http://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/jhamlin/3925/myths.html http://www.cuw.edu/Tools/current_students/student_services/counseling_services/rape_myths_and_facts.html Check out these links.

That the "woman was asking for it" or did something to cause it. and that it is a act of "sex" versus violence/control/abuse.

Here are some myths, and the fact that correct them: Myth: It’s rape only if a woman afterward shows evidence of resistance, such as bruises. Fact: Whether they physically resisted or not, few women show visible evidence, such as bruises or cuts. Myth: A rape victim bears part of the blame unless she actively resists. Fact: Rape by definition takes place when force or the threat of force is used to gain sexual penetration, of any kind whatsoever, against a person’s will. It is the rapist’s use of force against an unwilling victim that makes him a rapist. Thus, a rape victim is not guilty of fornication. Like an incest victim, she may be forced to submit to an act she doesn’t want because of the perceived power held over her by another person. When a woman is forced to submit to a rapist out of terror or disorientation, it does not mean that she consents to the act. Consent is based on choice without threat and is active, not passive. Myth: Rape is an act of passion. Fact: Rape is an act of violence. Men rape, not solely for sex, but to feel power over another person. Myth: A woman can tease or lead a man on to the point that he can no longer control his sexual urges. Fact: Men who rape do not have a stronger sex drive than other men have. Rather, one third of all rapists were unable to complete the sex act. In most cases rapes are planned acts, not spontaneous urges. Both stranger and acquaintance rapists usually set up their victims—the stranger by stalking the victim until she is alone, the acquaintance by arranging a situation where she is isolated. Myth: Women lie about rape to get revenge on a man or because they feel guilty about having sex. Fact: False reports of rape occur at the same rate as for any other violent crime: 2 percent. On the other hand, researchers agree that rape is grossly underreported. Myth: A woman can “ask” to be raped by wearing provocative clothing, drinking alcohol, letting a man pay her way, or going to his home. Fact: Using bad judgment, being naive or ignorant, does not mean that a woman deserves to be raped. Rapists bear sole responsibility for the rape. Source: March 8th 1993 Awake! Magazine, pages 3-5 Note: Awake! Magazine is the most widely The most widely distributed magazine in the world. Its worldwide circulation including all editions comprises 34.3 million copies

that it is normal behavior

You're all gonna hate me, but the number one myth about rape: It's not about sex, it's about power. That's untrue. Sorry, but rape is about sex. Men do not rape to feel powerful. They rape when they are denied access to high quality breeding partners. Animals rape. Most rape victims are women in their teens and twenties. It is a mating strategy, all evidence from scientific studies support this conclusion. A terrible one, but one that's survived many thousands of years of evolution. If rape was not about sex, it would just be beating someone up. But if you read the research about rape, you can see that it's not a power play, it's a last ditch mating strategy.

A big myth is that only women are raped. Men can be raped by women and other men, just like women can be raped by men and other women. It is the act that defines rape, not the victim. For more male rape myths, see: http://www.aest.org.uk/survivors/male/myths_about_male_rape.htm Another myth that wasn't listed above is that rape is commited by a stranger who ex. "jump out of the bushes and attack you." In reality, some studies suggest that up to 95% of rape falls into the category of acquantince rape, where the victim knows the rapist. It is also a common myth that you cannot be raped by your partner or spouse. For example, one study found that at one time aprox. 14% of women had been raped by their husbands. For more myths surrounding rape see: http://www.soc.ucsb.edu/sexinfo/?article=9A44 http://organizations.rockbridge.net/projecthorizon/sacommonmyths.htm http://www.dcrcc.org/myths.htm

That some people ask for it. I am a sex abuse survivor and I did not ask for it.

Myth: Rape is committed by strangers Fact: 77% of completed rapes are committed by someone who is known to the victim and 90% of children under the age of 12 know their assailants. A rapist may be a friend, family member, acquaintance, partner or caretaker.

It might seem trivial but a women's magazine did an article about rape, which included speaking to convicted rapists - the main thing I remember about this was taht the most common time for violent "strager" rape to take place is around 5pm - not in the early hours of the morning as you might imagine. This is because rapists of this type have a tendency to target women who are less aware of their surroundings and less vigilant (perhaps because of a hard day at work.) I think this is something worth knowing. Other interesting elements of the article included how the rapists typically chose their victims according to clothes and appearance. Rather than going for provocatively dressed women, as you might expect - they tended to pick on elements that would make her an easier target (such as a long hair, a scarf or necklace which might be used to grab onto, or carrying a large amount of shopping.). Some rapists would target a particular type of woman (often because she reminded them of a ex, a childhood obsession, or their mother), otehrs were mere oppurtunists - targetted the first person who happened to pass by. What became very clear was that dressing "provocatively" was definetly not a risk factor.

Myth: Only men can rape people. Fact: Women can easily rape. It;s just not as common, but it definatly happens.

That they.......were asking for it

That time heals being raped/molested.

That it's about power & violence, not sex.

MYTH: that it has nothing to do with sex. testosterone drives both agression AND sexdrive but agression is more like a side effect. if rape had nothing to do with sex then victims would be more mangled and more often DEAD. the drive for power is nothing compaired to the drive for sex. I have had a situation where I could have had sex but didn't and it left me physicaly ill and shaking like I had parkensons. nothing less than a medical problem has ever beaten (or even come close to) that powerful an affect.

If you are ugly or old, you won't get raped.

That women enjoy it. My ex husband used to watch porn. I never had a problem with it until I caught him watching a scene when a woman was being raped, and was enjoying it. I found it offensive. I told him how I felt and he said, "oh come on. Women secretly want to be raped".

In an international sense, rape has become a war crime, women are being systematically raped as a way of defeating male enemies. No woman wants this, and in some parts of the world, they are completly defenseless against it. It is heartbreaking.