Handbook
for Survivors of Sexual Assault
The Facts
Several
myths exist about sexual assault. These myths often shift responsibility and
blame from the assailant to the victim. Understanding the myths surrounding
sexual assault may help your recovery. What happened to you was a crime. You are
not to blame for the assailant’s behavior.
Myth:
Rape is caused by the perpetrator’s uncontrollable sexual urge
Fact:
Rape is an act or power and control, not sex
Myth:
Individuals who commit rape are mentally ill or psychotic, and cannot help
themselves.
Fact:
Very few perpetrators are mentally incompetent and/or out of touch with
reality. Rapes may be planned or carried out by acquaintances, intimate
partners, family members or strangers
Myth:
The victim must have “asked for it” by being seductive, careless, drunk, high,
etc.
Fact:
No one asks to be abused, injured, or humiliated. This line of thought blames
the victim for what happened instead of the perpetrator who chose to commit the
crime. Individual of all ages, from all walks of life, have been the targets of
sexual assault. Not one of them “caused” their assailant to commit a crime
against them.
Myth: If women would just stop drinking so much, they wouldn’t
be sexually assaulted.
Fact: Alcohol is a weapon that some perpetrators use to
control their victim and render them helpless. As part of their plan, an
assailant may encourage the victim to use alcohol, or identify an individual
who is already drunk. Alcohol is not a cause of rape; it is only one of many
tools that perpetrators use.
Myth: If the victim did not physically struggle with or
fight the assailant, it wasn’t really rape.
Fact: Assailants are not looking for a fight and they use
many forms of coercion, threats and manipulation to rape. Alcohol and other
drugs such as Rohypnol are often used to incapacitate victims.
Michigan Law defines sexual assault by the action of the
perpetrator, not the victim. In fact, there is a specific law that says that
the victim need not have resisted fthe perpetrator in order for it to be
considered rape.
Myth: Most perpetrators are strangers to the victim.
Fact: Most rapes are committed by someone that the victim knows:
a neighbor, friend, acquaintance, co-worker, classmate, spouse, partner, or
ex-partner.
Myth: Serial rapists are uncommon.
Fact: Most every perpetrator is a serial rapist, meaning
that they choose to use coercion, violence, threats of force, etc., to assault
women on a repeated basis.
Your Feelings and
Recovery
Survivors of sexual assault experience a wide range of
reactions. Some have said that after the assault their emotions go up and down
or from one extreme to another. It is important for you to know that what you
are feeling and thinking right now is OK. Your reactions are your own way of
coping with the crime that has been committed against you. There is no standard
response to sexual assault.
What You May Be Feeling