Debunking Myths of Sexual Assault

There are a lot of myths surrounding sexual assault, with possibly the biggest one being that the victim was somehow at fault. There is absolutely no truth in this. Rape is NEVER the victim's fault no matter what the circumstances, no matter what the rapist may claim. Any sexual activity that takes place without the consent of both parties is rape. Period. No contest.

Another myth of sexual assault is that it is about sex. Rape is a violent act of power, anger, even hate acted out through a sexual encounter chosen as a means of control by the perpetrator. It really has nothing Sexual Assault Crime – Dallas Sex Crime Defense Lawyer Explains What Is Sexual Assault to do with "having sex".

The myth that sexual assault is a crime of desire is pathetic. Any form of assault is about power, hate, anger, violence. These are not terms of endearment or desire.

However, considering it a crime of passion may actually be true because one of the definitions of passion is "violent anger". We think of passion as a strong feeling of love or sexual desire, but we don't usually equate violence with passion. So in using the statement that rape is a crime of "passion", the only true definition that fits that statement is the one of passion being "violent anger".

There is also the myth that sexual predators attack and rape because they never have sex with an intimate partner. This is not true. Many rapists are married, have sexual relations with their partner, and seemingly live a "normal" life. They seek out victims to abuse to fulfill some sick gratification they attain from intimidating and degrading another human being. They choose to seek out victims to control, humiliate and hurt.

One myth that everyone wants to believe is that it is easy to spot a rapist because they look creepy, have shifty eyes, maybe are dirty or look angry. We want to believe this because then all we have to do is stay away from those kinds of men. Wrong. Many rapists are friendly in passing and could even be your next door neighbor always willing to help out in time of need. They can be any age and come from any background or race. They can be a handsome stranger asking for help because of a "broken" arm or leg, the 19 yr old offering to help carry your groceries in the house for you, the kindly man asking to use your phone because his car broke down. Never let your guard down around anyone who sends any kind of vibes that makes your intuition stumble a little. Trust your gut feelings. Don't try to explain away the feeling of apprehension that wasn't there a moment ago.

Another myth that is not true is that women secretly want to be raped. No one wants to be the victim of a violent assault. If a woman doesn't fight back, it is usually because she is afraid by fighting she will infuriate the assailant even more and possibly cause him to hurt her even worse, disfiguring or even killing her. It is NOT because she secretly wants to be raped.

Rape is a terrible life-changing crime that some women never completely recover from. Some commit suicide because they can't deal with the feelings that go along with being a victim. Of course the best scenario is to never become a victim of a sexual assault. Always be alert to your surroundings and your intuition. Have a plan. Carry a weapon such as pepper spray or a stun gun. Another option is a personal alarm that will alert someone to your situation with an ear piercing alarm and scare off an attacker.