MESA: rape happens most often between acquaintances
With 31 sex crime incidents reported to the Boulder Police Department since school started this year, the need to be educated and aware is more important than ever.
Not all sex crimes are rapes. They can include exploitation of children, indecent exposure and groping.
“The number of sex crimes can be startling, but there is a wide variety that doesn’t include rape,” said Julie Brooks, Boulder PD public information officer.
STATS ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT: (courtesy of MESA)
* 1 out of 4 women will be sexually assaulted during their lifetime.
* 1 out of 17 men will be sexually assaulted during their lifetime.
FACT VS. MYTH: (courtesy of MESA)
Myth: Sexual assault occurs only in large cities.
Fact: Rapes have been reported all across the country – in large cities and small towns. While it is true that there is a higher incidence of sexual assault in large cities, this is due solely to a greater population concentration. However, victims in rural areas have additional concerns to ones all victims face. For example, in a small town, the victim may not have the same anonymity she would in a large city.
Myth: Men cannot be raped.
Fact: According to Male’s Assistance for Rape in Chicago, the number of reported cases in the U.S. was 18,793 assaults in 1988, more than doubled the number reported in 1973. Again, sexual assault, no matter the gender of the perpetrator or victim is a form of violence where sex is used to demean and humiliate another person.
Myth: Sexual assault is an impulsive, uncontrollable act.
Fact: 84 percent of sexual assaults are planned in advance.
Myth: Most rapists are lonely men without females or loved ones.
Fact: Most rapists are married or have other sexual outlets. They do not rape for sexual gratification. They rape to assume power and control over someone. Rapists have said that rape is “lousy sex.”
Despite the different kinds of sex crimes, rape is still the one to worry about the most, said Moving to End Sexual Assault Director Janine D’Anniballe.
“Most of the time, about 85 percent, the victim and the perpetrator know each other, and is then called acquaintance rape,” D’Anniballe said. “There is also some vulnerability for the younger ages. About 83 percent of the time, the victim is under the age of 25.”
Not only is age a specific trend for rape, but so is race.
“Most sex assaults, 93 percent, are intra-racial, meaning white people are assaulting white people, and people of color are assaulting people of color,” D’Anniballe said. “Since most cases are acquaintance related, and people tend to be around people of their same race, this is one reason why the number is so high.”
Weather is another reason why rape numbers can fluctuate throughout the year.
“The numbers are high between spring break and October, and tend to decrease significantly during the winter months because less people are walking around and at parties,” D’Anniballe said.
Education and determining the difference between myth and fact when dealing with sexual assault is key to ending these crimes, according to MESA.
“With sexual assaults there are so many myths, like that it only happens at night and by a stranger,” D’Anniballe said. “As long as we believe these myths, we remain uneducated and in danger.”
With 95 percent of all calls to MESA made by women, D’Anniballe is hesitant to discuss avoidance tips; rather, she looks at how to prevent men from raping women.
“By giving out avoidance advice, it puts the victim as the person responsible for rape,” D’Anniballe said. “Our belief is that women can only avoid rape not prevent it. What do men need to do to not rape women?”
Since college-age people are most at risk, students express their feelings about sexual assaults and whether they feel threatened.
“It is scary to think that a sexual predator could be someone I know, but it is important to realize that there are ways to protect yourself,” said Brittany Schoede, a junior media studies major. “I carry pepper spray on my key chain and have taken a self-defense class, but these statistics are alarming.”
Another student gives her thoughts on what can prevent sexual assaults and keep women safe.
“Personally, I think that there needs to be tougher punishment for sexual assault predators,” said Colleen Quinn, a senior journalism major. “We spend a lot of time blaming the victim when something like this should never, never happen in the first place. Also, educating women in self-defense and how to recognize a dangerous situation always helps.”
For more information on sexual assaults, visit www.movingtoendsexualassault.org. If you feel you are a victim of sexual assault, MESA urges you to call their 24/7 hotline at 303-443-7300.
