{
  "id": 9243195,
  "title": "Rape myths shape how we respond to sexual violence. What are they and what impact do they have?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/rape-myths-shape-how-we-respond-to-sexual-violence-what-are-they-and",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-23T01:24:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Conversation AU",
    "slug": "the-conversation-au",
    "url": "https://theconversation.com/rape-myths-shape-how-we-respond-to-sexual-violence-what-are-they-and-what-impact-do-they-have-292594"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Rape myths are pervasive false beliefs that minimize, erase or justify men's acts of sexual violence. These myths often revolve around an idea of \"real rape\" - a strict set of conditions that must be met for a rape to be taken seriously. This script dictates that only a specific, ideal victim can be believed, typically a young, conventionally attractive woman violently attacked in a public place. However, this is a myth - there is no single \"real rape\" and every experience of sexual violence is unique. The reality is that rape myths contribute to a failure in the legal system to hold perpetrators accountable, with only 8% of women who have been raped or sexually assaulted reporting it to police in 2021/22, a rate that has more than halved since 2012.",
  "summary": "The NSW government is moving to curb rape myths in trials to reduce the impact on victim-survivors and increase the likelihood of justice being done.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}