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Myths & Facts
Myth: Sexual assault is a rare occurrence.
Fact: Statistics vary for a number of reasons, but one estimate reports that 1 in 6 women in the United States has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape and 1 in 10 men has been the victim of sexual assault. 1
Myth: Sexual assault only happens in big cities.
Fact: Sexual assault can occur in both rural and urban areas. Victims in rural areas have a lower rate of report, possibly due to issues of confidentiality within a smaller community, lack of access to appropriate services, or environmental or forced isolation.
Myth: Men of certain races and backgrounds are more likely to sexually assault women.
Fact: Men who commit sexual assault come from every economic, ethnic, racial, age and social group. The belief that women are more often sexually assaulted by men of color or working class men is a stereotype rooted in racism and classism.
Myth: Rapists are typically strangers, deranged, or mentally ill.
Fact: Although it might make some people feel better to think of a sexually violent person as a stranger that you can easily identify, most often, sexual assaults are perpetrated by individuals known to the victims. Research suggests that 97% to 99% of abusers are known and trusted by the victim/ survivor who has an intellectual disability. Of those, in 32% of those cases abusers were family members or acquaintances and 44% of those abusers had a relationship with the victim/survivor specifically related to the person’s disability.
Myth: Some women are asking for it by staying out late or dressing in short skirts.
Fact: Rape is a choice made solely by the rapist, and has nothing to do with what a woman wears or what time of day it is. Rape is used as a way to control women and their choices.
Myth: Women with disabilities don't get raped.
Fact: Women with disabilities are usually considered to be at a higher risk of being sexually assaulted than their peers without disabilities. Additionally, women with developmental disabilities are at 50% higher risk of being sexually assaulted. 2
Myth: Women with disabilities and Deaf women can't be taken seriously when reporting an assault because they don't know what they're talking about. They are lying to get attention or to manipulate their caregivers.
Fact: Women with disabilities and Deaf women are just as capable as other women to know when they have been violated, and deserve the opportunity to disclose that information to whomever they want, whenever they are ready. All women should be believed when reporting sexual assault of any kind.
