I am putting this here rather than in the #Metoo group. I think we need to put to bed the idea of false reporting of sexual abuse. Once and for all. Ok the statistics on rape and sexual abuse differ across the world and is viewed differently but lets just look at Western English speaking countries shall we? (Including Australia). On average the number of reported rapes that are sucessfully brought to trial is less than 6%. A minute number you'd agree? Now in UK (ONS, 2018) around 700,000 adults reported rapes and sexual (not including minors). This leads to less than 5.7 convictions. However, Rape Crisis (2018), report that less than 80% of rapes are actually reported to the police. A diminishingly small number of sucessful prosecutions. Now of that very small number of rape and sexual assault convictions, less than 2% are found to be false. Now you need to read that carefully as this a handful of false accusations a year.
Who reports false allegations of rape?
There is evidence of false accusations falling into a few categories but the majority are made by young men and women (false allegations cross genderlines) mostly older teens who risk censure from parents or other adults because for example, they have broken curfew or been somewhere they shouldn't. Very few are adult women.
There is also the notion of false or inserted memories. These can happen, however psychologists suggest these are unlikely when the trauma has a physical component.
Lastly it is believed the second most common form of 'false reporting' is women and men simply withdrawing their initial complaint. It is certainly true that a large number of these were true, it is just the victim fails to go through the process due to various reasons, for example, family pressue, their own sense of shame and guilt and as over 90% of victims know their perpetrator, they can be concerned that they may destroy that person's life.
Of course it serves a lot of people's interests to believe false reporting is common but it simply is not. Rape and sexual assault are horrorific traumatic events which are worsened by reporting the incident. Very few people would do that to themselves willingly.
1:5 women are sexually assaulted. I believe it is much much higher, we are just taught to accept it (boys will be boys). It is lower for sexual assaults on men, however these are only rarely reported so the statistics may not be accurate.
It is time to start believing people who say they have been sexually assaulted/raped/abused. If someone told you they'd had their bike stolen would automatically question their honesty? Of course not. We, in this community at least, are free of the dogmatic shackles that made it easy for one group to abuse others. So for the people talking about false allegations, question what you are being told and check out the facts.
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Fake news is easy to swallow. I don’t understand how someone can listen and believe Ford and then turn around and say Kavanaugh is believable. I don’t.
AstralSmoke
Level 8
Oct 11, 2018
0
Sexual abuse is a serious crime and a serious accusation. But, regardless of statistics, there must be evidence before a prosecution.
sfvpool
Level 7
Oct 11, 2018
2
well said
Really?
Who has a camera when some pervert gropes her?
Who had a camera in the doctor's office when he sexually assaulted me.
Who was there to document it when my daughter was assaulted by a college student in an empty classroom?
Who has the money to go to court, to be accused of lying, to be called a whore by the prosecution.
MEN in power are the problem, not the women.
Consider yourself BLOCKED.
Where does this evidence come from?
@Amisja Ideally, if the crime is reported soon after it happened, there would normally be physical evidence available, or at least the victim, or any witnesses, would have a strong memory of details that may lead to evidence. If the crime is not reported for years, the odds of finding any evidence diminishes and the memories of everyone are less accurate. This is one reason for having statutes of limitations for crimes. Using your example of a bicycle being stolen, if it is not reported for years, there is little chance of finding enough evidence to convict someone.
@sfvpool If we lived in a world that considered reports of rape and sexual assault in the same way we think of the theft of a bike then I would agree. Sexual...well any trauma...often produces pinpoint memories that never leave us. I had to resusitate my ex husband following an MI, I don't know what day it was, I don't really remember the events leading up to it, but from the moment I knew he was deteriorating until the ambulance arriving, I remember every single detail. I remember my daughter arriving, apologising to the ambulance paramedics because the room was a mess, I remember the red sheets which I had to throw away. I remember he was wearing the jumper I'd bought him from GAP. I know I gave him an initial blow which we are no longer advised to do then feeling guilty, I remember him vomitting and me trying to protect his dignity. I do not remember driving to the cardiac centre. Memory is a strange thing. We remember important life events in intricate detail. Physical evidence can be there or it may be easily discounted. Shame, guilt and even fear prevent people from speaking out. I suggest Susan Brownmiller's Against our will (1975) its rather old but a seminal piece, either that or Rape and its effects on womens Mental Health (2012) by me.
@Amisja I have no argument with what you wrote and can't imagine how it feels to be sexually assaulted, since it has never happened to me, although it was tried once when I was 12 years old. A man, much bigger than me, tried to physically assault me, holding me against his refrigerator and trying to kiss me, but I was able to push him away and run for my life. I didn't report it either, since I was a runaway at the time and didn't want to get caught. I don't know that I would have reported it anyway, though, since that wasn't even an option in my mind at that time. My point was only that in order to prosecute someone, there must be evidence. My experience was 52 years ago. I do remember in detail what happened, where it happened, and could probably figure out an approximate date, but I couldn't provide enough information for prosecution.
@sfvpool You do understand that you were seriously sexually assaulted? I am horrified that you had that experience, every bit of me wants to drag 12 year old you away from that event and roar with all my dragoness anger at the prepetrator. You should report it. I praise you for sharing because it is f**king hard. We need brave people to share their experiences. This should never ever happen again.
@Amisja Thanks for your concern, but there would be no reason to report it, as I didn't know the person, couldn't positively identify him, and if he is still alive, probably no longer lives there. I think he was an apartment maintenance man, as he lived in the basement of an apartment building and his door led to the apartment's parking garage. Even if I could find out who he was, using the approximate dates, the fact that he lived in the basement and checking with the building records, it would be his word against mine, since it is way too late to gather any other evidence and there were no other witnesses. As a parent of three boys -- now men -- I share your rage. If I had found out one of my children were assaulted like I was, I would do everything within my power to put that man in jail for the rest of his life, if he still had a life after I got through with him. The event didn't traumatize me, however. When it happened, I was scared to death, but afterwards, I felt good about my ability to get away, which reinforced my self esteem. I wouldn't say it didn't affect my life and personality, but not in a huge way.
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