BY GEORGE NAVA TRUE II
THE FACTS are frightening and enough to make anyone squirm. Police said that almost a third of rape cases in Western Visayas were perpetrated by people closely related to the victims.
It’s not surprising that most incidents of rape are committed by a relative or someone known to the victim. Only one in 10 rape incidents are committed by strangers. Most are perpetrated by a friend, neighbor, colleague, partner, or family member.
Still, many rape myths persist in our society today and are used to justify sexual aggression, influence criminal prosecution, question the victim’s honesty, and put the blame on the victims themselves. We should ignore these prejudicial, stereotyped, and false beliefs since they fail to tell us the true nature of sexual violence, rapists, and rape victims.
Below are other rape myths courtesy of Rape Crisis England & Wales and the University of Richmond Center for Awareness, Response, and Education.
MYTH: Drunk people should be blamed if they are raped.
FACT: People have the right to drink alcohol without getting raped. It is always the rapist’s fault if that person has sex with someone who is drunk, drugged, or unconscious.
MYTH: Women who regret having sex with someone often lie about rape because they want attention.
FACT: False allegations about rape are rare since most people who have been raped never report the incident. Ninety percent of rape cases are unreported.
MYTH: Rape is non-existent if the victim never screamed or tried to fight off the attacker.
FACT: Many rape victims are helpless and usually can’t move or speak because of fear, threat, intimidation, shock, or other reasons. As long as there is no consent to having sex, that is always rape.
MYTH: It’s not rape if you are in a relationship with someone.
FACT: Everyone can refuse any type of sexual activity at any time, even if it’s with their own partners. If there is no consent, it is considered rape. Consent is also retractable and your partner can change his or her mind anytime. That decision should be respected.
MYTH: Rapists are people who were sexually abused as kids.
FACT: Many people who were sexually abused as kids don’t become rapists. This myth is often used to justify the behavior of rapists. In reality, there is no typical rapist. Neither do rapists come from certain backgrounds, races, or ethnic groups.
MYTH: Women should never go out alone at night since they might get raped.
FACT: Women should be free to go where they want to without being sexually assaulted. Besides, most rape incidents occur in familiar places – the victim’s home, office, or other “safe” places.
MYTH: Rape usually happens in women who flirt or wear sexy clothes.
FACT: People don’t deserve to be raped because of their behavior or clothes. Anyone can be raped regardless of gender, age, race, religion, occupation, or appearance. In most cases, the victim is vulnerable – someone who is smaller or weaker, alone, or handicapped.
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National Press Club and Philippine Dental Association awardee George N. True II has written two bestsellers based on his popular column which has been running for almost 40 years. For questions about health, email georgenavatrue@yahoo.com./PN
