Rape is a Men's Issue (Henderson Images)
Last week, Alex Knepper’s column generated a buzz on campus and around the country. While many read the piece as an irresponsible condonation of sexual assault, others argued that it was merely identifying an age-old truth: some women routinely get drunk, have sex, and then “cry rape” the next morning because they regret their actions. When CBS interviewed Knepper, he claimed that “thousands” of men suffer from false rape reports. Unfortunately, just as The Eagle was negligent in ensuring that Knepper was writing a responsible piece, CBS also failed to set the record straight with fact-checking legwork. Thus, both media outlets irresponsibly provided Knepper with an opportunity to perpetuate long-standing — and untrue — myths about high percentages of false rape reports. And based on hundreds of online comments, it’s evident that many students fervently believe these myths.
The hysteria surrounding false rape reporting is due to a number of issues, many of which cannot be fully elaborated upon here. They include institutional patriarchy and the lower position of women in the workplace, individuals’ desires to make themselves feel safe at the expense of blaming victims for crimes, and a disregard for a woman’s right to consume alcohol, have fun, and engage in sexual activities without being assaulted.
But most saliently, misunderstandings occur due to errors in police coding procedures, public misconceptions about the motivations for false allegations, and the simultaneous overrepresentation of false reports and underrepresentation of factual cases in mainstream media. It’s also important to recognize that victim-blaming strategies and a belief in high rates of false rape reports are closely related; they feed off of one another to create a cultural environment in which the majority of assaulted women feel too afraid of public rejection to report the crimes committed against them, and the majority of rapists remain free to continue preying on vulnerable victims.
According to a recent study by the American Prosecutors Research Institute, false rape allegations account for two to eight percent of all reported rapes. This low figure may shock many readers who have heard claims that over 40 percent of rape reports are false. In the past, errors in police coding procedures have often been a reason for high claims of false reports; many reports categorized as “false” actually should be recorded as “unsubstantiated” (which means that there is insufficient evidence to move forward with the case) or “baseless” (indicating that the claim is considered truthful, but the incident doesn’t meet specific elements of the crime). Some reasons for incorrectly categorizing reports include pressure on police officers to close out cases and make their departments appear successful, difficulties with agencies not tracking and differentiating between “false” and “baseless” reports, and a lack of supervision within and across law enforcement agencies regarding careful training and implementation of accurate coding procedures.
A primary myth about false rape reports focuses on the belief that women “cry rape” because they are seeking revenge on men who have wronged them in some way. However, according to this study, the reality is that the vast majority of false allegations “are actually filed by people with serious psychological and emotional problems.” And notably, people who falsely file claims usually do not name specific individuals, but instead “involve only a vaguely described stranger.” These research findings support the theory that people who falsely allege rape do so not out of desire for revenge against a specific person, but because they seek general attention and sympathy.
Finally, myths about high rates of false reports are perpetuated by media stories that provide excessive coverage of highly sensationalized cases. News agencies make little effort to reach out to the academic community to include professional opinions about the validity of the majority of rape reports. Instead, the general public is bombarded with stories about “gold-digging” women who falsely accuse athletes or prominent public figures. Very rarely do we hear the countless true stories of women and children who are abused and manipulated by men they know and trust.
I hope you’ll take a few minutes to reflect upon some of the reasons why, so often, people are willing to quickly jump to the defense of accused perpetrators, and are so eager to immediately dismiss the claims of victims. I challenge you, now that you are armed with the knowledge that 92-98 percent of rape allegations are true, to contemplate the reasons why you may be so willing to believe that your neighbor, co-worker, friend, or family member is not a rapist, but that your neighbor, coworker, friend, or family member is lying about being raped. Why do so many of us prefer to dismiss rape victims and defend rapists? Take a few moments to talk with a loved one. Force yourself to face these difficult questions. Only by challenging our preconceptions and educating ourselves about the issues can we achieve justice for rape victims.
Mahri Irvine is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Anthropology.
This is an important article and a welcome one. It also makes me think about how communities are quick to rally around adults accused of child molestation and to malign the child (as the catholic church has closed ranks, for instance, as a result of the current flood of sex reports, equating the allegaions to anti-semitism). Living in denial seems to be a human trait (perhaps there’s some evolutionary rational for it?). Or, perhaps human nature, more often than not, is to be shallow, simple minded, and narcissistic (seems to be,for instance the case with Knepper’s article). This certainy makes me feel discouraged at times, but then a light of hope comes forth through smart articles like this. Thank you!
I run the world’s leading site dedicated to giving voice to men and women falsely accused of sex crimes, False Rape Society. Your assertion that false rape claims are not a significant percentage of reported “rapes” is incorrect. Unfortunately, the entire area is so terribly politicized that I am certain my first sentence will have caused unwarranted, and misinformed, anger.
Every impartial, objective study shows false rape claims are a significant problem. As reported by “False Rape Allegations” by Eugene Kanin, Archives of Sexual Behavior Feb 1994 v23 n1 p81(12), Professor Kanin’s landmark study of a mid-size Midwestern city over the course of nine years found that 41 percent of all rape claims were false. Criticisms of that study seem to be ideologically driven. Kanin’s other work is highly regarded by feminists. In any event, Kanin also studied the police records of two unnamed large state universities and found that in three years, 50 percent of the 64 rapes reported to campus police were determined to be false.” See also, E. Greer, The Truth Behind Legal Dominance Feminism’s ‘Two Percent False Rape Claim’ Figure, 33 Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review 947, a scholarly law review article that traced the two percent false rape canard to its unreliable origins (it is astounding that the two percent claim is repeated despite having been long ago debunked).
In addition, a landmark Air Force study in 1985 studied 556 rape allegations. It found that 27% of the accusers recanted, and an independent evaluation revealed a false accusation rate of 60%. McDowell, Charles P., Ph.D. “False Allegations.” Forensic Science Digest, (publication of the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations), Vol. 11, No. 4 (December 1985), p. 64. See also, “Until Proven Innocent,” the widely praised (praised even by the New York Times, which the book skewers — as well as almost every other major U.S. news source) and painstaking study of the Duke Lacrosse non-rape case. Authors Stuart Taylor and Professor K.C. Johnson explain that the exact number of false claims is elusive but “[t]he standard assertion by feminists that only 2 percent” or sexual assault claims “are false, which traces to Susan Brownmiller’s 1975 book ‘Against Our Will,’ is without empirical foundation and belied by a wealth of empirical data. These data suggest that at least 9 percent and probably closer to half” of all sexual assault claims “are false . . . .” (Page 374.)
