How To Tell If Your Experience Of Sexual Assault Is Valid In One Chart

A lot of time, energy and web space is taken up questioning the stories of survivors of sexual assault.

People wonder why some of Bill Cosby’s 60+ accusers took decades to report the incidents, and why Emma Sulkowicz sent friendly Facebook messages to the man she and two other women say sexually assaulted them. Rape is one of the most underreported crimes, and men are more likely to experience sexual assault than they are to be falsely accused of committing it, but yet we still focus on whether or not an alleged victim’s narrative is “good enough” to be taken seriously.

Still confused? Here's a handy dandy chart to clear things up.

Instead of picking apart the narratives of every woman (or man) who comes forward with claims of assault, let's put that time and effort towards reforming policies that do a disservice to both survivors of assault and those they are accusing.

There are no perfect stories. There are no perfect victims.

Need help? In the U.S., visit the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline operated by RAINN. For more resources, visit the National Sexual Violence Resource Center's website.