“When women go around braless or wearing short skirts and tight tops, they are just asking for trouble”. This quote is an example of the conservative views Camille Paglia shares in her article on date rape, which is the use of alcohol and/or drugs to rape a victim. Date rape has continued to prevail in our society due to the open availability of drugs and alcohol, the mixed signals the genders give each other, and the media’s portrayal of rape. Susan Jacoby had a sound argument because the leading cause would be the mixed signals and possible solutions would be classes for the sexes to attend so “no” is properly understood, educating the public on the dangers of drugs and alcohol, and having the proper portrayal of rape in the media.
Date rape occurs due to the ability to easily access alcohol and drugs. Alcohol is legal for anyone over the age of 21 in the United States can buy it and it is nearly sold in any store. There are illegal drugs, but the drugs that are typically used for date rape is found in prescription medication or sold by drug dealers. These two contributors make large cities a cesspool for date rape because the two can have an endless supply. Since colleges are typically in the middle of bustling cities, date rape ensues there more often because of the availability. In fact, there was a study done which proved that a large part of date rape victims are students. The use of these substances blurs the line between consent and rape.
When one is
“I felt his hands start to move down towards my shorts as if he was trying to unbutton them or pull them off. I was still crying at this point and felt so scared that I couldn't move” (Hummer, 1989). These were the words said by a freshman away at college after she had been sexual assaulted. From the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National network, statistics show that “over 90 percent of all gang rapes on college campuses involve fraternity men” (Hummer, 1989). Most often these woman may be labeled as trash, shameful, or ready for action, aside from a victim, prey, or survivor. Rape myths encourage these deprecating terms for women and cover the reality of a rape culture.
Are you okay? Please do not cry. You are not alone. You do not know me but I am listening; I will wipe your tears, and stand by your side. Because what happen to you is not right, it is unjust, unmoral, and revolting. Although I was not there, I am here now. Although I have not experienced it, I am listening. However, I will never truly understand what you went through because I have not lived it. Sexual assault is “illegal sexual contact that usually involves force upon a person without consent or is inflicting upon a person who is incapable of giving consent”, according to Webster Dictionary. I will not judge you, I will not patronize you, and you can trust me. What happened that night? Can you remember? What started out as a fun night with drinking and dancing; ended with your cold naked body lying upon the ground. You were intoxicated, incoherent, and unconscious. Your blood alcohol level and your dashing good looks should not make you vulnerable or a victim to inhumane acts of sexual violence.
In America, 1 out of 6 women fall victim to rape at some point in their lives—completed or not (“Victims of Sexual Violence” 1). However, this is only one form of sexual assault that women are forced to face. Groping and other non-consensual, sexual acts are also examples of sexual assault (“Sexual Assault” 1).. Many perpetrators of sexual assault roam free, practically unaffected and likely to commit another similar act, while the woman could feel the effects of this event for her entire life. This problem affects women from around the globe—and it’s time that we put an end to it, because if we don’t, who will? If boys were to be taught how and how not to treat women in their early years, sexual assault would not be as prevalent, thus, women, including us, would not have to worry as much about enduring this kind of torment.
“Feminism has not prepared them for this,” states Camille Paglia in her essay “Rape: A Bigger Danger than Feminists Know.” The “them” in Paglia’s statement is referring to women, and she is discussing the topic of date rape. Susan Jacoby, on the other hand, writes in her article “Common Decency,” that feminism is not responsible for the rising cases of date rape, but that it is the men who are at fault. Paglia’s argument is insightful and accurate, but Jacoby’s writing is flawed and not well-researched. Paglia includes all rhetorical appeals and persuasive techniques, while Jacoby lacks in some departments of persuasiveness and fills the gap with logical fallacies. Comparing both of these papers will help the reader see why
In the 2009 hit “Blame It (On the Alcohol),” Jamie Foxx sings, “I hear you saying what ya won’t do/But you know we probably goin’ do/What you been feigning deep inside… Fill another cup up… You don’t even care now.” The first verse continues. Then, the chorus comes and goes. Ninety seconds of the song has passed. The chances are that in the short window of time in which the lyrics detailing an occurrence of nonconsensual sexual acts play, someone in America has been sexually assaulted. On average, there is a sexual assault in America every ninety-eight seconds (“Scope of the Problem: Statistics”). Legally, the United States Department of Justice defines sexual assault as “any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit
A stressed college student, Margot, is walking back to her dorm late at night when suddenly she feels a tap on her shoulder. When she turns around, she sees a seemingly kind face of a peer. He offers to walk her to her dorm and asks to come inside. The next day she is still in shock from the night before, she never said no when he came onto her, but she never said yes either. She doesn’t want to cry rape in fear of what people might think. This is the harsh reality for college students all across the United States today. Nobody wants to believe that their child or friend could be guilty of such a harsh, but common crime. The truth is, these crimes happen on a daily basis. Sexual assault has been an issue on college campuses since the early