Put all that aside. You can disagree with all of it if you like, but you can’t plausibly disagree with this: for most rape claims, no one — not me, not sexual assault advocates, not police — can say whether a rape occurred. Rape claims simply do not lend themselves to that kind of certainty. We are reasonbly certain that 15 percent were actual rapes because that’s the rough number that result in convictions (we’ll use that number even though we know that far too many innocent men and boys have been convicted of this crime). We are also reasonably certain that a certain percentage — whether it be 15%, 41%, 50%, or 60% or WHATEVER, were false claims. BUT — and here’s the big “but” — we do not know about the rest. Period. Sorry — you don’t, I don’t, nobody does. So, how should we characterize the claims in this vast gray middle area that we don’t know about? Should we assume they were rapes, despite the fact that would dishonest? Unfortunately, the entire field has become so politicized, that’s what people do to “prove” false rape claims are not a significant problem. Now, if we only talk about those rape claims for which we are reasonably certain of the outcome, one way or the other, then false claims would always, even under the most misandric “study,” comprise a significant percentage of all claims. That is indisputable.
The bottom line is this: why can’t we all be opposed to rape AND to false claims? Why must people think that if they are concerned about false claims this somehow hurts in raising awareness about rape? Some of our most supportive mail comes from rape victims. In false rape case after case after case, judges bemoan the harm done to rape victims by rape lies. Rape victims know it’s a problem not just for innocent men and boys (and even some women) but for rape victims whose credibility is diminished with each and every lie. They are begging sexual assault advocates to quit ignoring the problem to further ideological ends and to help stop the liars.
By any measure, denigrating the experience of the wrongly accused by dismissing their victimization as a myth or as unworthy of our discussion, much less our protection, is not merely dishonest but morally grotesque.
Oh Pierce, why are you so wedded to these outdated and scientifically inaccurate research studies? Credible researchers understand that Kanin’s study had a ton of methodological problems with it. And should I even mention the fact that he won’t let any other researchers look at his data to test it out again to see if they get similar results?
When you have new, reliable studies such as the ones cited by:
Lonsway, Kimberly A., Joanne Archambault, and David Lisak
2009 False Reports: Moving Beyond the Issue to Successfully Investigate and Prosecute Non-Stranger Sexual Assault. The Voice 3(1):1-11.
why do you continue to refer to outdated and flawed materials?
Your stubborn insistence makes me think that either 1) you are sincerely misguided and need some help, or 2) you have a creepy agenda of trying to perpetuate the myth of false rape reports.
Either way, I choose to believe in the statistics released by reliable researchers (such as Lonsway, Archambault, and Lisak), the FBI, and the DOJ.
Go ahead and continue spreading your myths, which are based on flawed research and creepy agendas. Anti-sexual violence advocates such as myself will continue to spread the truth.
I will only say it is interesting that Mr. Harlan approached his rebuttal from a rational, researched point of view, even if you disagree with the four studies he offered.
Ms. Irvine’s response, in contrast, was attacking, denigrating and reiterated the one study from which she based her article, in addition to FBI and DOJ numbers she threw in, that are known to be wildly inaccurate.
Does Ms. Irvine disagree with the basic point that both rape and false rape accusations are crimes worthy of attention?
It is disingenuous to label someone’s agenda as “creepy” because you disagree. It diminishes your own stance and, unfortunately, your credibility.
@Social Worker:
I doubt that I ever had much credibility in your eyes, since you’ve clearly identified yourself as someone who isn’t willing to believe in the accuracy of federal research produced by the FBI, etc. So, *shrug* my feelings aren’t too hurt that you question my credibility because of my sassy response. I produced this report in order to educate members of the public who have been misled by research such as Kanin’s, and organizations such as Harlan’s, and it does not surprise me in the slightest that I will receive comments from people who are uncomfortable with facing the fact that only 2%-8% of rape reports are false.
If you take the time to read the report I cited, you will see that it includes a discussion of multiple recent, independent, and scientifically reliable research projects. Regrettably, the AWOL editors altered a few of my sentences and removed the part where I mentioned that the Lonsway, Archambault, and Lisak article provide a discussion of multiple reports. However, if you took the time to actually read this report (since you appear to be interested in their findings) then you will see this for yourself.
As for pointing out that people who devote inordinate amounts of time and energy to discrediting rape survivors’ stories: I stand by my earlier assertion that such people have, at best, misguided, and at worst, creepy, agendas. I expect that someone like Harlan, who claims to run “the world’s leading site” about false rape reports, would be well-educated about every latest research project on this topic, and therefore, I find it puzzling that he neglects to acknowledge the findings of the reports detailed by Lonsway, Archambault, and Lisak, and to provide a discussion of how these findings, which are far more recent than the research he cites, contradict his claims.
As for discussing whether or not false rape reports are worthy of attention: I ask you and other readers to reflect upon why rape is the only major crime that people even bother tracking false reports for, in such obsessive detail. This returns to the original purpose of my op-ed: to challenge readers to think about why so many people in our society are more concerned about leaping to the defense of rapists, rather than devoting themselves to provide support to survivors of sexual violence.
Most rational people committed to justice, including myself, are certainly interested in making sure that people who make false rape reports are appropriately dealt with legally. However, in light of the fact that the majority of false allegations do not include accusations directed toward specific individuals, and instead refer only to unnamed and unspecified strangers, I again find it puzzling why folks such as Harlan and yourself seem so worried about defending alleged rapists instead of focusing your time and attention on defending rape survivors.
