Anyone can be raped.
- Rape happens among all age groups, from infants to elder women, among all economic classes, from rich to poor, among all ethic groups/races of people, and in heterosexual and same-sex relationships.
- Rape happens to all genders. Statistics show that 1:4 girls and 1:6 boys are sexually assaulted before they reach the age of eighteen. About one in six women and one in eleven men are raped after turning eighteen.
- Rape is not sex. Rape is an act of violence. Rape is not sex but is used as a way of dominating, humiliating, and terrifying another person.
- Rape is never the fault of the victim. It has nothing to do with what the victim wore, where the victim went, what the victim did, or whether or not they are “attractive.” Only the person committing the assault is to blame. Rape is painful, humiliating and hurtful. No one ever asks to be raped.
- A rapist can be someone you know. Most rapes happen between people of the same race or ethnicity. You are also much more likely to be raped by someone you know than a stranger. Approximately 75% of rapes are committed by someone the survivor knows.
- You have the right to say ‘No’ anytime. You can be raped by someone you’ve had sex with before, even your spouse or partner. Each time you are asked to have sex, you have the right to say ‘no’, even if you’ve said ‘yes’ before. You also have the right to stop having sex at any time.
- Rape is against the law. Not only is rape always wrong, it’s also a crime.