Myths and Facts

Myth: Sexual assault is a crime of passion and lust
Fact: Sexual Assault is a crime of violence.  Assailants seek to dominate, humiliate and punish their victims

Myth: A person who has really been assaulted will by hysterical and difficult to calm down
Fact: Survivors exhibit a spectrum of emotional responses to assault: calm, hysteria, laughter, anger, apathy, or shock.  Each survivor copes with the trauma of the assault in a different way.

Myth: Only young, pretty women are sexually assaulted.
Fact: Survivors range in age from infancy to old age, and their appearance is seldom a consideration.  Assailants often choose victims who seem most vulnerable to attack:  elderly, children physically or emotionally disabled persons, substance abusers and street persons.  Men are also sexually assaulted

Myth: As long as children stay away from strangers, they are in no danger of being assaulted.
Fact: Sadly, children are usually sexually assaulted by acquaintances, family members or other caretaking adults.  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.

Myth: Strangers commit most sexual assaults.
Fact: 85% of all sexual assault/abuse cases are committed by someone the victim knows.

Myth: Rape really does not happen very often.
Fact: It is estimated that 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually assaulted before his or her 18th birthday.

Celebrating 21 years of providing hope and healing to survivors of sexual violence.