In closing, since I’m interested in my readers’ discussion focusing on United States rape culture (so aptly demonstrated by folks such as Harlan), I’d like to remind readers that, amidst all this discussion of false rape reports, the vast majority of sexually violent crimes go unreported. A major reason for this is because approximately 80% of rape survivors know their perpetrators, and therefore, are often reluctant to bring attention to the crime. We can easily see the many ways in which sexual violence survivors face social stigma and suspicions when they try to prosecute (as exemplified by Harlan’s website) and therefore, for the minority of survivors who are brave enough to try to prosecute their perpetrators, I applaud them for their courage.
I have a hard time understanding why so many people want to defend rape?
The fact that RAPE happens at all–which we can say for sure, many of us from personal experience–is the real issue.
Your “rationale” doesn’t seem to mix with anti-rape activism, Mr. Harian, not because you advocate on behalf of people who may or may not be victims of false accusations, but because it leads down a slippery slope — a dangerous ideological dead end where “most women lie about rape” when the truth of the matter is, most women/men who are ACTUAL victims will NEVER report sexual assault. So all the numbers and research/statistics need to start from that premise.
For those who believe that it will be rape (100% of the time) for a man to have sex with a visibly incoherent and intoxicated woman who cannot give consent because she can barely walk — we don’t see this “false” thing the same way you do.
In order to better understand Harlan’s argument, approach, and overall attitude, I suggest searching for “False Rape Society” and seeing the various commentaries about that site, and visiting the actual site, at http://falserapesociety.blogspot.com/.
I agree with Irvine’s statements (throughout, but especially here) “I expect that someone like Harlan, who claims to run “the world’s leading site” about false rape reports, would be well-educated about every latest research project on this topic, and therefore, I find it puzzling…”
I believe “puzzling” is an appropriate categorization/description of Harlan’s and other similar sites’/ideology’s/parties’ attempts to reinforce a belief in the falsification of rape reports. Furthermore, I believe that categorizing and describing such attempts as “creepy” is, if perhaps not entirely academic, specific, or unbiased, completely appropriate and accurate.
It is highly unlikely and unreliable to trust a party that claims to run “the world’s leading site” or that argues “Every impartial, objective study shows,” or other similarly hyperbolic statements. It is highly disturbing and malicious, and therefore creepy, that (again, here I am not academic, specific, or unbiased, -but such is the way of a human being) a party would so intentionally defend one of the most heinous and inhumane acts.
As the article by Irvine suggests, perhaps it is best to question the defense of rapists and the denial of rape victims, and furthermore to seek out the motives behind this defense and denial rather than only battle one ideology against another.
I agree with “thetirvine.” Visit False Rape Society if you would like further insight into this minority viewpoint.
As my title implies, I am a staunch believer in and advocate for all womens right to walk freely and unmolested where they choose. I have done therapy with rape and molestation survivors and have contributed time and money to anti-rape campaigns.
However, I also believe in all people’s right to walk freely without being falsely accused of a crime they did not commit.
Mr. Harlan is clear that he does not “defend one of the most heinous and inhumane acts.” He has stated repeatedly that rapists should be punished to the maximum extent allowed by law.
What he does do is seek to shed light on and advocate for those who are falsely accused of this act.
I understand that it is difficult to accept neutrality on such an emotionally-charged issue, but we have the duty as a society to fairly represent all and not go down the easy road.
that sounds fair
Mahri, you and your commentators are peddling an agenda, not truth. Every figure you toss out is a moving target. I have seen virtually every figure imaginable for the prevalence of rape, false claims, underreporting. Please, ya need to do everyone a favor and stop positing figures as if they are Gospel, Mahri. Get it? Have you read Dr. Gross’ landmark article? The entire field is so damn volatile, the truth is impossible to know. Seriously. Impossible. There is zero certainty in any of this stuff — and advocates, like you, have politized the well to the point that nobody CAN know what the hell the truth is, thank you very much.
I need to say this: Our website is adamant in our opposition to rape, and any suggestion to the contrary might just be met with a libel lawsuit. Got it? Our defense is not of rapists but of the presumptively innocent who too often turn out to be falsely accused. Think ACLU, Prof. Dershowitz, the Innocence Project, and FIRE. If we’re “creepy,” so are they. (Granted, some of our readers are “creepy” — I don’t have time to even read all the comments, and perhaps that’s what you mean?) But your disparagement of countless innocent men and women (yes, dear ladies — women: take a look at the subheading of my blog — I was recently attacked by a rabid men’s rights advocate for “pandering” to feminists) who were falsely accused is dispicable, morally grotesque and scarcely worthy of my time. “Creepy?” That’s someone who insists “women don’t lie about rape.” Women lie the way men lie. I just covered the poor school teacher whose life was ruined when a boy lied about her. She’s written to me, and was even attacked by a woman on FOX News last night. So I’ve got feminists who publicly wished I’d be “brutally raped,” and men’s rights advocates who called my a “pansy” and you with your little “creepy” comment. (You sound like a tenth grader, “Ew, he’s cree-ee-py!”)
You toss around terms like “FBI” and “DOJ” as if you are aware of some smoking gun research. When was the last time the FBI classified unfounded rape claims? More than ten years ago (and it was 7.5 times higher than false claims for crimes generally). And that was based on information that was anything but uniform. As for DOJ, Organizations such as NOW and RAINN rely on the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Crime Victimization Survey to insist that rape is rampant and largely underreported. What those organizations do not publicize is that this survey, conducted by in-person and telephone interviews, defines rape as follows: “Forced sexual intercourse including both psychological coercion as well as physical force. . . . Includes attempted rapes . . . Attempted rape includes verbal threats of rape.” (Emphasis supplied.) You need to scroll to page 131 out of 133 to find that definition. Putting aside other problems with the definition, “psychological coercion,” of course, can mean all manner of things, including “I’ll take your mother to the doctors tomorrow if you make love to me tonight,” but none of it is rape in a legal, or for that matter, in any logical sense. Under such definition, most adults in a committed relationship have been raped by their long-term lovers, likely on multiple occasions, and most persons are rapists. We couldn’t build enough prisons to house the rapists if this definition, which is almost unfathomably absurd, were adopted. The fact that the United States government would bow to gender politicization by engorging the definition of rape beyond all recognition in this manner should outrage all fair-minded citizens. Apparently, you’re OK with that.
