Rape Prevention: Combatting

THE FEAR OF SEXUAL ASSAULT OR RAPE IS A PART OF EVERY WOMAN'S LIFE. In a plethora of ways this constricts and restricts females' mobility and manner of living. 'Do not walk alone at night', 'Do not talk to strangers', 'Do not hitchhike', 'Do not dress in a provocative way' are just a few of the rules that females are socialised with. Indeed, the reality is that rape is indeed a threat for every female in Australia and the advice above is solid and well-meaning, although in many ways it is based upon stereotypes about sexual assault which are not true and which act insidiously to impute blame on the victim. The purpose of the following paper is to tear down the myths about rape by confronting the erroneous view of what rape is, who rapes, why men rape, and the impact of rape on the victim or survivor. 'Wait', you may be saying. 'The title of this paper includes the word prevention and you are proposing to dispel myths. How is that prevention?' Answer: One of the only means available to reduce sexual assault and to enhance the probability that its victims will report it to authorities is through knocking down the false images of rape that act to perpetuate it in society. Therefore, although there will be little space given to specific preventative measures against 'stranger danger' and acquaintance/marital rape in the following article, both the overt and underlying message of the paper is that rape prevention lies in changing societal attitudes about rape and about men