Rape Culture

Many individuals might wonder, what is rape culture? “Rape Culture is an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture. Rape culture is perpetuated through the use of misogynistic language, the objectification of women’s bodies, and the glamorization of sexual violence, thereby creating a society that disregards women’s rights and safety.” Most women limit their behavior because of the existence of rape. (Marshall University)

Many of the research methods for which the research we have reviewed is classified as either exploratory or constructive. Rape culture, victim blaming, and rape myths encompass more gray areas (uncertainties) than mere black (wrong) and white (right) understandings. As few of the studies specifically sought to gain insight in what is considered consent, therefore they exploratory research wanting to purely define and identify the miscommunication and mixed opinions of interpretations of consent, as they consider this to be a root to the problem of rape (16p.907)(8p.470)(19p.518). A couple other studies we found went a different route and chose to test theories they had relating to rape and then went on to propose solutions

The acceptance of rape myths and sexual scripts are also major contributors to the thriving rape culture. Rape myths are the false but commonly-held beliefs about rape, and they are closely related to sexual scripts, the culturally established prototypes for how sexual encounters should proceed. Both of these elements support the act of rape and promote the victim blaming and normalization that rape culture entails. Key rape myths include: 1. Husbands can’t rape their wives, 2. Men must engage in sex once sexually aroused 3.Women ask to be raped 4. Rapist are different from most other men 5. Women enjoy rape 6. Women lie about being raped. These incorrect principles can be traced to the patriarchal system that accepts and fosters rape as an

The term ‘rape culture’ was coined by feminists in the United States in 1970. The term itself was designed to illustrate the ways in which society blamed victims of sexual assault, and how the normalization of male sexual violence was acceptable. Rape culture can stem from the acceptance of rape as a daily occurrence, manifested as a male prerogative. There is a hesitation by the authorities to go against the patriarchal cultural norms, hence linking nonconsensual sex to the cultural disposition of society. The patriarchal perspective of rape culture, embedded with gender inequality and misogyny are passed through generations which ultimately leads to the extensive institutional and social acceptance of rape. Actions which advocate sexist ideals are utilized to justify and validate normative misogynistic perceptions. Rape culture sexualizes violence inflicted upon women, as it serves as a continuum of a society which views a women’s body to be sexually available by default, deriving from the overall domination and objectification of a female. The underlying cause of rape culture is localized as it based upon the social aspects of culture. For example, countries with a prolific ‘war culture’ tend to emphasize violence and masculinity, and therefore rape is viewed as a normal facet of society. I intend to parallel the element of rape culture to the enforcement of social rules and the conditioning of gender roles. I plan on analyzing the notion that within the encompassment of

Feminist scholarship has argued that rape ideology encourages and justifies sexual coercion, trivializes sexual violence and demeans and devalues women who have experienced sexual assault. The foundation of this argument is based on women's experiences in patriarchal societies. Due to the fact that

It has been believed that rape culture manifested through the acceptance of rapes and a daily occurrence, which also included male prerogative. This can be taken in the form of the case being handled of the police, victim-blaming, the authorities who refuses to go against the patriarchal culture, and the fears of stigmatisation that rape victims and their families have experienced (Parenti, 2005: p. 71). However, other sociologists in general believed that the rape culture is connected to non-consensual sex to a patriarchal viewpoint of society which is covered with misogyny and gender inequality; thus, this leads to a widespread of social and institutional acceptance of rape (Nicoletti, Spencer-Thomas, and Bollinger, 2009: p. 134). Rape

Sexual assault and rape has always been a social and public issue in the United States. A majority of the time, women become the victims, while men become the perpetrators. National surveys in the United States show that one in six women has experienced an attempted or completed rape. Consent appears to be a critical factor in determining whether assault or rape has taken place. Women have a higher chance of being raped by who they are acquainted with rather than strangers.

In relation to our sex and the law section, I’ve decided to look into a topic that isn’t discussed much due to the discomfort of the subject. If the subject makes you feel uncomfortable, think of the individuals that have to be apart of the subject and what their daily lives must be knowing that something tragic has happened to them and people around them make them feel as if they were the wrongdoer. Rape Culture is a social construct coined to show the ways in which society blamed victims of sexual assault and normalized male sexual violence. It has become an ever growing trend as the years progress and its’ become a real issue for women.