You want to talk Kanin? The feminist icon whose word was golden — until he did his two studies on false rape claims, that is — I’d be happy to talk Kanin. I swear, most of the feminists who attack him have never read his report. They talk about crap that isn’t even in there.
Anyway, I am astounded that my effort to de-politicize the issue is met with such terrible resistance, such hatred. I am astounded that my efforts to speak for a group that is so marginalized are belittled by people like you. You know, we can all work to eradicate rape without pretending that the people I speak for are myths. Apparently not you. You need to crush the falsely accused into oblivion.
You also do a grave disservice to actual rape victims. I hear from them, and they support my work. Unlike you ideological advocates, they hate false accusers almost as much as rapists because every rape lie diminishes their credibility.
Honestly, I don’t know what’s wrong with you.
Pierce,
I know you are doing great work, but if you thought you would get a reasonable and fair discussion with these types of women, you are crazy. Feminists throughout the world have exaggerated rape claims and distorted facts for their agenda. We constantly hear and read about their “facts”, which are rarely facts and are usually distorted.
The government has aided this gender bias because of money. They have created so many jobs and bureaucracies for feminists and people who work in the sexual/domestic abuse field. For you to debunk these myths would mean they are outed and they will belittle you with 3rd grade insults as often as you bring up the real truth.
This is an industry and is highly politicized. They need to continue to create the myth that there is a growing problem with men and their abuse. Never mind that women are often the aggressors in domestic violence between partners, as reported by their once hero Erin Pizzey, but the exaggerated rape and false statistics on under reporting are necessary for them to use scare tactics to have women believe that they are victims in every facet of their life.
Rape is a horrendous crime, but so is false rape accusations, and to create lies about rape statistics for their agenda, and belittle false rape accusations shows their mentality. The constant movement on the definition of what is considered rape helps them increase these numbers and increases funding. Many of these women in these surveys don’t consider themselves victims of any crime, yet they are recorded as rape victims.
I commend you on your work, Mr. Harlan. It is a thankless job and you will always get people accusing you of advocating rape, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
Society has pampered women and made it almost impossible to criticize or question women without you getting attacked by both men and women. We live in an ever increasing misandrist world. Men are constantly attacked, criticized, demonized, and belittled by women, the media, government, and even by many men. The respect for men is is gone. I feel like I am constantly under attack and belittled. When will it stop?
I fear for my young son’s future. Laws, education, and seemingly every area is focusing on women’s needs and shoving males into the corner as being inconsequential and unneeded.
I just read a story of a boy who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for rape. According to her testimony, she was with a boy at a party and they were drinking. They were kissing and went into a bedroom. He took off her clothes, then took off his clothes. He performed oral sex on her with no objection from her. He put on a condom and had sex with her. The next day her father found out and they filed charges. She was a virgin and the family is very religious. She regretted having sex afterward. How could we possibly send a young boy away for 20 years based on her word alone. This boy isn’t a rapist! It’s scary!
I worry my son may go through something like this someday. Is it coming down to males will have to get a videotaped and/or signed agreement to have sex now. How could the law give a female the right to change her mind even after consensual sex if she was drinking and regrets that decision later? Men need to wise up and start to fight back against feminists and the government. Male/female relationships will continue to suffer if this one-sided gender supremacy continues.
Harlan Pierce wrote: “Our website is adamant in our opposition to rape, and any suggestion to the contrary might just be met with a libel lawsuit. Got it? Our defense is not of rapists but of the presumptively innocent who too often turn out to be falsely accused.”
The defense of the presumptively innocent sounds more admirable that the actual meaning of this claim since the presumptively innocent includes all rapists who have not been convicted. HP himself acknowledges that not all who are presumptively innocent are falsely accused.
People accused of making false rape reports but who have not been convicted are also presumptively innocent.
People charged with crimes over their reports of rape have been exonerated. One of those cases was described in the book Cry Rape. Another woman was awaiting trial when her rapist was caught in another county committing a similar crime and confessed to the crime police said never happened.
People who reported rape and who were not charged with a crime but had their reports labeled internally as false have been proven to be truthful. This has happened most often when these people were victims of a serial rapist. In one case a woman described the room where she was held prisoner and the police didn’t believe her until while working on another case they found that room.
The number of sex crime victims who have been falsely accused and wrongfully charged is unknown since many rape victim don’t have DNA or a confession from a rapist which can exonerate them. Each time someone claims that a person who reported rape made a fraudulent report is guilty they are making that statement of guilt about someone presumptively innocent.
Clearly, there are people who disagree about basic definitions of rape; visit http://www.rainn.org or contact your local rape crisis center or police department if you are confused about accurate definitions of sexual violence. Simply put, rape is sex without consent. A lack of consent can result from physical domination, psychological/emotional manipulation, economic control, etc. Rape is a planned crime in which perpetrators target vulnerable individuals; many rapists are repeat offenders. If men are concerned that their actions may be perceived as violent (as indicated by some of Jeff’s comments), the solution is VERY simple: ask for verbal consent every time sexual activity is initiated. If you don’t get consent, then you can’t proceed with the sexual activity without being a perpetrator. It’s really not a difficult thing to do: just ASK, RESPECT the answer you receive, and don’t ever assume that you have the right to have sex with someone against their will, because you don’t.
There are many people who disagree about the actual percentage of false rape reports. Regarding this debate, as I have already made clear in my responses, I choose to believe in research that is scientifically valid, such as the recent report I refer to in my op-ed. I would also like to again remind readers that according to this recent research, very few false rape reports target specific individuals, which suggests that the whole argument of “shouldn’t we be defending these poor oppressed men who are falsely accused” is a moot point, since most of the time, specific men aren’t being falsely accused.
I encourage male readers who are interested in becoming involved in the anti-sexual violence movement to visit http://www.mencanstoprape.org. This organization provides a wonderful opportunity for men to learn about the ways in which males are often privileged in our society, and to learn about the ways that they may inadvertently contribute to rape culture (ie, not believing victims, not confronting friends who make sexist comments). This is a fantastic organization that works to provide community members with accurate information about sexual violence, how prevalent it is in the United States, and some of the ways that people–men and women–can work together to eradicate all forms of sexual violence.
