Have you ever heard someone hear about one rape case
that was unfounded or thrown out because of a false accusation and then
generalize to all rape cases? Overgeneralization, jumping to conclusions, and
blaming are among the cognitive distortions that people often call upon as a
way to dismiss violence against women.
So what
can you do: Speak up and point to the evidence.
Point out what evidence there is about
reporting rape. (1) The majority of rape victims do not report being attacked
to the police (NIJ). (2) Research shows that false reporting of sexual assault
ranges from 2-8%. It means it happens but it is not typical (NSVRC).
Even
if the person you are talking to does not change his/her mind, someone else may
hear what you are saying and you have had a chance to practice speaking up
about injustice.
References
NSVRC.National Sexual Violence Resource Center. 2016. False Reports: Moving Beyondthe Issue to Successfully Investigate and Prosecute Non-Stranger SexualAssault.
Martha T.
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