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| Our
Officers |
| Alex
Kistner
President of M.A.A.R. |
E.
Tyler Felix
Vice President of M.A.A.R. |
Henry Chan
Publicity Chair | Sam
Hardie
Ex-Officio |
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Myth #1: Victims provoke sexual
assaults when they dress provocatively or act in a promiscuous manner.
Fact: Rape and sexual assault are crimes of violence and
control that
stem from a person's determination to exercise power over another.
Neither provocative dress nor promiscuous behavior are invitations for
unwanted sexual activity. Forcing someone to engage in non-consensual
sexual activity is sexual assault, regardless of the way that person
dresses or acts.
Myth #2: If a person goes to someone's room or house or goes to a bar,
she assumes the risk of sexual assault. If something happens later, she
can't claim that she was raped or sexually assaulted because she should
have known not to go to those places.
Fact: 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 a 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.
Myth #3: It's not sexual assault if it happens after drinking
or taking
drugs.
Fact: Being under the influence of alcohol or drugs is not an
invitation for non-consensual sexual activity. A person under the
influence of drugs or alcohol does not cause others to assault her;
others choose to take advantage of the situation and sexually assault
her because she is in a vulnerable position. Many state laws hold that
a person who is cognitively impaired due to the influence of drugs or
alcohol is not able to consent to sexual activity. The act of an
offender who deliberately uses alcohol as a means to subdue someone in
order to engage in non-consensual sexual activity is also criminal.
Myth #4: Most sexual assaults are committed by strangers.
It's not rape
if the people involved knew each other.
Fact: Most sexual assaults and rapes are committed by someone the
victim knows. Among victims aged 18 to 29, two-thirds had a prior
relationship with the offender(1). During 2000, about six in ten rape
or sexual assault victims stated the offender was an intimate, other
relative, a friend or an acquaintance(2). A study of sexual
victimization of college women showed that most victims knew the person
who sexually victimized them. For both completed and attempted rapes,
about 9 in 10 offenders were known to the victim(3). Most often, a
boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, classmate, friend, acquaintance, or co-worker
sexually victimized the women(4). Sexual assault can be committed
within any type of relationship, including in marriage, in dating
relationships, or by friends, acquaintances or co-workers. Sexual
assault can occur in heterosexual or same-gender relationships. It does
not matter whether there is a current or past relationship between the
victim and offender; unwanted sexual activity is still sexual assault
and is a serious crime.
Myth #5: Rape can be avoided if women avoid dark alleys or other
"dangerous" places where strangers might be hiding or lurking.
Fact: Rape and sexual assault can occur at any time, in many
places, to
anyone. According to a report based on FBI data, almost 70% of sexual
assault reported to law enforcement occurred in the residence of the
victim, the offender, or another individual(5). As pointed out above in
Fact #4, many rapes are committed by people known to the victim. While
prudent, avoiding dark alleys or "dangerous" places will not
necessarily protect someone from being sexually assaulted.
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