Readers can also visit http://www.rainn.org or call 1-800-656-HOPE if they are interested in finding out more about accurate statistics regarding sexual violence in the United States, and/or if they want to obtain contact information about their local rape crisis centers, or preventative education programs, in order to become involved in the movement to eradicate sexual violence. There are many ways for readers to become involved in the anti-sexual violence movement to support the many thousands of sexual violence survivors who are so often disbelieved and stigmatized.
And oh, also, I’d just like to point out that I only WISH that staff members at rape crisis centers and other women’s centers were making as much money as Jeff is insinuating! Wouldn’t that be a wonderful world if advocates for sexual violence survivors actually made decent money! All of the folks I know who are involved in anti-sexual violence and anti-domestic violence work make a fairly low (in other words: pathetic) amount of money; they do this type of work because they are committed to social justice, not because they have some nefarious agenda to bring home the big bucks.
Speaking as a worker in this field, I agree with Ms. Irvine on this point. Not much to be made as a helper of others beyond personal satisfaction.
However, I continue to urge her and others to examine this issue more closely and not simply write it off. Having researched various aspects of the false rape accusation field, I’ve seen enough of what Mr. Harlan fights for to accept the validity of his statements.
Please understand, Ms. Irvine, this in no way takes away from your points nor does it need to. Both issues support one another.
To answer your earlier question, I have read the entire Voice article. There is some interesting data, I agree, however this is also a fair amount of skewed data and points of view that raise questions as to the agenda of the article.
I am not a self-hating woman or someone identifying with the perpetrator. I have just been in the trenches long enough to know there are truly two sides to every story and both must be heard.
And being falsely accused of any crime is wrong, simply stated.
I have read through some of this debate and it seems to me there are a a couple of aspects of this issue that are (to some degree consciously) being ignored.
Firstly, this allegation of people who have been raped falsely accusing perpetrators of perpetrating ONLY ever comes up when we’re talking about women accuse men of sexually assaulting. These questions and allegations never come up with men accuse other men, or women, of sexually assaulting. I think it worth pointing this out and examining some of the underlying assumptions and sexism that drive this dynamic.
Secondly, the ways that this debate is being framed ignores the ways in which false reporting is in fact a serious and signficant legal and social issue. The issue of false reporging is not so much that women falsely accuse men of being sexually assaulted, it’s women and men who have been raped falsely reporting that they have not been raped when in fact they have. All available evidence suggests that rape continues to be the lowest reported crime (followed by domestic violence). There are countless understandable reasons why women and men who have been sexually assaulted are hesitant or unwilling to report to the police or to rape crisis centers what has happened to them, but one of those reasons is the kind of vitriol that we’re experiencing here. The atmosphere created in this debate and the hostility towards women in particular who allege that they have been raped that is so present in many of the posts on this blog reinforce for many women and men that coming forward is not a wise option. As such, they continue to suffer and heal (as best they can) in silence. By staying silent, we (legally and socially) are unable to get a full and complete picture of what rape is and how it affects folks and as such, are unable to provide a the full range of services and supports that women and men who are raped deserve, and are not able to launch a full-out comprehensive prevention effort that could result in acheiving a goal I’m sure we could all agree on — the complete elimination of rape in our communities and world.
Rus Ervin Funk,
Executive Director
MensWork, Inc.
IMO reputation management has allot to play in this conversation. I think the statistics for this phenomenon have been inherently politicized. It is easily understandable.
I would be interested in releasing 2 separate controlled studies one with data that has seriously been flawed but supports on side and another similar for the opposite side and then observe what each side does to prove or disprove these studies. See who challenges it and who runs with the date for political purpose. That would be interesting.
A 1994 study conducted by Purdue University professor Eugene Kanin, Ph.D. found that 41% of forcible rape allegations made during a multi-year period were false. While the Kanin Study has its critics, the findings of falsehood in the report were all based upon confessions by the alleged victims that their claims were fabricated.
As far as can be ascertained, no study has ever been published
which sets forth an evidentiary basis for the “two percent false rape
complaint” thesis.
They stated, “Every year since 1989, in about 25 percent of the sexual assault cases referred to the FBI where results could be obtained, the primary suspect has been excluded by forensic DNA testing. Specifically, FBI officials report that out of roughly 10,000 sexual assault cases since 1989, about 2,000 tests have been inconclusive, about 2,000 tests have excluded the primary suspect, and about 6,000 have “matched” or included the primary suspect.”
100% of this article is classic manipulation. Discount
100% percent manipulation? More like thinly veiled sexism. The author rests her entire position on one study and she notes in her article that it is from the American Prosecutor’s Research Institute. However, when you click on the link provided and you read the study, you find the study is actually from the National Center for the Prosecution of Violence Against Women. It is fair to say that this group has a vested interest in its findings.
To falsely accuse another of rape is just as heinous as the crime of rape itself. No good will come to all victims if we marginalize and ignore the true victims of false allegations; the accused.
Unfortunately, Ms. Irvine exposed her true motives in the comments section of this site. You are right Ms. Irvine you have the right to “choose to believe” what you want, no matter how prejudiced or short-sided the beliefs are.
To falsely accuse another of rape is much, much WORSE than rape itself. How can anybody compare a rape that lasts maybe half an hour to the threat of life in prison? Even if you aren’t falsely convicted you still face a lifetime of discrimination, because a large percentage of the public believes any lie from any source, so long as it involves the word “abuse.”
The comments of some readers here show us that no matter what we learn from reliable research, some folks aren’t interested in accepting the fact that false rape reports are low (not to mention that some reports classified as “false” are actually due to larger structural issues with classification or mis-education in police forces, etc.). Therefore, I’m not really going to respond to some of these comments.
However, I do feel obligated to respond to Matt’s comment in which he claims that it is easier to survive “maybe half an hour” of rape rather than deal with the societal stigma of being falsely accused of rape. Matt’s comment implies that survivors of rape are able to “get over” the assault relatively quickly, thus demonstrating that he has not been educated about the severe psychological and physical trauma created by sexual violence. Check in with just about any local or national rape crisis center or researchers, and you will learn that recovery from SV is not a quick or easy process–it takes some survivors years (if not entire lifetimes) to recover from the trauma.
