New research finds rape myths still deeply rooted across society

The Crown Prosecution Service has today (26th January 2024) released the findings of its research on public understanding of rape with strategic communications experts Equally Ours, which aims to improve the handling and prosecution of rape and other sexual offences.

A survey of more than 3,000 UK adults – the largest on this topic since our own research in 2018, found that despite some progress in the public’s understanding of consent and the reality of rape, myths and stereotypes attitudes towards women’s credibility remain deeply rooted across society – particularly among young people.

Most people correctly identified:

• It can still be rape if a victim doesn’t resist or fight back (74% got this right)
• Victims may not immediately report to the police (67% got this right)
• Being in a relationship or marriage does not mean consent to sex can be assumed (70% got this right)
• If a man has been drinking or taking drugs, he is still responsible if he rapes someone (71% got this right).

But many misconceptions about rape still exist:

• Few accurately identified that most rapists know their victim (only 39% got this right)
• Fewer knew victims will not always seem distressed when talking about what happened to them (only 26% got this right)
• And even fewer still recognised that few offenders use physical violence (17% got this right)
• Only a third of respondents correctly identified that women rarely make up rape allegations (36% got this right)
• There was a significant lack of understanding around what is meant by reasonable belief of consent by the suspect, with 49% of people saying they were unsure or did not know what it meant. 

The response of 18-24-year-olds is particularly concerning:

• Only half recognised that it can still be rape if a victim doesn’t resist or fight back (53% got this right)
• Less than half recognised victims may not immediately report to the police (43% got this right)
• Less than half recognised that being in a relationship or marriage does not mean consent to sex can be assumed (42% got this right, compared to 87% of people aged 65 and above)
• Less than half recognised that if a man has been drinking or taking drugs, he is still responsible if he rapes someone (46% got this right)
• Young people were also far less likely to understand that if a person says online they want to meet up and have sex, that doesn’t mean they have to have sex when they meet (28% of 18-24-year-olds got this right, compared to 54% of people overall)
• Overall, two thirds (62%) of respondents recognised that even if no physical force is involved a person might not be free and able to consent to sex; but this dropped to 40% when young people were asked, compared with 74% of over 65s.

We welcome this work and how its findings will inform updated guidance and training for prosecutors and advocates on how to challenge assumptions and misconceptions – from the charging decision stage to the courtroom.

However the alarming regression in young people’s attitudes and understanding is a cause for concern; underscoring the urgent need to tackle the rise of online misogyny and prioritise high quality relationships and sex education.

Latest data shows barriers remain for rape victims seeking justice

The findings come in a week when the latest CPS data shows that despite improvements in the number of charges being brought in rape cases, there remain significant barriers to justice forcing victims to withdraw from prosecutions.

CPS data released last week shows that in the year ending September 2023, 3,521 charges were brought in rape cases – an improvement from the 2,616 charges brought in the year ending September 2022. The number of rape cases referred by the police to the CPS for a charging decision also increased from 4,925 to 6,681 in the same time period.

While we welcome this positive increase, we must consider these numbers in the context of the number of rapes reported to the police. Data released yesterday by the Office for National Statitics shows that in the year ending September 2023, 67,938 rape offences were recorded by the police. The 3,521 charges brought in this period relate to just over 5% of the total rapes recorded by the police. And that doesn’t even account for the rapes that aren’t ever reported to the police at all.

Moreover, we are seeing an alarming increase in the number of victims dropping out of the justice process, alongside an increase in the length of time to charge.*

The CPS also released new data on the Victims’ Right to Review, showing that in the year ending September 2023, 1,709 requests under the scheme were made. Of these requests, 305 original decisions not to charge were subsequently found to be incorrect – around 1 in 5 (18%). 

Andrea Simon, Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), said:

“We welcome this significant piece of research on understanding and addressing rape misconceptions, which form a huge barrier to justice for survivors. While it is encouraging to see some progress in the public’s understanding of consent and the reality of rape, it’s hugely concerning to see how attitudes towards women’s credibility remain deeply rooted across society, with so few correctly identifying that women rarely make up rape allegations.

We’re particularly worried to see such a stark regression in attitudes among young people compared to older generations. The blurring of our online and offline lives has not only created new forms of sexual violence but new ways to blame victims based on our behaviours online. It is clear that the rapid, unchecked spread of online misogyny is also driving sympathy for perpetrators and misconceptions about sexual violence among young people.

If we are to see perpetrators brought to justice and prevent women and girls from becoming victims in the first place, tackling online misogyny and investing in high quality relationships and sex education has never been more urgent.”

ENDS

Notes

Rape data: rolling year-to-date, Q2 2023-24

*The number of victims withdrawing from a criminal case rose from 14.6% in Q1 of 2023/24 to 18.2% in Q2 of 2023/24.

The mean average timeliness of charging decisions with early advice also rose from 370.43 days in Q1 of 20223/24 to 441.37 days in Q2 of 2023/24. For comparison, at this point last year the average time from first submission by the police to the CPS’ decision to charge was 176.1 days.

Please note this is a quarter-by-quarter comparison, rather than an annual comparison.

Media contact

Sinead Geoghegan, Communications Manager, media@evaw.org.uk