FOR VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS ABOUT RAPE Rape is a Violent Crime Rape is an act of sexual violence. Some people confuse rape with sex, and this confusion can result in many problems for rape victims and their families and friends. Rape is NOT passion gone astray, nor is it simply the result of sexual arousal with no other outlet for gratification. The rapist's purpose is to dominate, control and degrade the victim, not express sexual passion. The rapist expresses anger, hostility, power, and control through a sexual act. The assumption that rape is about sex is a dangerous one, because people may then believe that the victim aroused the rapist's sexual interest and is somehow at fault. Rape victims range in age from infants to the elderly and certainly do not provoke rape or ask to be raped. The words "her" "she" and "woman" are used to denote the rape survivor for ease in communication. While the majority of rape victims are female, males are also victims of rape, not only nationally but in Arkansas as well. This information applies to male victims as well as female victims. Some Common Myths About Rape One of the biggest misconceptions about rape is that the victim provoked the assault or was "asking for it." No one asks or deserves to be raped. Rape is a violent crime and victims often fear injury or death during the assault. Even if the victim used poor judgment prior to the rape, this does not mean that she provoked the rape. Many rapes are perpetrated by persons who have earned the victim's trust. Trusting someone or using poor judgment is NOT a rapeable offense." It is a myth that victims could somehow have prevented the rape. Rapists often isolate their victims. The victim may feel that resistance is futile or will only increase her risk for injury or death. Most rapists threaten their victims either verbally or with a weapon. Many victims are paralyzed with fear and shock. Rape victims do the best they can to survive the attack and should never be made to feel that what they did or did not do was wrong. Only the rapist can prevent rape. " It is a myth that women often lie or make false reports to seek revenge. Only 2% of reported rapes are thought to have false aspects. This statistic is in keeping with false reports of all crimes. The decision to report a rape can be difficult and the crime of rape is actually extremely under reported. Only one in ten rapes is thought to be reported. " It is a myth that most rapists are strangers lurking in the bushes waiting to grab victims from the street. Although the fear of stranger rape is legitimate, we know that about 75% of rapists are acquaintances of their victims. Women have been raped by coworkers, bosses, neighbors, professionals, dates, friends and even groups of people. " It is a myth that rape is an infrequent crime and only happens to women who are not "respectable." Rape can happen to anyone regardless of profession, economic status, race, gender, and locale. Rape occurs far more often than many people realize. Statistics Rape is a disturbingly frequent crime. National surveys report that as many as one out of every three or four women have been a victim of rape or attempted rape. An estimated one in seven men have been victims of rape or attempted rape (most male victims are raped by men). Approximately 1 in 10 rapes are thought to be reported to law enforcement.