MYTH: Men can't be raped and women can't be perpetrators.

This myth is very damaging. Men can and are raped. 1 in 6 men have experienced sexual assault or abuse in their lifetime. An estimated 12,000 men are raped in the UK every year, and more than 70,000 are sexually abused or assaulted (Survivors UK).

There is also a myth that suggests that if a man is raped he must be gay. This is also not the case. Sexual abuse has nothing to do with sexual orientation.

Another myth is that male perpetrators of male rape must be gay. As rape has nothing to do with sexual desire and everything to do with power and control, this is also not the case.

The vast majority of perpetrators of sexual violence are men but women can and do commit sexual offences. The law states that rape is defined as non-consensual penetration with a penis. This means that women can not legally be charged with rape but they can be charged with sexual assault which is just as serious. The myth that women can not be perpetrators prevents these individuals from being held accountable and silences their victims who are even less likely to disclose than victims of male perpetrators.