Are most sexual assaults planned in advance?
Most sexual assaults and abuses are planned in advance. The plan may only be at the level of, "If she says no, I'll just push a little."

Who are people most likely to be sexually assaulted by?
By someone they know. It is estimated that 90% of sexually abused children are abused by someone that they know, and that 75-90% of rape victims know their assailants. (Finkelhor, 1985/Koss, 1995)

Rapists/abusers only attack someone they are attracted to, right?
No. Physical attraction has nothing to do with sexual assault and rape. Rapists assault people because they want to humiliate, dominate, and overpower another person. It is an act of violence, not sex.

Only women are sexually assaulted or raped

Both women and men can be victims of sexual assault and abuse. FBI statistics show that 1 in 5 males will be victims of sexual assault by the age of 24.

Where do most assaults take place?
Most rapes happen in either the victim's home or the offender's home. One study showed that only 30% of rapes occur in public places. (Bateman, 1995)

How many people report assault to the police?
1 and 10 assaults are reported; however, only 1 in 20 college students report rape. Many victims do not report the sexual assault because they are embarrassed, humiliated, or blame themselves for what happened. Others may be afraid that the offender may come back and attack them again. Male victims are even less likely to report an assault than females

Children are forced into sexual abuse with threats and violence
No. More often, the child knows and trusts the abuser and is manipulated over a period of time into the sexual abuse. When threats are used, it is most often the threat of "getting into trouble" or "breaking the secret."

Do women and children make false accusations?
The false report rate for sexual assault is approximately 2%, which is comparable to that of other violent crimes. The false report rate for child sexual abuse is approximately 7%, and many of those false reports happen in the context of custody disputes, when one parent falsely accused the other. (Finkelhor)

Is the victim ever at fault, and partly responsible for her/his assault?
No! Sexual assault is a crime, and the person who commits the crime is responsible for his actions. A person always has the right to say "no." No one has the right to force another person to have sex against their will. Furthermore, silence is not consent to sexual activity.

What motivates someone to rape another person?
Rapists are motivated by the desire to dominate, humiliate and overpower another person. It has NOTHING to do with sexual desire.

Are weapons commonly used in rapes?
No. 75% of all rapes and even higher percentages of acquaintance rapes DO NOT involve a weapon. (Social Psychology Quarterly, 1983)