Frequently Asked Questions

How often does rape occur for college students?
1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men will be victims of rape or attempted rape in her or his lifetime. 1 in 4 college women will experience rape or attempted rape while they are in college. College age women are 4 times more likely to be sexually assaulted than women of the same age that are not in college.

Why don't people report rape?
Rape is not reported due to intense feelings of shame, humiliation, and self-blame. Other reasons include fear of the perpetrator, fear of parents or friends finding out, and the belief that police and other officials may be blaming or disbelieving. Sometimes victims are not sure that what happened to them was rape.

What is consent?
Consenst occurs when both partners freely and willingly participate in sexual activities.

The legal definition of rape includes any sexual contact without consent. Consent cannot be legally given in the state of Illinois if a person is:
- Under 17
- Mentally incapacited
- Drunk or high
- Coerced
- Forced

Additionally, the absence of "no" does not mean "yes". So, even if a person does not fight back or explicitly say "no", they still are not necessarily giving consent.

Is date rape or acquaintance rape really rape?
Yes. In fact, most rapes (80%-97%) are committed by someone the victim knows. 9 in 10 offenders are a boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, classmate, friend, family member, or an acquaintance of the victim. All unwanted sexual contact can be considered rape, whether the victim and perpetrator had a prior relationship or not.

Why does rape occur?
Rape is often about one person getting to have what they want from another person by force. It is an act of power, control and domination gained through sexual activity. The thoughts, feelings, statements and needs of the other person are of little or no importance to the rapist.

What are some of the common feelings after being raped?
Isolation, shame and humiliation, self-blame, fear, feeling unable to do normal daily things and dread of seeing the perpetrator(s).

Is this my fault?
No. No matter what you did or did not do this was not your fault. Your experience is one that requires understanding and support. We believe counseling from a highly qualified therapist can help you in your recovery from this experience. We hope you will call Porchlight Counseling Services and come talk to us.