Myths and truths regarding rape are:
– Myth – rapists are mentally ill, truth – rapists can be anybody and they can’t be identified by just looking at them
– Myth – men rape for sex, truth – rape is a weapon used to gain power and control over another person
– Myth – women can prevent being raped if they fight back, truth – offenders use emotional manipulation, weapons or threats to subdue women
– Myth – Most rapists are unknown to their victims, truth – most rapists are known to their victims
– Myth – Women who wear revealing clothing invite rape, truth – appearance and clothing have nothing to do with rape
– Myth – Victims cause their own rape by going into an unsafe area, truth – victims are more likely to be sexually assaulted in their homes or places known to them
– Myth – Promiscuous persons get raped, truth – the lifestyle and personality of a victim makes no difference
– Myth – Wives cannot be raped by their husbands, truth – a man can be charged with rape if he forces his wife to have sex with him
– Myth – Women say no when they mean yes, truth – No always means no
– Myth – A person who gets drunk invites rape, truth – it is not a crime to consume alcohol, it is a crime to rape
Emergency numbers to contact if you have been or know of someone who has been raped are 10111, 08600 10111.
There is also a helpline for women who are abused 0800 150 150, childline 0800 055 555 and an Aids helpline 0800 012 322.
