The Media And Sexual Assault In The Media

We live in a society surrounded by billboards and magazine advertisements displaying the over sexualisation of women. As a society, people tend to be okay with it. But the depiction of women in this way does not just end there. It may be surprising to hear that every year, approximately 460 000 people in Canada are sexually assaulted. That is over 1260 sexual assaults a day, 1 every minute. Over a third of them will never be reported. The media is one of the most trusted and effective sources of information, conveying society norms. We live in a media based society and everything we do has some impact on the media. Sexual assault victims are represented negatively in the media further promoting a problematic rape culture. This is often done

Last week, the White House released a short, celebrity packed, 60-second public service announcement (PSA) on the topic of sexual assault. 1 is 2 Many addressed those who are in control of preventing sexual assault as its intended audience was those who can put a stop to sexual violence: the perpetrators or would-be offenders. Although this one minute announcement completed the task of bringing sexual assault to the forefront of discussion, it failed to encompass the central issues concerning the culture of sexual assault: societal misperceptions, the victims, and the justice system. Sexual assault is a phenomenon that has been around for centuries; the culture of sexual assault is rooted in both legal practices and societal perceptions.

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)

Violent sexual scenes in movies and television shows have normalized sexual violence, and these scenes are increasingly made more available to children at younger ages. Sexually violent scenes in mass media contribute to myths that circulate around rape. Instead of rape scenes showing the true emotional impact on the victim, they are geared more towards sexual arousal of the audience. One writer argues that “as long as the public is being seduced by the myth that rape is about sex and not about power, and that rape is about lust and not oppressive violence, then the rape culture can continue to thrive and to destroy women” (Pearson 13). Violence in the media is a longstanding argument in America about how much is too much and whether normalization of violent acts has resulted in a more violent culture. This topic alone can be written over the span of many textbooks, for the purpose of this paper it is important to acknowledge that mass media and the portrayal of sexual crimes committed against men and women greatly contribute to rape culture. If sexual violence is portrayed for what it really is to the perpetrators and to the victims, this may change the perceptions Americans have and ultimately contribute to an anti-rape culture that treats rapists and victims far differently than they are treated

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

(US Department of Justice- Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2014). While the numbers are startling, what is most alarming, is that it took eighty years for the government to change a definition that was wrong from the beginning. Moreover, this attitude of ignorance and apathy towards rape victims has trickled down and can be seen in the attitudes of the American population. While many feminists have suggested that rape is a tool used by a patriarchal society to maintain a status quo, and rape myths are tools used to justify this violence against women, what I believe is that rape myths are more pervasive than this explanation. Rape myths and their acceptance is in fact a part of the status quo, determined by the gender role construct reflected in current American society, Without a radical change in views towards gender roles rape myths will continue to be widely accepted, and victims will

Rarely does the media offer how the victim tried to defend against the aggressive act, but it quickly allows those accused to state no assault occurred, merely a miscommunication. Celebrities and song artists using rape culture and sexual assault as a way to further their career diminishes society 's concern when attacks occur. Today’s generation typically decides as a whole whether or not the statement or event categorizes as offensive or immoral, leading to not only the victims but individuals attempting to raise awareness to be told their views are invalid.

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

Not a day goes by where we don’t see or hear about a story of sexual assault; whether it be on the news, someone we know personally, or a story we see on social media. Sexual assault is any unwanted sexual act against a person or without a person’s consent. Sexual assault refers to any sexual, physical, verbal or visual act that is forced upon a person. “Every 107 seconds, another American is sexually assaulted. This is an average of 293,000 victims each year” (Statistics). The culture in the United States can be defined as a rape culture. Emilie Buchwald, author of Transforming a Rape Culture, defines rape culture as “a complex set of beliefs that encourage male sexual aggression and supports violence against women. It is a society where violence is seen as sexy and sexuality as violent… In a rape culture both men and women assume that sexual violence is a fact of life” (What is Rape Culture?). Examples of living in a rape culture include things like blaming the victim and teaching women to avoid getting raped rather than teaching men not to rape. Factors that play a role in creating a rape culture is the gap between men and women, gender roles, and the porn industry.

To begin with, the topic of rape and sexual assault is constantly silenced by society and joked about. For the most part, rapists and sexual offenders are never served justice, and often are not reported. 68% of sexual assault cases have gone unreported and 98% of rapists will never spend a single day in jail (U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Bureau of Justice.) Only 2% of these criminals receive jail time. Only 2% of the criminals get what one deserves for ruining another’s life. Most victims are three times more likely to suffer from depression and six times more likely to develop post traumatic stress disorder; victims are twenty six times more likely to abuse drugs than the average person ( World Health Organization.) It is a common belief

Although it is important to be prepared in the case of sexual harassment, this method of teaching coincides with victim-blaming. The idea places the burden of sexual assault on the victim rather than potential perpetrators. In reality, teaching people about rape culture and how to avoid partaking in it places the burden of sexual assault on those who commit the act which more effectively helps eliminate the stigma around the issue. An article called, Rape and Sexual Assault, concisely paints a picture of the issue by explaining, “Sexual assault has nothing to do with how attractive a girl or guy is. It has nothing to do with desire or passion. Rape and sexual assault come from a need for power and control. In rape, sex is a weapon. It is used to overpower, humiliate, and inflict pain on another person,” (Rape and Sexual Assault). The author of this article asserts that the victim of sexual assault is never at fault, and details specific examples of rape culture to help the audience better understand the topic. In another article, Society's Response to Survivors, the author, Sarah Ullman explains the concept and effects of rape culture. She contends that victim blaming often leads to unstable mental and physical health for the victim. She mentions that many times when victims attempt to tell their

Along with television shows, news stations are accused of trivializing rape aswell. How many times have you heard, “She asked for it.” or any other type of victim blaming, or a derivative of,“Boys will be boys.” to make rape seem like not such a big deal (1a)? News channels will even go as far as scrutinizing a victim’s dress, mental state, motives and history to make the victim seem in the wrong about their rape (1a). Some channels will inflate the fake rape statistics to make rape seem like a less

In today’s society, victims of domestic violence and sexual assault often experience some form of victim blaming. Victim blaming occurs when society partially condemns the victim for what has happened to them. This tendency to assign criminal responsibility to the victim occurs in all segments of our society regardless of race, gender, social class, or occupation (Hamilton, 1979). Currently, rape is a big issue throughout society. The word rape is defined as sex without consent. Rape is about power and dominance, not sex. The cultural message in America is “don’t get raped” as opposed to “don’t rape.” Many public figures have been known to blame victims of sexual assault for their situation. In 2012, during an interview with CNN’s Piers Morgan,

Are Men and Women Equally Sexualized in the Media? The media is a form of communication that people use all around the world in order to find out new information and keep up to date on worldly events. There are many different forms of media, including: the radio, television, internet and magazine. For the most part the general public are used to the norm of seeing sexual images in the media, however, what they do not see is how the media sexualizes both men and women to a great extent.

A major perpetuating factor in misinformation regarding sexual assault and rape culture is the media. Confusion about what constitutes rape leads many students to question whether or not they were a "real victim". Rape isn't always a violent crime committed by a stranger down some dark alley. It can