Therefore, the claim that SV survivors are somehow better off than people who are falsely accused of rape is really troubling, especially to any survivors who read such comments. These types of uneducated comments from readers like Matt show us the very serious challenges facing the anti-sexual violence movement and the hundreds of thousands of SV survivors who struggle to recreate their lives in the aftermath of the crimes committed against them.
Great article Mahri.
By the way Pierce, just because you argued against a men’s right’s advocate, doesn’t make you a woman’s rights advocate. Also, any feminist who wishes upon anybody that they be “brutally raped” is not a feminist. No true feminist would ever wish rape upon anyone.
Matt, why would you even make that comparison? It’s not a relevant one to make! I think we all agree that both rape and false rape accusations are terrible things. (By the way, most rapists don’t spend a lifetime in prison. Averages sentence is about 12 years for convicted offenders, and offenders usually get out in half that time.)
The problem is many people believe that women in general lie or seek revenge for rape convications, and so their first reaction is “she’s lying, or she probably wanted it at the time, or she shouldn’t have been out drinking with guys she didnt know, or she never verbally denied consent, or she was known to get around, or she just wanted to become a celebrity and get some press, etc” and bunch of other horrific arguments that come from both men and women. This may be true for a fraction of the time (and for those innocent people being tried, it is undeniably a heinous event), but overwhelmingly this is not happening, so why are the exceptions being painted as the rule? This doesn’t even take into account the difficulties faced by LGBT men and women, women of color, sex workers whose word is immediately refuted because “it comes with the job,” and others.
As a guy, I gotta say that our gender is filled with its share of pricks (not directed at commenters, just a general statement). Probably I used to be one, maybe I still am. Gotta work on it.
Not Fooled:
Since when is a confession to police an unbiased source of information. Many, many people have confessed to things they (provably) haven’t done after intense police interrogation and to think that women who report a rape in the face of clear disbelief would be any different is ridiculous. A 41% falsification rate should lead to (among other things) an investigation of the police procedures following a report of rape rather than a blanket belief that 41% of women reporting rape are liars.
If people want to read a site that isn’t motivated by an extreme politicized agenda, and that doesn’t peddle horse manure like the author here does (among many other things, she says that rape can stem from sex due to “psychological/emotional manipulation, economic control” — my, oh, my — in what universe is that? Do you know what constitutes duress under the law? Or, let me guess: you know better than hundreds of years of jurisprudence. Honest to goodness, you people are so far left you’ve come back around the other way and ought to be marching in Berlin, circa 1938), come to False Rape Society. Our efforts to instill integrity into rape claims is diametrically opposed to the screeching left-wing zealots on this site, who seem to want to outlaw penises. That’s why rape victims support our work.
Sheesh. If men don’t want to be accused of rape (falsely or otherwise) they shouldn’t let themselves get into situations where they could be accused. Simple solution no?
BTW ftr I am a rape survivor whose case could not be prosecuted because it came down to he said/she said. In Canada, as in most of the world, a woman’s word is worth less than a man’s.
Hey Matt, it’s been 10 years, 5 months and 17 days since I survived my rape. I STILL suffer from night terrors, am afraid to leave my house and suffer from extreme anxiety. I had to drop out of college because I kept seeing my attacker. If I see something or smell something (mildew) that reminds me of my rape I am physically ill.
So tell me again how surviving a rape is only the time your attacker spends physically attacking you.
Pierce, the fact that you call rape survivors “victims” tells me you’re not the knight in shining armour you make yourself out to be.
Matt, I forgot to mention that he scarred me so badly (physically) that I couldn’t deliver my baby the old fashioned way and had to have an emergency c-section to keep me and my baby from dying.
http://harfordmedlegal.typepad.com/forensics_talk/2010/04/feminists-encourage-false-rape-accusations-against-men.html
A good chunk of feminist are crazy. IF the percentage of falsely accused are so low then why not increase the punishment? What are people afraid of? That the truth will come out? Make false rape accusers part of the sexual predators’ list because that is what they are. If you guys REALLY care about rape and victims and equality then make it fair.
It’s because deep down everyone knows that the false rape percentage is much higher that no one is doing anything about it. “Oh geez all my hard work for making everyone believe that girls don’t lie is all be for naught when they find out the truth”. Stop being a troll. Now a days even “serial rape liars” are sprouting because we let them. Shame on you guys.
Seriously many people will start knowing the REAL percentage whether they be lower or higher than the 2-8% if they make the charges equal to that of what they accuse (common sense why not do it?)
That 41 percent is coming from the ones who admitted that they have lied. Who know how many more there are that are keeping. Yet again if it is not a lie, no matter who the attacker is or victim is. Equal punishment to that attacker regardless of their gender. And no special programs that would help them in while in prison unless the other gender has equal access to such special programs. And for the lying part. 10 years no parole to both genders.
“Pierce, the fact that you call rape survivors “victims” tells me you’re not the knight in shining armour you make yourself out to be.”
Sisyphus, all due respect, you sound like a lunatic.
“Sheesh. If men don’t want to be accused of rape (falsely or otherwise) they shouldn’t let themselves get into situations where they could be accused. Simple solution no?”
You thought you were being ironic or clever. The fact is, at False Rape Society we actually tell men this very thing. We recently did a post called “How to avoid a false rape claim” and passed along lots of handy tips.
See, when it comes to rape, political correctness gone mad tells us we should not even suggest advising our daughters to avoid certain situations where rape is more likely to occur (they call it “victim blaming” — as if the mere admonition to “be careful” transfers blame for a rape from the rapist to the victim). It would be unfortunate if we similarly hesitated to urge our sons to minimize the risk of false rape claims out of some warped, politicized sense of principle. The long-term damage from a false rape claim is so potentially enormous that every reasonable effort should be taken to avoid one. Make no mistake, the onus for a false rape claim is on the false accuser, just as the onus for rape is on the rapist. But failing to discourage our young people from putting themselves in harm’s way just to make a political point is something no sane parent should ever do.
