Rape myths and their social impact

Rape Myths

Rape is an act of crime where a person uses force or violence in order to have sexual intercourse with another person. The person who commits rape is called a rapist. Both men and women are subjected to rape. A person may not give consent to sexual intercourse when he or she have a temporary or permanent mental illness or physically weak due to use of drugs, alcohol and age. Mostly, children under the age of 18 are said to be incapable of consenting to sex. Types of rape include marital rape, gang rape, date rape, ancestral rape and child sexual abuse.

Rape myths are beliefs concerning rape. These assumptions are untrue and justify the sexual violence. Victims of rape are usually blamed to have provoked the rape in a way, and are considered to be at fault. The society supports most myths and puts the blame on the victims. These continues to provoke rape cases and the rapists walk free on the streets

One of the myths is that victims ask for it. It is assumed that a woman should resist a rape attack by fighting her attacker. The fact of the matter is that the rapist gets the victim by surprise and uses force such as chocking or beating the victim. The attacker often threatens to harm and kill the victim if they resist. The victim is always in fear and in shock of what the attacker might do. The fear makes the rapist overpower the victim and ends up penetrating the vagina or anus.

Another myth is that victims provoke sexual assault. It is believed that the victims must have done something to invite the assault, by their behaviors, actions and their way of dressing. No man has a right to sexually assault a woman based on her behavior and mode of dressing. Rapists select their victims based on vulnerability and accessibility of the victim. Studies show that rapists do not select victims based on their appearance, and attractiveness of the victim is never an issue to the rapist. Opportunity is the factor that determines when rapist will sexually assault the victim. Even when a woman's behavior may show clearly that she is interested in sex she, does not mean she needs to be raped. No person regardless of age, behavior or dressing deserves such a cruel act.

The myth that women enjoy forced sex is totally untrue. Rape is not and enjoyable activity nor is the act relaxing. During normal sex, women love to be in control but in rape, victim is never in control. All women like to be shown some love and respect. Rape makes woman humiliated and degraded in the society.