blot on nation and society

1. RAPE MYTHS AND BELIEFS
By-shreyansh pandey

2. WHAT IS A MYTH?
 MYTHS PRESENT A REALITY THAT
SEEMS PLAUSABLE.
 HOWEVER, THE VERY CONCEPT
MYTH IMPLIES AN UNTRUTH AND
AN ALTERNATIVE REALITY

3. HOW DOES ONE DEFINE
RAPE MYTH?
• BURT DEFINES RAPE MYTH AS:
1. PREJUDICAL
2. STEREOTYPED, OR
3. FALSE BELIEFS ABOUT
4. RAPE, RAPE VICTIMS, AND RAPISTS
(BURT, 1980:217 [JOURNAL OF Personality and Social psychology, Vol 38, no2 pg 217-230])

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. Identified Rape Myths (2)
 A VICTIM SHOULD
BE DISCOURAGED
FROM DWELLING
ON THE RAPE. SHE
SHOULD "FORGET
IT".
 ALL VICTIMS SHOULD BE
OFFERED THE OPPORTUNITY
TO TALK ABOUT THE
ASSAULT WITH THOSE
PERSONALLY CLOSE TO
THEM & KNOWLEDGEABLE
PROFESSIONALS. VICTIMS
WHO ARE NOT ALLOWED TO
TALK ABOUT THE RAPE
HAVE A MUCH MORE
DIFFICULT TIME
RECOVERING FORM IT.

8. 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)

9. Identified Rape Myths (4)
 WOMEN OFTEN
MAKE FALSE
REPORTS OF RAPE.
ACCORDING TO FBI
CRIME STATISTICS, LESS
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.

10. 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.

11. Identified Rape Myths (6)
 RAPE ONLY
OCCURS OUTSIDE
AND AT NIGHT.
RAPE CAN AND DOES
OCCUR ANYTIME AND
ANYPLACE. MANY RAPES
OCCUR DURING THE DAY
AND IN THE VICTIMS'
HOMES.

12. Identified Rape Myths (7)
 SEXUAL ASSAULT
USUALLY OCCURS
BETWEEN
STRANGERS.
BY SOME ESTIMATES,
OVER 70% OF RAPE
VICTIMS KNOW THEIR
ATTACKERS. THE RAPIST
MAY BE A RELATIVE,
FRIEND, CO-WORKER,
DATE OR OTHER
ACQUAINTANCE.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. Identified Rape Myths (14)
 SEXUAL ASSAULT
USUALLY OCCURS
BETWEEN
STRANGERS.
BY SOME ESTIMATES,
OVER 70% OF RAPE
VICTIMS KNOW THEIR
ATTACKERS. THE RAPIST
MAY BE A RELATIVE,
FRIEND, CO-WORKER,
DATE OR OTHER
ACQUAINTANCE.

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. 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.

23. Identified Rape Myths (18)
 THERE IS A "RIGHT
WAY" TO RESPOND
TO A RAPE
SITUATION.
 SINCE RAPE IS LIFE-
THREATENING AND EACH
RAPIST HAS HIS OWN
PATTERN, THE BEST THING A
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.

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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