This product, however, is just one example of the next impact of rape culture – victim blaming. Society has begun to put the pressure on women to protect themselves, teaching mantras such as “regurgitate, urinate, defecate” for when a man is assaulting them and instating strict dress codes for students (McGuire), rather than teaching men not to rape. These factors have created a society in which women are seen as responsible for what happened and blamed for being too promiscuous. People write off incidents of rape as inconsequential and “just sex,” devaluing the trauma that survivors go through (Hockett). One final impact of rape culture on society is the minimal sentencing and punishment that perpetrators receive, if they are disciplined at all.

“Boys will be boys” is a term that everyone has probably heard in their lives at one time or another. What most people don’t understand is that this term promotes rape culture in our society. Rape culture consists of misogynistic language, victim blaming, and anything else that involves degrading women. This issue in our society is thought of as inevitable and it cannot be fixed. However, if we teach boys to respect girls instead of teaching girls how to protect themselves from boys, the problem would be lessened. Americans are in denial of what women go through on a daily basis. According to “Time”, 97% of rapists never spend a day in jail. Rape is a crime and it needs to be treated as one.

Throughout the years, the legal definition of “rape” has been reworded, revised, and reworked. Even so, the definition current to Real Rape is lacking in many aspects. To understand the progression of the law, it is important to understand its foundation.

Rape culture is something else mentioned in the documentary and how in America, it means that boys are taught at very young age that to be a man, they must suppress their emotions and become dominant while being superior to women. This perpetuates a toxic messaging in our culture has devastating effects that also contributes to violence in our culture, as well as our rape culture. This can be seen by the documentary addressing the bro code and how even if there is a rape one does not say anything to not go against the group. This even happens when men see that something is wrong and how society has put pressure on them not to go against each other. Another contributor to rape culture is that men are taught to be womanizers and that sexual conquest

     Webster’s Dictionary describes rape as the crime of forcing another person to submit to sex acts, especially sexual intercourse. Rape is a crime in which most women cannot defend themselves. The fear of rape plagues every woman at some point or another in her life. The traumatic effects of rape vary from mild to severe, from psychological to physical. This paper will evaluate rape, as well as the effects it has on women, the theory behind male dominance and patriarchy, and differences in demographics.

Rape culture is an environment in which social attitudes have the effect of normalizing sexual violence against women and excusing it in the media and other popular cultures. Rape culture attempts to rationalize a continuum of sexual violence that range from sexist remarks to unwanted sexual touching, and rape itself. Rape culture has become so desensitized by society that perpetrators may not be aware of their wrongdoings and victims may not realize they are being victimized. It is a culture in which victims are suppressed when they decide to speak up about their traumatic attack, because they are seen as being dramatic or untruthful while the perpetrator's actions are left unpunished. While the majority of victims are women, rape culture is not solemnly an issue of female oppression, it is a general disconnect between human beings. It is a culture that many of us refuse to accept exist, however there are numerous examples that normalize rape and sexual assault on a daily basis. Rape culture is not a new topic. The term was first used back in the 1970’s by a group of feminist to raise the awareness of the normalization of sexual violence in society. In recent years the topic has become a popular, controversial issue and has come to permeate virtually every aspect of our lives through media, song lyrics, and everyday jargon.

Substance abuse also played a part in fraternity rape culture. Often, alcohol was supplied deliberately to women to make them less inhibited or blackout drunk, allowing the men to perform sexual acts with less resistance (Jozkowski). The alcohol interfered with the brain’s functioning, resulted in poor judgement, and caused a woman to be overly flirtatious (“Alcohol’s Effect on the Body”). If a woman acted this way, a fraternity member interpreted this as consent for sex. The alcohol could be used to confuse or incapacitate women making it impossible for her to consent to sexual acts. The fraternity brothers neglected to recognize that legal and ethical sexual behavior requires cognizant consent from all parties involved. Another method to incapacitate women, involved perpetrators secretly slipping date rape drugs into drinks, (“Date Rape Drugs”). Rohypnol, commonly known as roofies, caused judgement loss, unconsciousness, hallucinations, and drowsiness (“Date Rape Drugs”). Although roofies were the most commonly used drugs, they were gradually being replaced by drugs less likely to discolor or cloud beverages (“Date Rape Drugs”). Other drugs commonly used included Gamma Hydroxybutyric Acid and Ketamine (“Date Rape Drugs”). Gamma Hydroxybutyric acid comes in a liquid form that is odorless and colorless; therefore, undetectable to the target (“Date Rape Drugs”). In situations with date rape drugs, the victim’s ability to consent or even maintain consciousness was robbed