Myths
Concerning Sexual Assault
Myth: 
Sexual assault results from an uncontrollable, impulsive sexual urge of biological origin.
Truth: Sexual assault is motivated by hostility, power, and control. Clinical studies of offenders find that sexual assaults are not motivated by sexual desire or by the desire to meet biological needs. Unlike animals, humans are capable of controlling how they choose to act on or express sexual urges.
Myth: Sexual assault happens to women who “ask for it” by dressing provocatively.
Truth: Sexual assault is not a 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.
Myth: When a woman says “no” she means “maybe” or “yes”.
Truth: When a woman says “no”, she means no. “No” means no. Sexual intercourse without consent is rape. A person has the right to control her or his own body.
Myth: Most sexual assaults are committed by strangers.
Truth: Most sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows. Studies show that approximately 80% of adult women reporting sexual assault knew their assailant.
Myth: Spouses cannot sexually assault each other.
Truth: Spouses can and do sexually assault each other. Marital status does not give either partner the right to have sexual intercourse without the other spouse’s consent. Marital sexual contact without consent in Virginia is a criminal offense.
