Women have many reasons for disclosing – or not disclosing – sexual harassment and assault, including to try to prevent others from being harmed, find safety or get help.Īfter all, research shows that sexual assault can take a serious toll on all aspects of survivors’ lives, from their physical and psychological health to their careers and education. Indeed, a vast majority of rapes go unreported to law enforcement, even though people may disclose what happened to friends, family or other informal support people in their lives. It’s actually not surprising for women of many ages. “The fact that I never went to the police is not surprising for someone my age,” said Carroll, who was about 52 years old at the time of the alleged assault.
Carroll testified on May 2, regarding her behavior, saying, “Women like me were taught and trained to keep our chins up and to not complain.” People also vary in how they act after sexual assault, such as whether or not they call the police or seek medical care. The range of responses that people have during traumatic events, referred to as flight, fight or freeze, can be affected by automatic processes, such as stress hormones that are released in response to threat. However, other people may appear conciliatory or passive. Certainly, some people fight back, as Carroll testified she did. In turn, rape myths have serious consequences for decision-making in cases, even in terms of whether or not cases are dismissed.Ĭontrary to myths, though, people respond in diverse ways when they experience traumatic events, including sexual assault. Rape myths are so prevalent that they can even be detected among people with training on sexual assault, such as law enforcement officers and crime lab personnel. Like the line of questioning directed at Carroll, rape myths imply that “real” sexual assault can be distinguished from false accusations based on how women responded to the assault.įor example, myths that “real” victims will fight back and call the police right away are common. Over several decades, researchers have documented myths about sexual assault – referred to as rape myths – that are both common and persistently held. Eva Deitch for The Washington Post/Getty Images Myths about responses to sexual assault Jean Carroll, shown at her home in New York state in 2019.
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