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The mass media represents males in superior social and physical positions and women as helpless and vulnerable. For example, in films, women are often depicted not only as vulnerable victims, but as victims who, once raped, degraded and dehumanized, come to accept this treatment and grow to love their attackers.

Myths have a manifest purpose of legitimizing aberrant behavior, such as rape. Studies have shown that women as well as men believe in many rape myths and are aroused by rape depictions. For example, some men believe that women will respond to sexual force even if they initially refuse sexual advances. 

One myth is that rape is a crime caused by uncontrollable sex drive. Men in prison for serial rape often claim that they felt such a compulsion for sex that they could not help themselves. However, this claim does not hold water because virtually all such men either were married or otherwise had available sex partners when they committed the crimes.

Another myth is that women can resist rape of the really want to; sometimes stated as, "you cannot thread a moving needle. First of all, men have been raised differently than women. They have been trained to be physical and are usually stronger and faster than women. Likewise, women have been traditionally raised to be passive, weaker, and submissive to men. Such socialization enhances the possibility of a successful rape. In addition, the rapist chooses the time and place for the crime, usually when the women are in a vulnerable situation.

Many people believe the myth that rapes are committed by strangers; however, in fact, prior relationships are usually present in rape cases. About half of rapes of adult women were committed by men who know their victims and data show this may be as high as 80%.

Another myth is that women falsely cry rape. No doubt this has occurred, but it is rare. Data show that it is more likely that women will not report a rape that occurred.

All women want to be raped is a myth that has been romanticized in the media. Romance novels after start with a sexual attack where the women "melts into passionate acceptance." While it is true that some women have rape fantasies, these fantasies usually do not center on force or pain but on being "swept off one's feet" by a handsome stranger into a sexual liaison that one would not ordinarily entertain.

It cannot happen to me is delusional belief that many women hold.  Accepting the myth that rape victims are always young and attractive, leads many women to believe they are unlikely victims since they are not desirable. Remember rape is not a crime of sex; it is a crime of violence. Sexual attractiveness is not a trait considered by rapists when they are stalking victims.

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