See, we haven’t left our common sense at the back of some Womyns’ Studies classroom.
Thanks, Rich, for being such an authority on false rape claims. I’ve studied this issue closely for years, free of political bias, and it’s nice to know that people who don’t study it, and who think “our gender is filled with its share of pricks,” know a hell of a lot more about it than I do.
“The comments of some readers here show us that no matter what we learn from reliable research, some folks aren’t interested in accepting the fact that false rape reports are low . . . .”
Mahri, your purposeful ignorance is breathtaking. EVERY study — even advocacy feminist research studies — show that when you take all the claims for which we know what happened one way or the other, false rapes are astoundingly high. No serious study has ever concluded that false rape claims are definitively 8 or 10 percent of all claims and that the other 90 or 92 percent were actual rapes. Every study says the same thing – we know a certain percentage of claims are false; we know a certain percentage of claims were actual rapes. BUT WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT MOST CLAIMS. So if we only talk about the claims for which we know the outcome, false claims are huge.
You cannot refute that. Try all you want, but you can’t. And stomping your foot and insisting I am wrong won’t make it go away.
Mahri: “some folks aren’t interested in accepting the fact that false rape reports are low”
Why does that matter? I would guarantee you that if the topic was abortion that you would say victims of rape should be able to terminate their pregnancies. If an anti-choice advocate came along and said that rape is a very small percentage of why women seek an abortion that you would say that the percentage doesn’t matter and that they should always be able to do so.
I would agree with you, it shouldn’t matter that it is a small percentage of the overall number of abortions. It would be wrong to force one raped woman to remain pregnant just as it would be wrong to force millions of raped women to remain pregnant.
It is also absolutely and 100% wrong for someone to falsely accuse someone else of a crime that was not committed. And I cannot speak for anyone else but I am not speaking of cases where rape is not proven. I am speaking of cases where someone specifically lies about on human being committing an act of sexual violence against another human being.
And it shouldn’t matter that some studies show that of those time where women lie about being raped, that most of the time it is a made up person. Again, those other cases where people name a specific alleged rapist (or in the case of the Hofstra rape case, specific alleged rapists) it is still horribly wrong to falsely label someone as a rapist who did not commit an act of sexual violence.
And just as it is wrong for a person to make a false accusation of rape to the police, it is also wrong for someone to make a false accusation that someone lied to the police. As such, rapists who tell the police that they did not rape the woman who never consented to sex and who filed a police report alleging rape are making a false allegation against their victim.
I wish all rapists long prison sentences. I wish all those who make false accusations of rape to have long prison sentences as well. Both sets of people are vile scum.
I did want to comment on one more quote you had: “and a disregard for a woman’s right to consume alcohol, have fun, and engage in sexual activities without being assaulted.”
I fully support the right of a woman to have fun and engage in whatever sexual activities she consents to. The problem with adding alcohol in the mix is that when one is deemed to be intoxicated they are no longer deemed to be legally capable of consenting to sexual acts and any sexual activity with that person is technically rape and/or sexual assault. But here is a problem. What if a male and a female both get drunk and engage in sexual activities. Both are drunk and neither are legally capable of consenting. Our society is more likely to label the male in this case a rapist when, technically, both people “raped” each other because each of them had sex with someone who was incapable of giving legal consent. Just something to think about.
We need to get back on the same page here. Let’s explore the term “false allegations.” I take it to mean a complete fabrication of the charges, and it sounds like most others do as well. However, it appears that it is also used when someone falsely identifies his/her rapist. It is also used when a person cancels the investigation. Neither of these other instances prove fabrication.
With this being said, rape is underreported and complete fabrications of rape are low. If you disagree, then which part do you disagree with? That women make up these stories out of revenge? Regret? I will agree that it happens, but considering the number of actual rapes, it is a very slight minority.
This is remarkably fallacious article.
” I challenge you, now that you are armed with the knowledge that 92-98 percent of rape allegations are true”
This was not established. Assuming the numbers you gave us earlier are true, they only armed us with the knowledge that that percentage is the percentage not DEMONSTRABLY false. It tells us nothing about what percentage of unsubstantiated claims are in fact false.
And the reason we are more prepared to believe that someone is lying than that someone is a rapist is that anything else is incompatible with a civilized legal system. The burden of proof is on the accuser in all cases, it is that simple.
You want to achieve justice for more rape victims? Your argument won’t get you there. It will either achieve injustice for the accused or it will achieve nothing at all. Develop better means of proving whether an offense occurred, and a greater percentage of rapes, whatever percentage of accusations that may constitute, will result in conviction. That’s the only solution morally available to you. It’s a technical problem, not an ideological one.
Pierce Harlan and Daniel Z makes some very good points. Does someone knows if this False Rape Society has a strong image in the US? Seems to be an useful tool in this heavily politicized debate. Do they get federal funding?
The best documented false rape statistic is eight percent (FBI, DOJ).
The worst documented is two percent (Susan Brownmiller). But even if it is only two percent, it is still true that thousands of men will be falsely accused every year.
I personally believe the FBI, who have the best access to data.
Eight percent of rape accusations are false — four times as many as for other violent crimes.
Mahri, seriously? You think 8% of a very large number is a small number?
That is approximately 1 in 12.
Nice to know that you believe it is no big deal that 1 in 12 should go to prison for a decade, despite their innocence.
BTW, the rape statistics are clearly the subject of massaging. The US Department of Education, for example, has a crime reporting category of “forcible rape” and “non-forcible rape”. Sounds like the latter should be the “date rape” category, no? Wrong. The form to be completed by University Safety Departments specifically requires that ONLY statutory rape and incest be reported under “non-forcible rape.” In other words, by statistical definition, virtually all rape is converted into forcible rape by the US Department of Education.
So, yesterday, the Vice President and Secretary of Education went to the University of New Hampshire to tout the new guidelines which presume the guilt of all men accused of rape on a college campus. UNH statistics with DOE say there were 10 instances of reported “forcible rape” last year. If you believe the FBI, Mahri, the odds are pretty good that one of those could be PROVEN to be TOTALLY FALSE. But never mind, that man should just be sacrificed on the altar of the Goddess.
