Sexual Assault: Myth vs. Fact

70% rapists are strangers to the victim, often hiding in dark alleys or bushes at night.

That's a myth! Here's the fact: About 85 to 90 percent of sexual assaults reported by college women are perpetrated by someone known to the victim. (National Institute of Justice)

The majority of victims lie about rape for attention.

That's a myth! Here's the fact: Only about 2% of all rape and related sex charges are determined to be false, the same percentage as for other felonies. (FBI)

One in 5 women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college.

That's a fact! One in 5 women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college. (National Sexual Violence Resource Center)

It's not rape if the people involved are in a relationship or have had sex before.

That's a myth! Here's the fact: Sexual assault is any sexual contact or behavior that occurs without explicit consent of the victim, regardless of the relationship of the perpetrator and the victim. (RAINN)