Rape, Violence, And Feminist Networks

“Rape is unique. No other violent crime is so fraught with controversy, so enmeshed in dispute and in the politics of gender and sexuality… And within the domain of rape, the most highly charged area of debate concerns the issue of false allegations. For centuries, it has been asserted and assumed that women “cry rape,” that a large proportion of rape allegations are maliciously concocted for purposes of revenge or other motives.”

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

In Jon Krakeur’s book, Missoula, he focuses on bringing awareness to the most underreported crime of acquaintance rape. I believe it is critical for all students, male and female, to be thoroughly informed on this subject, we need to be aware of the danger, as well as the possible repercussions, in reporting a rape. As I begin my college journey as a freshman in a new town, I am thankful Jacksonville State University chose this informative book as the summer read for incoming freshman.

Sexual assault is not just a crime against an individual, it affects families, the community, and society as a whole. In recent years, our society has shifted to one of rape culture and rape myth. Rape myths are erroneous, stereotypical, and prejudicial beliefs about rape victims and reasons of sexual assault. Rape myths can impact survivors of assault, as well as the behavior and effectiveness of family, friends, medical and social services, and law enforcement (Rape Victim Advocates, 2016). Rape impacts our society by attacking the cohesion and mutual protection that makes a society. When we allow such crimes to go without the most vigorous and vigilant investigation and punishment, we allow for whole segments of society to be diminished, we are sending the message that society is okay with rape (Abbey,

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.

However, I am privy to the fact that the U.S ranks amongst the highest in the number of female rapes. It seems that the US is at war with itself. Here in the U.S individuals rape others for their own personal gain rather than a war tactic. Rape in the U.S is created by our rape culture instead of being a weapon of war. Rape culture is all around us. There is a sort of "tolerance" for rape that has been normalized in society. This is not acceptable. Our rape culture takes form in many ways. One being victims seem to always get the finger pointed at them when they gather the courage to report it. Personally speaking, I was taught if I do not want to be raped then I should not wear certain outfits, drink alone, leave my drink unattended, I also should not walk alone at night, and the list goes on. And if I were to be raped, I should be prepared to be bombarded with questions that paint me as partially responsible for getting raped, which in turn, takes some of the blame off of the assailant. This is not right, however, it is justified due to our rape

Often times men and women are given tips to ensure their safety such as walking in pairs, wearing appropriate attire, and carrying pepper spray. A common myth surrounding rape on campuses is that the perpetrator is often a stranger that is waiting for the opportune moment to take advantage of a young scandalously clad woman walking alone in the dark to her dormitory. This is often not the case since the majority of perpetrators know the victim. The fact that there are flyers and pamphlets available on most campuses for preventative measures that women can take to prevent themselves from being rape victims testifies to a society in which a woman’s safety is her responsibility and there are few preventative measures that are taken from having men grow up as sexual predators. One woman argues that this is because “rape culture reflects a society or community grounded in patriarchal privilege and gender inequity” (Gordon 116). American history tells a tale of a culture that was built on patriarchy, and feminists may argue that America is still highly patriarchal and this contributes greatly to rape culture. As a matter of fact, cross-cultural studies have supported that there are cultures in the world that have an extremely low incidence of rape. One anthropologist studied this data and came to the conclusion that “the specific gender dynamics in matrilineal cultures reduce the significance of man's

Rape culture creates myths that victim blame the survivors of sexual violence. For example, a victim of a crime may be asked a question by police that suggests the victim was too drunk or wearing revealing clothing that provoked the perpetrator and resulted in the sexual violence against the victim. Rape culture silences victims who feel that law enforcement and the judicial system do not protect them or hold the perpetrators accountable for their actions. The stigma of sexual violence continues to silence students who choose to not report incidences because they are in fear of stepping forward or believe the judicial system will fail them when they

In “Tell Me There’s No Rape Culture”, published in the Huffington Post in October of 2016, Ali Owens explains the inconsistent theories on how a woman can prevent getting raped to showcase the fact that the underlying problem is that women are being blamed for the rape. The author states that the problem with society is that women are being shamed and silenced by individuals who do not believe in rape culture. Victims are trapped in a lose-lose situation. Women who come forward are asked about how they got into the situation. Why was she walking alone at night? Why didn’t she fight harder? Was she giving off mixed signals? Instead of prosecuting the rapist, more time is spent

The number of reported rapes and sexual assaults has decreased in the United States. According to the National Crime Victimization Survey, the population-adjusted rate of rape has dropped 55% from 1993, when the survey was started, to 2013 (Drum, 2014). It is difficult to know for sure if this number is accurate because many cases of sexual assault and rape are not reported to authorities. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center estimates that roughly 63% of sexual assaults are not reported to police (2015). Still at least 25% of American women have

America has a proud history of being a country that has many different ethnicities and cultures living within its borders. But one of the most prevalent cultures is one that transcends race or country of origin, rape culture. The term used by modern day feminist and gender activist defines a culture which normalizes rape and sexual assaults because of the deeply rooted societal attitudes towards gender and sexuality. In a rape culture the instances of rape are accepted as everyday occurrences and even as the prerogative of men, resulting in the stigmatization and blame placing of rape victims. Although the phrase “rape culture” is relatively modern, the

Rape can be pervasive and a serious social problem, Sexual Violence can be used in different situations and places like at a party, after hours work or school, or even in your own home. Some people could be raped by drugs or alcohol or just by force. Even though girls and boys get rapped but mainly girls get raped more than guys because guys could get rapped in prison but girls can get rapped anywhere. In the case of law sexual violence are serious social and public health issues in the United States. Women are far less likely to report a rape or assault when they know their assailant, thus instance of sexual assaults are greatly under reported. Victims of sexual assault may not be able to give consent due to age, illness, or impairment or

In todays society, rape is defined as, “penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus, with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.” Also, in our society rape has a harsh reality following it, other than just the simple horrors that are embodied in it. Women are always accused of lying when they plea that they’ve been taken advantage of. This is debilitating to the victim, they swallow their pride and refuse to speak out because of the fear that their peers are going to say they either are lying, or over reacting, or that they obviously brought this on themselves. This predetermined notion, that women are asking to be raped, or that they are fibbing or over embellishing the ordeal, can be argued to have began in the 1800s.

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

p. 69).” rape is violence against women. It is a violation of her body and her trust. According to Burns, a sociologist at Michigan State University, “rape is forced and unwanted intercourse, where sexual assault is used as a power and sex is a method (Mousseau, 2006. p. 1).” Most rapes are committed not by strangers, but by men known to women, perhaps someone they have gone out with or are supposedly their friends. It can be someone she just met or even her fiancé, but often it is an attempt to assert power or anger. A study by the National Center for the Preventive and Control rape claims ninety percent of rapes are never reported. In those that are reported, sixty percent knew their assailants. Of these, women fifteen to twenty-five are majority of the victims. Alcohol and drugs sometimes play a significant factor, especially in date rape or acquaintance rape cases (Mousseau, 2006).