Facts: According to a survey of the Department of Public Health, 23 percent of women in Massachusetts and 6 percent of men have been sexually assaulted; 16 percent of female high school students and 6 percent of male high school students have been sexually assaulted before they finish school. DPH-funded rape crisis centers received more than 10,000 hotline calls last fiscal year and served more than 1,738 clients.

Facts: Under Massachusetts law, rape occurs if there is any forcible nonconsensual oral, anal, or vaginal penetration, however slight. Other types of sexual crimes do not require proof of penetration or force. Children under the age of 16 cannot legally consent to sexual conduct involving penetration. Children under age 14 cannot consent to any sexual touching.

Facts: There is no evidence that homosexuals abuse children, teens, or adults at a higher rate than heterosexuals. Studies in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicate that 90 percent of abusers of young children are male and 95 percent of those are heterosexual. Sexual assault is not an issue of uncontrolled sexual desire, but rather is rooted in issues of power and control. Focusing on homosexuality rather than on abuse serves only to perpetuate homophobia and the silencing of many victims.

Facts: In about 85 percent of cases, sexual assaults occur between people who know each other. For children under the age of 13, most sexual assaults are committed by male relatives, including fathers, and ''friends'' of the family.

Facts: Sexual contact by a person in authority represents a severe abuse of power and manipulation of trust, regardless of age or sexual orientation.

Such violations, which often occur in the absence of threats or force, can have severe and long-term physical and emotional consequences for the victim.

Facts: It is a crime for another person to engage in sexual conduct with an individual who is too drunk to consent. Furthermore, intoxication on the part of the offender does not excuse or mitigate the rapist's criminal liability.

Facts: Studies show that false allegations of rape are rare and are no more common than false allegations of other types of crime.

Facts: While it is important to recognize that the right to say ''no'' reflects society's commitment to principles of bodily integrity and autonomy, it is also important not to make victims feel they are responsible for their own abuse if they are unable to stop someone from exploiting them.

Abusers use trust, manipulation, threats, and fear to accomplish their abuse. Failure to see sexual assault in this light can have severe long-term consequences for victims of all ages. This may be made worse if the survivor's community disbelieves, minimizes, or excuses the abuse or attempts to ''rank'' victims' ''worthiness.'' A coordinated community response, including offender and institutional accountability, is necessary to prevent sexual assault. The offending individual, and not the victim, should always take primary responsibility for the crime.

Unfortunately, the composition of the governor's Sexual Assault Task Force makes it unlikely that these myths and related ineffective state policies and programs will receive the critical attention they deserve. The acting governor held a press conference announcing the formation of her task force, but panel members thus far identified comprise a group top heavy with government employees. There are few nongovernmental independent experts on the panel who will be in a position to offer meaningful criticism and ideas for reform.

The acting governor has identified no academic experts, private attorneys who specialize in representing victims of sexual violence in civil and other noncriminal proceedings, adult survivors of sexual violence, or therapists who regularly treat victims of sexual trauma. The panel does not even include a legal expert from the attorney general's office. Without independent members like these, we are skeptical that the task force will be able to achieve the laudable goals the acting governor has set for it.

This story ran on page A11 of the Boston Globe on 6/17/2002.
© Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.