Rape defined is forcing sexual intercourse upon someone without his or her consent. This isn’t just a girls’ problem, boys have to deal with this too. According to the American Psychological Association, nearly one in ten girls and one in twenty boys say they have been raped or experienced some form of sexual assault (Atlanta Journal, 1). Almost more than half of rape victims know their attacker; they don’t report it or tell anybody. In most date rape cases, the attacker and victim have known each other for at least a year or even longer. Only about 10 percent of rapes are reported, less than that go to court. According to data taken by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, one forcible rape is reported to the police every six minutes, on
The perspective offered by such longitudinal data sheds remarkable light on the "problem" of statutory rape, identifying for us key markers, as well as key actors, in the history of the law's enforcement and helping us to understand their roles in constructing the meaning of this crime over successive generations. ... The statutory rape codes have been used at various times to reinforce fathers' interests in their daughters' marriageability, to protect young women's chastity from seductive men, to control promiscuous or disease-laden adolescent females, to enhance child support collection efforts, to reduce teenage pregnancy, and to identify and punish sexual exploitation of teenagers. ... Given the constant state of jockeying, compromise and
Sexual assault is a major issue in the world we live in today. The punishment that people get is never what they actually deserve.There has been all kinds of crime rates for sexual offence all over the world. Surveys in the United States have proven that one of every six women has experienced an attempt of rape or even a completed rape experience. Many women who are sexually assaulted are assaulted by men that they know,or has came into contact with. Women are rarely going to report that they have been raped when they know the asaultiant. With this being said there are alot of cases that are under reported. In this essay i will argue the many reasons why women are afraid to report a sexual assault crime made against them.
A luxury retailer is now taking away the “luxury" of safety to make sales this holiday season.
Since the 1970’s this has been a growing problem in many colleges. In the article written by Kingston it states “Universities are often petri dishes for both ‘rape culture’ and sexual assault…They’re a microcosm of the way society teaches people how to party and treat women”. There’s been a large number of incidents at colleges where they seem to encourage rape. The University of Vermont fraternity took a poll with their members and asked “If you could rape someone who would it be”. Another incident was at Wesleyan University a student filed a lawsuit against the school because, she was allegedly assaulted at a frat house known as the “Rape Factory”. Police officials tend to see college rapes as the girls sending mixed signals or simply dates gone wrong. That shows the lack of respect that they have for the victims and sympathy they have for the perpetrators. Student offenders are often serial rapists that raped on average 6 women by the time they hit their early 20’s according to Kingston’s article. The predators on college campuses are usually saved because the women are under the influence it makes the police and college officials trust the girls less and they unwillingly let a monster back on their
Imagine being robbed of your innocence in a matter of seconds. Imagine not being able to speak out due to threats and fear of seeking help and not being taken seriously. Troubling, is it not? Sexual abuse has always been a problem in society that can affect anyone. Sexual abuse brings along many negative outcomes; however, throughout the years, sexual abuse has been a factor that has always been ignored. Even though sexual abuse has had many attempts to be avoided in various environments, all have failed.
When you think of socks, what comes to mind? Like me, I’m sure you picture the everyday items you wear on your feet to keep them comfortable. In recent times however it appears that socks have become a national topic of debate, with a divided public opinion. How could such a trivial thing become so important to society? A respected teacher at Nelson College for Girls highlighted just how controversial such a small item of attire could be, prompting the wake of what we teenagers believe should be a national, global topic of conversation - rape culture. The issue arose when the teacher made an innocent comment communicating the pornographic and creepy ‘look’ of the thigh-high sock students had been wearing as opposed to regular tights. The specific choice of language implied the socks were an invitation for sexual prejudice; the socks were asking for more than what their wearer was aware. The statement was only a surface layer to a deeper societal issue.
Rape also known as sexual assault is having sexual intercourse or any form of sexual penetration against a person’s will or consent. It could be carried out by coercion, the use of physical power or abuse of authority. It is an act many societies, if not all discourage, and attracts different form of punishment in different geographical locations. There are many consequences of rape; some people suffer from depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Suicidal tendencies, and Anxiety Disorder. It was not a surprise when the Mr. Cosby’s alleged case of rapes were waved and flooded to the entire media channels in the USA and other countries. Majority of people can recall number of such cases where some prominent African – Americans were sued
College-age adults are known to be high risk for sexual violence and most studies show that one in three women have experiences some type of sexual assault whether it was through physical force or harassment. These statics are known by most women on college campuses to ensure that women know and understand that this could happen to them. The issue is more than ensuring that women are aware of how protect themselves and know how to avoid these situations because it shouldn’t even be happening. When women are taught that they should know how to defend themselves we are saying that this type of behavior is normal and inevitable. We should shift from this dynamic and start teaching both men and women that this behavior is completely unacceptable and that sexually assaulting or harassing someone is NOT normal. This paper will mostly focus on incidents of rape and sexual assault on college campuses and what the outcome and reactions of these incidents were.