“Girls say no, but really mean yes,” “If she had sex with me before, she has consented to have sex with me again,” “It’s not a rape if it happens after drinking or taking drugs”: these quotes about rape are few to the numerous myths that circulate society today. 1 out of every 6
American women has been sexually assaulted, yet this statistic is only from victims who come forward (Victims of Sexual Violence: Statistics”). The problem in America today is the “Rape
Culture” in which we live. A Rape Culture is defined as a “rape prevalent society in which sexual violence is normalized and excused through pop culture and media” (“Southern
Connecticut State University”). American music, movies, and TV shows often show women enjoying rough sex and
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This is one reason why many women do not pursue an official rape case after being assaulted. Historically, women have been discriminated against and in recent years this discrimination has manifested particularly strongly in victim blaming, slut shaming, and other attacks against a woman’s agency and sexual legitimacy. It is easier to blame the women for “crying rape” than to address the core of the issue. There are many excuses for why men rape women. Some men choose to believe that if a woman is interested in him, it means she is willing to “go all the way.” Other times drugs and alcohol are involved which leads the man to believe a woman is willing or is capable of consenting to sex because she is intoxicated. The Acceptance of Modern Myths about Sexual
Aggression Scale (AMMSA) gives examples of each excuse that men use, listing different reasons from a-e.
“Denial of the scope of the problem, antagonism toward victims’ demands, lack of support for policies designed to help alleviate the effects of sexual violence, beliefs that male coercion forms a natural part of sexual relationships, and beliefs that exonerate male perpetrators by blaming the victim or the circumstances” (Horvath & Brown, 22).
All of these categories coincide with rape myth acceptance and victim blaming while giving men more reason to continue these acts.
A study done on rape myth acceptance against various types of race and sex establishes evidence that white men were more likely to
“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.”
The requirement to prove lack of consent has decreased as the definition of rape has expanded. In cases such as statutory rape, where the victim is underage, the standard of proving lack of consent is dismissed—so, regardless of consent, the action remains categorized
The stereotype of who a typical sexual assault victim is, is also detrimental to abide by as male victims of sexual assault will often fear being blamed and feel emasculated as a result of their victimisation. The continuation of stereotypic types of victims when considering a certain crime can often distort the seriousness of sexual
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
Did you know 1 out of every 6 American women have been a victim of rape? The rape statistics are morosely doing up instead of down.
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
Rape culture includes jokes, TV music, advertising, legal jargon, laws, words and imagery that make violence against women and sexual coercion seem so normal that people believe that rape is inevitable.
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
Rape has been an ongoing issue within society for centuries. In early times, men raped women for reproductive purposes. Today, it is still believed
The main debate amongst the explanation is the key motivation that drives the offender to commit rape. Previously, majority of social scientists’ perspective of rape is seen as a sexually motivated crime; for instance, males are given the opportunity to fulfil their sexual desires that cannot be met legally, thus
When I first learned about rape, I thought that it was something that only happened to women that was brought on by a male. Growing up, one doesn't hear about male rape. It was unheard of. Granted it happened, but no one wanted to
Rape is an experience which shakes the foundations of the lives of the victims. For many its effect is long term, impairing their capacity for personal relationships, altering their behaviour and values and generating fear, Temkin (1986:17).
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
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.
In the United States rape completely toxic and it’s a dangerous myth. On college campuses where drinking is prevalent, most victims don’t report their assault to the police because of the fear of being blamed for the incident. “A recent National Crime Victimization report showed that only 55% of sexual assaults reported in their survey were reported to the police” (Hayes, Abbott, Cook 2016). Hayes goes on to explain that rape myths are defined as “attitudes and false belief held