
Identified Rape Myths (8)
 NO WOMAN OR 
MAN CAN BE
RAPED AGAINST
HER OR HIS WILL.
ANY PERSON
COULD PREVENT
RAPE IF HE OR SHE
REALLY WANTED
TO.
IN 1991, 14% OF THE RAPES
REPORTED TO THE ORANGE COUNTY
RAPE CRISIS CENTER INVOLVED THE
USE OF A WEAPON. 74% INVOLVED
PHYSICAL FORCE AND/OR THREATS
OF FORCE. WOMEN ARE OFTEN
PHYSICALLY WEAKER THAN MEN
AND ARE NOT TAUGHT TO DEFEND
THEMSELVES OR TO BE PHYSICALLY
AGGRESSIVE. FURTHERMORE, SOME
WOMEN ARE NOT WILLING TO HURT
ANOTHER PERSON, ESPECIALLY IF
THE OFFENDER IS SOMEONE THEY
KNOW.
Identified Rape Myths (9)
 ONLY YOUNG,
PRETTY
WOMEN ARE
ASSAULTED.
 WOMEN, AND MEN, OF
ALL AGES HAVE BEEN
VICTIMS OF RAPE
RANGING FROM.
INFANCY TO OLD AGE,
AND APPEARANCE IS
SELDOM A
CONSIDERATION.
Identified Rape Myths (10)
 WOMEN
ENCOURAGE
RAPE BY THE
WAY THEY
DRESS.
 DRESS IS A RESULT OF
CULTURALLY
PRODUCED STYLE.
ANY CLOTHING STYLE
SEEMS TO BE DEFINED
AS PROVOCATIVE.
Identified Rape Myths (11)
 MOST RAPES
INVOLVE
BLACK MEN
RAPING WHITE
WOMEN.
 THE MAJORITY OF
RAPES ARE SAME
RACE; SOMEWHERE
AROUND 3 TO 4%
ARE NOT SAME
RACE.
Identified Rape Myths (12)
 WOMEN INCITE
MEN TO RAPE.
 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.
OPPORTUNITY IS THE MOST
IMPORTANT FACTOR
DETERMINING WHEN A
GIVEN RAPIST WILL RAPE.
Identified Rape Myths (13)
 WOMEN "CRY"
RAPE.
 ONLY ABOUT TWO PERCENT
OF REPORTED RAPE AND
RELATED SEX OFFENCES ARE
FALSE (APPROXIMATELY THE
SAME RATE OF FALSE
REPORTS FOR OTHER
CRIMES).

ALTHOUGH MANY CASES
ARE DROPPED, THIS SHOULD
NOT BE CONFUSED WITH
FALSE REPORTING.
Identified Rape Myths (14)
 SEXUAL ASSAULT  BY SOME ESTIMATES,
USUALLY OCCURS
OVER 70% OF RAPE
BETWEEN
VICTIMS KNOW THEIR
STRANGERS.
ATTACKERS. THE RAPIST
MAY BE A RELATIVE,
FRIEND, CO-WORKER,
DATE OR OTHER
ACQUAINTANCE.
Identified Rape Myths (15)
 RAPE IS SEX.  RAPE IS EXPERIENCED BY THE
VICTIMS AS AN ACT OF VIOLENCE.
1 OUT OF EVERY 8 ADULT WOMEN
HAS BEEN A VICTIM OF FORCIBLE
RAPE. (NATIONAL VICTIM CENTER AND CRIME VICTIMS
RESEARCH AND TREATMENT CENTER, 1992) WHILE
SEXUAL ATTRACTION MAY BE
INFLUENTIAL, POWER, CONTROL
AND ANGER ARE THE PRIMARY
MOTIVES. MOST RAPISTS HAVE
ACCESS TO A SEXUAL PARTNER.
Identified Rape Myths (16)
 RAPE IS AN

IMPULSIVE,
UNCONTROLLABLE
ACT OF SEXUAL
GRATIFICATION. MOST
RAPE ARE
SPONTANEOUS ACTS
OF PASSION WHERE
THE ASSAILANT
CANNOT CONTROL
HIM/HERSELF.
RAPE IS A PREMEDITATED
ACT OF VIOLENCE, NOT A
SPONTANEOUS ACT OF
PASSION. 71% OF RAPES ARE
PLANNED IN ADVANCE. 60%
OF CONVICTED RAPISTS
WERE MARRIED OR HAD
REGULAR SEXUAL PARTNERS
AT THE TIME OF THE
ASSAULT.
Identified Rape Myths (17)
 RAPE IS A CRIME
OF PASSION.
 RAPE IS AN ACT OF
VIOLENCE, NOT PASSION.
IT IS AN ATTEMPT TO
HURT AND HUMILIATE,
USING SEX AS THE
WEAPON.
Identified Rape Myths (18)
 THERE IS A "RIGHT  SINCE RAPE IS LIFEWAY" TO RESPOND THREATENING AND EACH
RAPIST HAS HIS OWN
TO A RAPE
PATTERN, THE BEST THING A
SITUATION.
VICTIM CAN DO IS FOLLOW
HER INSTINCTS AND
OBSERVE ANY CUES FROM
THE RAPIST. IF THE VICTIM
ESCAPES ALIVE SHE HAS
DONE THE RIGHT THING.
WHY DO MYTHS ABOUT RAPE
EXIST?
HISTORICAL RELATIONSHIPS
LAW
REINFORCEMENT THROUGH CULTURE
GO UNCHALLENGED OR TAKEN AS TRUTH
INSTITUTIONAL OR STRUCTURAL
ARRANGEMENTS (E.G. JOB MARKET)
PATRIARCHY
MISRREPRESENTATION OF
RAPE SERVE WHAT PURPOSE?
PROVIDES GENERAL INFORMATION
ABOUT RAPE TO MEMBERS OF A
CULTURE
WHO IS MORE LIKELY TO BE
VICTIMIZED
WHO IS THE OFFENDER LIKELY TO
BE
MISRREPRESENTATION OF
RAPE SERVE WHAT PURPOSE?
BEHAVIORS OR SITUATIONS THAT
ARE DEEMED INAPPROPRIATE OR
APPROPRIATE SEX
CONTINUED EXISTENCE OF SOCIAL
RELATIONSHIPS – SOCIAL ORDER AS
IS
DOMINATE/SUBORDINATE POWER
RELAIONSHIP IS RREINFORCED