Myths vs. Facts: Straight Talk About Sexual Violence

This direct and revealing talk confronts longstanding myths about sexual assault and domestic violence, challenging audiences to shift their posture from reactive to proactive and play an active role in sexual violence awareness, prevention, and response.

For this program, I use my personal story of sexual assault and domestic violence survival to address popular sexual violence myths:

• "Drug and alcohol use cause rape and domestic violence."
• "Women’s dress and behavior provoke rape."
• "Men can't be raped."
• "If it was that bad, she’d just leave."
• "Only certain types of women get raped or abused – not me."

I talk about my personal denial of victimhood due to my own susceptibility to such myths and empower participants to use what they learn to actively debunk their own myths to promote personal and community safety. Participants are asked to consider the neurobiological mechanisms which encourage us to passively accept myths, rather than actively acknowledge reality.