Myths & Misconceptions

Oct 2

Myths and Misconceptions

Commonly Asked Questions

(information from Rape Crisis Scotland)

Why didn’t they fight back?

There are three possible survival responses to a traumatic event like rape: fight, flight, or the one that often does not occur to people: freeze. Freezing is probably the survival response with which people are least familiar, and when we think about a scenario involving rape, thoughts of running away (‘flight’) or of fighting back can spring much more readily to mind than the idea of being unable to move or do anything at all. However, in our experience at rape crisis, freezing can be one of the most common reactions during a rape. (https://www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk/i-just-froze/)

This film is part of Rape Crisis Scotland's #ijustfroze campaign, launched on 7th March 2017. 'I just froze' challenges common misconceptions that there is a right or wrong way for people to react during or after a rape. info@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk.

Why have they only come forward now?

It is very common for survivors, if they do decide to report to the police (many do not) to delay doing so – often for weeks and months, and sometimes for years. Reporting rates in Scotland have seen some improvements in recent years. However the figures recorded by rape crisis centres in Scotland still show very low rates of reporting. In 2015-16 only 51.25% of survivors in touch with rape crisis in Scotland had reported their experience to the police. (https://www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk/i-just-froze/)