Myths and facts quiz

Myths and facts quiz
This is a True/False quiz for Sexual Assault and a Dating Violence Quiz. (Original Source: Erin O’Hanlon, Atlantic County Women’s Center)

How Much Do you Know About Sexual Assault?

1. Rape is about sexual gratification. FALSE
   • Sexual assault is a violent assault acted out in a sexual way. It is about power and control.
2. Sex crimes are crimes of passion or desire. FALSE
   • Sex crimes are crimes of violence, anger and power, not passion or sexual gratification.
3. Men can be sexually assaulted. TRUE
   • Men are victims of sexual assault. It is estimated that 1 out of 10 men will be sexually assaulted either by another male or a female during his lifetime.
4. Most sexual assaults are interracial– the perpetrator and victim are different races. FALSE
   • In the majority of sexual assaults the victim and the perpetrator are of the same race. Caucasian victims are most common, then African-Americans, Hispanics, and people identifying themselves as other, such as Asian or Native American. This debunks the myth that people of color are the primary perpetrators of sexual assault – or the primary victims.
5. Rapes are rarely reported to the police. TRUE
   • The crime of rape is usually not reported to the police. Rape is an under-reported crime in the United States. It is estimated that for every rape reported to the police, 7-10 rapes are not reported.
6. The way a woman is dressed or the fact that she is drunk is often why she is raped. FALSE
   • Sexual assault is not the result of the way a person dresses or acts. It is the assailant who decides to assault another individual. The victim is not an accessory to the crime. Being intoxicated may make a victim more vulnerable for an assault, but nothing and no one is responsible for an assault but a perpetrator. After all, do we say this about victims of other types of crimes? Do we say to a man who has been mugged – what were you doing wearing that suit? Why were you downtown? What made you get money out of the ATM machine in that location? Didn’t you think a briefcase would signal your availability to a criminal?
7. Sexual offenders are many times known by the victim. TRUE
   • Most sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows. Studies show that approximately 80% of the people reporting sexual assaults knew their assailants.
8. When a woman says “no” she really means “maybe” or “yes”. FALSE
   • When a woman or a man says “no,” he or she means “no.” “No” means no. Sexual intercourse without consent is rape. A person has the right to control his or her own body.
9. Spouses cannot sexually assault each other. FALSE
   • Spouses can and do sexually assault each other, and it is a crime in NJ. Marital status does not give either partner the right to have sexual intercourse without the other spouse’s consent. This includes having sex with your partner while they are asleep or intoxicated, or forcing or pressuring them to perform a sexual act they are not comfortable.
10. Ugly, old or disabled people are never sexually assaulted. FALSE
    • The myth that only young, pretty women are sexually assaulted stems from the myth that sexual assault is based on sex and physical attraction. Sexual assault is a crime of power and control and offenders often choose people whom they perceive as most vulnerable to attack or over whom they believe they can assert power.
11. Victims who have been sexually assaulted may be very calm and controlled. TRUE
    • Victims of sexual assault exhibit a spectrum of responses to the assault which can include: calm, hysteria, withdrawal, anger, apathy, denial and shock. Being sexually assaulted is a very traumatic experience and reactions to the assault and the length of time needed to process through the experience vary with each person. There is no “right way” to react to being sexually assaulted.
12. The culture of violence that we live in contributes to sexual violence. TRUE
    • Anytime women are objectified or sexualized, this contributes to a culture that tolerates and promotes sexual violence. Anytime there is discrimination or stereotyping based on race, gender, sexual orientation, or abilities, anytime an excuse is found for why someone is found lacking, not equal or less than, it contributes to a culture that allows perpetrators to see those victims as less than human beings and disposable.
13. Men can’t help themselves. Once they are sexually aroused, they cannot stop. FALSE
    • Forcing sexual activity without consent is a choice on the part of the perpetrator. Rape is an aggressive and violent act. Sex is used as the most effective way of degrading the victim, and the act is more about feeding the perpetrator’s need for power than sexual gratification. After all, if a man was having sex (with a consenting partner!) and the other person’s parent walked through the room – would he stop? Yeah, he would stop, and grab his clothes, and jump out the window, probably.
14. Sexual harassment is a form of sexual assault. TRUE
    • Sexual assault ranges from sexual harassment, including unsolicited sexually explicit words or physical contact, to peeping, flashing, “dry humping,” oral sex and penetration. Sexual assault is any sexual act without the consent of the victim.
15. Only gay men are raped, and they are only raped by other gay men. FALSE
    • Heterosexual and homosexual men are raped, and rapists can be heterosexual or homosexual. Men (as well as women) are raped because they are vulnerable based on factors such as age, isolation or status. They are often raped as part of a violent attack that is aimed at domination and degradation.
16. Gay women can be victims of sexual assault. TRUE
    • All men and all women, girls and boys, regardless of age, gender, race, status or sexual orientation, can be victims of sexual assault.
17. Rapes only occur by strangers in dark alleys. FALSE
    • A majority of rapes occur in residences. Most rapes occur in or near a victim’s residence or near a friend or relative’s home. This is consistent with the fact that 80% of victims knew their perpetrator before the sexual assault.
18. Women always lie about sexual assault to save their reputation or get revenge on a ex-partner. FALSE
    • Sexual assault is a vastly underreported crime. Women are more likely to lie and say they haven’t been sexually assaulted, out of shame or fear of further assaults or harassment. According to the FBI, false allegations of rapes are no greater than those of other crimes – typically about 2%. The SANE/SART process is a complicated and involved process, and that usually deters false reporting as well.
19. Weapons, such as guns, knives and fists, are often used to intimidate rape victims. FALSE
    • The offender often uses physical strength, physical violence, intimidation, and threats to overpower a victim. More often than actual weapons, perpetrators often uses the victim’s trust developed through their relationship, even short term relationships, to create an opportunity to commit the sexual assault. The offender may have intimate knowledge about the victim’s life, such as where he/she works, where he/she goes to school, or information about his/her family and friends. This enhances the creditability of any threats made by the offender since he has the knowledge about his/her life to carry them out.
20. If a person willingly goes to someone’s room or house or goes to a bar, she/he assumes the risk of sexual assault. The perpetrator can’t be blamed for anything that happens. FALSE
    • This “assumption of risk” wrongfully places the responsibility of the offender’s actions with the victim. Even if a person went voluntarily to someone’s residence or room and consented to engage in some sexual activity, it does not serve as blanket consent for all sexual activity. If a person is unsure about whether the other person is comfortable with an elevated level of sexual activity, the person should stop and ask. When someone says “no” or “stop” that means STOP. Sexual activity forced upon another without consent is sexual assault. This skewered logic is used to justify the actions of Kobe Bryant, the Duke Lacross players, and many other sexual assaults.