Rape And Its Treatment On Campuses

Rolling Stone is a magazine that was first known for its coverage of music and politics now mainly focuses on pop culture and entertainment. In the November 2014 issue, “A Rape on Campus: A Brutal Assault and Struggle for Justice at UVA” story was published about an alleged rape on the University of Virginia campus. Rolling Stone released information about the alleged rape of a freshman and how the school mishandled the situation. The Rolling Stone wrote and published a story that was only told from the student’s point of view; the magazine never interviewed anyone else related to the case. “A Rape on Campus: A Brutal Assault and Struggle for Justice at UVA” story caused much controversy and many ethical issues came from the release of the

Sexual assault is defined as any vaginal, oral, or anal penetration that is forced upon another, regardless of sex and sexual orientation, using any object or body part. The issue of sexual assault in America is primarily encouraged by rape culture. Women Against Violence Against Women is an organization that defines rape culture as a complex set of beliefs that encourage male sexual aggression and supports violence against women. The acceptance of rape culture, rape myths, and the disregard for sexual consent also allow for the perpetuation of sexual assault against women on college campuses. Recent examples of sexual assault on college campuses show how prominent this issue has become and how hostile campuses have become for female students. Some examples include the University of Southern California’s “Gullet Report,” Miami University of Ohio’s “Top Ten Ways to Get Away with Rape,” and a sexual assault on the campus of Kansas University. Sexual assault is perpetuated by the acceptance of rape myths and rape culture, lack of effective sexual education, and the disregard for consent. The solution to this issue lies with defeating rape culture, increasing awareness and funding for campus sexual assault crisis centers, and enacting more prevention programs on campus.

Many universities across the United States have reformed their sexual assault policies. Their new policies provide a clear understanding as to what qualifies as sexual assault. Opponents claimed that affirmative consent policies are impractical and ineffective (“Sexual Assault”). For consenting couples, anxiety over meeting the new standard will make sex joyless and add confusion and complications (“Sexual Assault”). On the other hand, supporters argued that “no means no” did not cover all possible sexual assault scenarios (“Sexual Assault”). Therefore, states adopted a “yes means yes” policy (“Sexual Assault”). California’s efforts marked the first time this policy was codified by a law (“Sexual Assault”). The legislation requires colleges

“Among undergraduate students, 23.1% of females and 5.4% of males experience rape or sexual assault” (RAINN). Rape is a threat virtually anywhere people go, but no place has a higher risk for sexual assault than college campuses. However, many of these occurrences go without penalties against the attacker, and even more are not reported at all. The lack of consequences for the accused indirectly suggests that rape and other forms of sexual assault are allowable and create further problems for the victims of the horrendous actions. Harsher punishments need to be given out for sexual assault on campus, as the current rulings are biased and immoral.

As stated by an article from Bettercolleges.com, sexual assault can also involve forcing someone into non-consensual sexual acts by means of manipulation, any form of coercion, or psychological force. Sexual violence is more prevalent on college campuses compared to other crimes. In fact, according to Rainn.org college women are twice as likely to be sexually assaulted as they are to be robbed. The sad reality is that these victim’s voices are often never heard: only 5 percent of female student victims between the ages of 18 and 24 ever report to law enforcement because of factors such as distrust of authorities and fear of blame (“Campus Sexual Violence: Statistics”). In regard to male victims, they oftentimes face different types of stigma branching from issues such as stereotypes about hyper masculinity, sexual desire, and what it means to “be a man” in society, preventing them from reporting unwanted sexual activity (“Realities of Sexual Assault on Campus”). In the cases of both men and women, these assaults are often enhanced by the increased presence of alcohol and drugs on campuses. For instance, one study found that 15 percent of young women experienced incapacitated rape during their first year of college, meaning that when were raped when they could not give consent because they did not know what was happening (“Sexual Assault on College Campuses”). Peer pressure to participate in these types of social activities puts victims in a more vulnerable position for sexual assault. This environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused by leaders within the school system is known as rape

Rape has always been a sensitive subject, but there is a certain kind of rape that is affecting college campuses at an alarming rate. Date rape is rape committed by someone with whom the victim has gone on a date with. Date rape has been a coined term for a while, but the increasing number of reported date rapes on college campuses involving college students has increased through the years. The definition of date rape has stirred up quite a buzz. A leading cause of date rape is considered voluntary or involuntary consent to people. Universities across the nation struggle with how to handle the alarming statistics of college date rape. Many universities have instituted surveys and educational courses for their students to be aware of date rape.

Something that colleges can do to significantly reduce the amount of sexual assaults on campuses is to ban alcohol and drugs. Think about it, they can make people more aggressive and make them more likely to do something they wouldn't otherwise do, and women become more vulnerable when they consume drugs and/or alcohol. Also, using alcohol and drugs can impair one’s judgement, decision making, and dull their senses. Not being under the influence in social situations makes people more aware of their surroundings and are more likely to make better decisions than if they were under the influence. So, all colleges should implement a Zero Tolerance policy when it comes to drugs and alcohol. If a student is caught with either, they should be expelled

