Rape Myths

1. It’s not the survivor’s fault.
Everyone has the right to wear whatever they want and behave however they want without asking for rape or sexual violence.

2. False accusations are not common.
A man is 10x more likely to be raped himself than falsely accused, and it is far more common for survivors to not report (83%) than for people to falsely accuse. (Independent, 2019)

3. Many survivors do not report straight away.
It can take a long time to come to terms with what happened, and disclosing is a huge decision. Reporting is not to be taken lightly and rarely leads to the justice they want and deserve.

4. It does not happen in a dark alley way, by someone unknown
86% rapes are by someone that the survivor knows.
(Rape Crisis, 2024)

5. They didn’t run away, they didn’t want it to happen
It’s incredibly common to freeze or not be able to speak before a rape starts – it’s how the body reacts to an abnormal and traumatic situation. Watch Why did I? to learn more.