Is it any wonder that men’s college graduation rates are now down to 39%? Colleges have become a hostile environment for men.
This article is in response to another article that is not linked to or quoted. So Google the author’s name and found his blog.
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/alex-knepper/2010/04/01/sex-lies-and-media-bias-chronicle-censorship-campus
Wow! Every issue pulled so no one has been able to read what you are against. Talk about book burning. Too bad such things don’t work in the digital age. All it serves to do is utterly destroy the credibility of the side opposed.
And what now, new censorship at the paper it is published in? Guess we didn’t need that first amendment anyway.
Great article and great post by Rus Ervin Funk. The facts are that false reports for rape are similar to other crimes. The primary motivations for making false reports (of any crime) is to garner attention.
There is no widespread ‘false rape’ conspiracy such as is being touted (revoltingly) by Pierce Harlen and his ilk, whose agenda appears to be some unceasing tin-foiled vitriol against women thwarting men somehow. All the bile and spewing towards ‘feminists’ and their so called war on men (when did I miss that boat?), yet this soapboxing ignores the vast amount of victims, female and male, who don’t report being rape exactly because of all the judgment, vitriol, and victim blaming tautology that they have to deal with from these exact same types.
The greater tragedy is that there are members of LE who share a similar ‘false rape’ mindset — which means that a victim often faces legal roadblocks to having her perpetrator prosecuted even if she is willing to brave the legal and social judgments that will be aimed at her.
I hope to be able to give something back & aid others like this board has helped me
Men are always treated as accused without actually going in depth of it. That’s our society.
Why in the world would people be defending rape!? Having been a victim of rape let me tell you it was the worst thing I have gone through in my life.
The 8% number is rapes that are “unfounded” not that the women are necessarily lying. I was one of those numbers. I was roofied at a bar, I don’t know by who the rape test came back negative, I wouldn’t have made a police report anyway, I didn’t want to get anyone in trouble. I did not accuse any one. It was shameful, I blamed myself (I know I shouldn’t). I didn’t do it for attention, I just knew I was drugged and I knew that if I was raped then I needed medical help. I found out later a friend walked me home because “I was wasted.” I wasn’t taken advantage of.
I look at these “man’s rights” people the same way I look at people who think that you have a privilege being a minority. They are obviously ill-informed on the issues. Yes when the black panthers stood outside the one polling place it was voter suppression, but saying that ignores the SES barriers minorities have to even registering to vote at all.
Let’s be frank, if you are accused of rape and you didn’t do it, then it sucks. Chances are, however if you are accused of rape you did do it. Frankly it is far more likely that a rape does not get reported than a false rape does get reported.
The feminist dogma that “women never lie” goes largely unchallenged. False Rape accusers will try to avoid responsibility for their acts, for example to explain a pregnancy. Other examples would be to explain a venereal disease, promiscuity, providing an alibi, hook up, one night stand-embarrassed, embarrassed to explain consensual group sex; fear of “slut shaming,”, getting a day off of work, obtaining sympathy and attention, get out of paying for a taxi ride. Other examples are Nasty break-ups, seeking revenge, to extort money, to escape military deployments to war zones, divorce and custody cases to increase legal leverage to gain the upper hand, and get sole custody of children.
Men are charged with rape with no evidence and all it takes is a female to say she was sexually assaulted, then on her word alone, with nothing else and I mean nothing else, no investigation the police will go out and arrest someone. Almost daily we see men released after decades in prison because DNA testing proves they were wrongly convicted. Yet the rape industry is so powerful that proof of innocence is no protection. A defendant, who can absolutely prove his innocence … can nonetheless still be convicted, based solely on the word of the accuser. Simply naming the person accused along with the time and place will support a verdict of guilty. Crime laboratories are notorious for falsifying results to obtain convictions. Rape is one of the most falsely reported crimes.
In the infamous Duke University lacrosse case, prosecutor Michael Nifong suppressed exculpating evidence and prosecuted men he knew to be innocent. Nifong himself was eventually disbarred, but he had willing accomplices among assistant prosecutors, police, crime lab technicians, judges, the bar, and the media. Linda Fairstein, former head of the sex-crimes unit for the Manhattan District Attorney, who estimates that half of all reports, are unfounded.
Harlan & others citing Kanin’s 41% of rapes are false allegations.
First off the article is over a decade old just three years shy of being 2 decades old.
Second the over a decade old article is based on data gathered in 1978-1987 data.
Third the data is based on one confined sample size of a city rather than nation wide.
If anything the most logical way to use his data would be saying that 41% of rape accusations were false in that particular city at that time.
I think its quite outrageous that, given the huge debates about
a) whether 2-8 or 41% of rapes accusations are “false”, based on a variety of studies
b) the widespread acknowledgement that “falseness” is not defined
c) the widespread acknowledgement that the possibility of an outsider knowing whether or not a rape has occurred is very low
d) the widespread acknowledgement that many if not most rapes go unreported
ANY of you purport to be privy to what data is “objectively” or “undoubtedly” true. What is your measure for claiming this? Nearly every post here has either claimed its author’s unquestionable objectivity, refuted another author’s claim based on lack of objectivity, or both. The fact that any of you is claiming to be unpolitical (yet you are bickering and shamelessly self-promoting on a wordpress comment forum?????) is saddening. You all sound like the seagull chorus from Finding Nemo… “MINE MINE MINE MINE!”
You are never going to figure out the percentage of falsely accused rapes by bickering on an internet forum.
Can we get back to the real issue please?
This type slighty reminds me of why i love free hip hop music downloads.
Thanks A lot guys so i guess fighting faults rape mens you support rape right….My Grandfather died in jail because he was accused of rape did 41 years in there he was raped in there also but no one cares about that he a man right….All were asking for is innocent until proven guilty god dammit…they put mens names and faces in the papers before they are convicted….how is that fair…and even if your innocent and you do come out your still a registered sex offender is that fair……i know victims of rape and even they think that false rape accusers should be prosecuted. Janey 41/life years in jail i guess that just sucks right.