According to the United States Supreme Court’s U.S Code 920 – Article 120, sexual assault and rape (a form of sexual assault) are legally identified as “sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual action perpetrated against a person without that person 's consent” (H.R. Title 10 - Armed Forces 466). Now, in regards to why these individuals inflict these actions are summed up within the same U.S code in that they may be carried out by “physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person who is incapable of valid consent” (H.R. Title 10 - Armed Forces 467). In today’s society, rape and sexual assault on college campuses have attracted massive media attention by climbing up to the #1 age bracket responsible for both allegations and carried out convictions. (Gordon) Among our generation, the question not addressed by the government is what is the common factor among this age bracket that is capable of contributing to this increasing number of sexual crimes across the country? “Music is an integral part of youth culture” (Kistler 2) and has been popularly discussed as the probable influence behind this staggering statistic. Through careful examination of music’s many sexually suggestive lyrics and videos released over the past decade, combined with the opinions of those heavily influenced by music, we can see that musicians with a demeaning, misconstrued message have been involuntarily responsible for measures of falsely interpreted sexual stereotypes which lead to

Emma Sulkowicz, a senior at Columbia University, carried her mattress around her campus, from class to class, all of last year as form of protest against her rapist who was not expelled from school. This story made news all across the country, leaving many wondering how this could possibly happen, and why it continues to happen. This is just one of the highly publicized cases of rape on college campuses, which also illuminates how often time administrators fail to bring justice to the victim. It seems as if of lately that rape and sexual assault on college campuses has become far too normal in our society, meaning that we have almost become numb to them because they happen so frequently. When we hear about a rape on a campus, it is often neither surprising nor shocking to us, which is a definite social, and criminal, problem. The question that must be addressed then is, why do these types of crimes continue to occur, and what factors contribute to this ongoing issue? It may be easy to point a finger at society as a whole, and say that parents have wrongfully raised their sons to behave in such a way, but there may be even more factors that work together to create a rapist or someone who is likely to commit sexual assault. Nonetheless, this is a huge, relevant, terrifying problem in our society which often leaves young women feeling as if they are not ever safe, not even at the college campus of which they are supposed to be able to call home.

Rape is a serious crime and a huge accusation to make. It is defined in various ways, but can shortly be narrowed down to as nonconsensual sex. This crime causes long- term effects for the victim and the accused. When someone is accused of rape, two sides of the story are to be investigated. If there are two sides, then which side is correct. The one who was accused or the accuser? Campus rape is decided by the universities, while rape outside of that is then, decided in court. Many people are conflicted with this policy in that by having the perpetrator kicked off campus, will not be “justifiable” enough for the victim. Meaning, the victim wants justice by having the rapist locked up, rather than just kicked off campus. In an article by

Rape and sexual violence on campus has been a damaging part of recorded history in The United States. However, a significant number of these crimes can be traced back to fraternities and sororities members. Influences of various drugs and excessive alcohol consumption are only a few of the numerous factors which weigh in on these heinous crimes. How rape is perceived by today's society also plays a vital role in how these crimes are currently viewed and prosecuted. Even how rape and sexual assault were viewed thousands of years ago during the ancient Greek era still has lingering effects today. Therefore, in order to decrease rape and sexual violence on campuses fraternities and sororities should be dissolved.

“Yes means yes, and no means no.” This famous line seems simple enough, but some people just don't seem to understand. Sexual assault has become a large problem on campuses all over the world. Although sexual assault on college campuses are very common, the assailant does not face the consequences they deserve. Assailants should be punished more harshly for their crimes because many cases are put off since it was the victim’s “fault” because they were drinking and/or dressing provocatively and not taken as seriously as they should. To solve this problem they can face longer jail time, expulsion, and be forced to pay reparations for the physical, emotional, and mental damage they've caused. One of the best steps to bringing the victim his or

In the second semester of my junior year, we were tasked with a project that encompassed political activism, street art, and education relating to an issue of our choice. Along with a partner, I delved deep into the issue of College Rape Culture. We watched documentaries, read scripts and articles, and became well versed in the subject. Once the project ended, we were still extremely passionate about the topic. We felt that there was a severe lack of awareness and education surrounding Sexual Assault in college, and decided to spearhead an attempt to raise awareness of the issue. Over the summer, we developed a plan to teach a class or start a club based on Women's Issues. We contacted a trusted teacher and presented our idea to her. She

A moral panic is a “condition, episode, person or group of persons that is defined as a threat to societal values and interest,” these “panics” are often over dramatized in the media and lead people to believe that the issue or group responsible for the issue is much more of a severe threat than they actually are. I would argue that the concept of campus rape culture phenomenon would align closely with what is considered a moral panic. Rates of rape on college campuses seem to be very alarming but the “rape culture” epidemic is leading to its own set of problems. One of the issues with the rap culture making it similar to a moral panic, is the surveys conducted. Many of these surveys include “any unwanted sexual encounter” as rapes. This could incluse things like unwanted or unsolicited touching or even an unwanted kiss on the cheek. Although this is not socially acceptable, it would be irresponsible to classify this as rape.

The writing Talk About Rape brings awareness to the rape culture on college campuses. The statistics show that 1 to 5 college women are assaulted while on campus or elsewhere. In addition, it touched how on rape is use to enforce dominance and supremacy. In when men are the victims of rape it is to to strip them of their “masculinity” and make them feel like women. Additionally, women are not the only one’s at risk, but the writing states “gay or bisexual students are more at risk than heterosexually-identified students”. This was surprising to me because I believed that women were more at risk of becoming a victim of rape. My perspective was shaped partly due to the myths I have heard and also the stories published in the media about young