The Role Of Rape In The United States

Rape: unlawful sexual activity and usually sexual intercourse carried out forcibly under threat of injury against the will of a female or with a person who is beneath a certain age or incapable of valid consent (defined by merrriam-webster). According to statistics, sexual violence affects millions of americans: every 2 minutes an american is sexually assaulted (https://www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence). Brock Turner, a 20 year old, was found guilty of sexual assault with intent to rape an intoxicated and unconscious woman. He was sentenced to 6 months incarceration but only served 3 out of the 6 months.

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)

According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, “there is an average of 237,868 victims (age 12 or older) of rape and sexual assault each year.” It is estimated that “out of every 100 rapes, 40 get reported to the police, 10 lead to an arrest, 8 get prosecuted, 4 lead to a felony conviction” and “3 rapists will spend even a single day in prison.” Furthermore, “about 95% of” the four percent of felony “convictions are obtained by way of a plea agreement” rather than through trial. In some states, like “California, there is a higher acquittal rate for rape than for any other felony" (926).

“Rape is as American as apple pie,” says blogger Jessica Valenti. She and other feminists describe our society as a “rape culture” where violence against women is almost invisible. According to feminists, films, magazines, fashion, books, music, and humor cooperate in conveying the message that women are there to be used, abused and exploited.(Kitchens, 2015)

The Centers for Disease control reports that one out of every five women will be sexually assaulted or raped during their lifetime with most victims being girls or younger women. According to RAINN, the Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network (https://www.rainn.org) which calls itself “the nation 's largest anti-sexual assault organization,” nine out of ten rape victims are women and there are more than 237,000 victims of sexual assault in the U.S. every year, with a reporting rate of only 40 percent. Eighty percent of victims are under 30. Two-thirds of all the reported assaults are by someone known to the victim and only 3 percent of rapists get any jail time. The effects of rape are long lasting and have public health and social welfare consequences. According to RAINN, victims of sexual assault have higher rates of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and drug and alcohol abuse than the general population. Rape is a personal issue because of the trauma it induces in its

In a recent study posed by the CDC, 19.3% of the women’s population in the United States have reported rape (Prevalence and Characteristics of Sexual Violence, Stalking, and Intimate Partner Violence Victimization 1). That is nearly one fifth of the female population. While women who walk the streets alone flood with fear, men are being let off with a mere slap on the wrist for raping women. Another study shows that ninety seven of every one hundred rapists receive no punishment whatsoever. How can women feel safe if their perpetrator is freely roaming the streets? Although rapists are frequently punished, the rape punishment in the United States is far too inconsistent and should be more severe.

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,

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

http://www.safehorizon.org/page/rape--sexual-assault-54.html?gclid=CMDFiLTfrswCFQmSaQodtvMEWQ "Rape & Sexual Assault. " Safe Horizon. Web. 29 Apr. 2016. This website gives you the definition of sexual assault and rape.

In the documentary, The Hunting Ground, there is an exploration of rape on campuses throughout America. According to the film, more than 16 percent of college women are sexually assaulted while in college (Dick, “The Hunting Ground”). Interestingly, the woman actually ended up complaining of two traumas: the first being the actual rape, and the second being the method in which the Universities decided to handle the complaints. Within the documentary, the numerous women that were interviewed complained vehemently that instead of pursuing the predator that raped the victims, the victims were blamed and silenced. The women were asked whether they were drinking alcohol, what they were wearing, if they said no, and if they

Rapists are rarely imprisoned for an adequate amount of time—if any—which is why once convicted, the sentencing that they receive should remain unchanged until it is fulfilled. Too many judges will allow the convict’s sentence to be shortened or changed to house arrest. Which means that survivors of rape have to deal with the fear of being raped again or even killed when their assailant is released from prison earlier than expected. Rape is a very traumatic experience and can happen to anyone. The effects after a traumatizing experience, such as rape, can last a lifetime and lead to the decay of a victim’s life. These outcomes can cause physical and mental damage for the survivor. To make matters worse, victims are essentially punished by the justice system for their own rapes when a rapist is not sufficiently prosecute and there are not any laws to protect the survivors. They are forced to live in fear of being raped again and sometimes are even ridiculed or shunned by peers and family for being raped, Therefore elucidating the impression that the rape was the fault of the victim. Many people who do not sympathize or empathize with the trauma of rape may claim that the survivor wanted to be raped. This is never true, even despite the circumstances. Nobody asks to be raped, not a woman, not a man, not a

Many real rapists and sexual offenders go uncharged or poorly charged. According to Opposing Viewpoints, “Law enforcement is not a viable solution to campus rape because police do a terrible job of holding rapists accountable. According to a recent analysis of Department of Justice data, only 3 percent of all rapists—not just campus rapists—will ever spend a day in jail. Only 40 percent of all rapes are reported to police, and of those, only 10 percent will lead to a felony conviction with slightly fewer seeing the inside of a jail cell” (Caroline, and Baillee Brown). Rapists are not charged fairly because they don’t have a good way to charge them in court. The victims end up feeling helpless and vulnerable with their attacker walking

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

Women, girls, men, and boys are vulnerable victims of sexual assaults every day in our country. While females experience much higher rates of sexual assaults than males. The problem that this country faces is the lack of being able to track rapist, in addition to the victims that chose not to report their assault of being raped to the police. Issues of under reporting comes from the victims with multiple reasons that hinders them from reporting these heinous criminal acts. Thus, the sad realization is that the perpetrator is usually some one that you know, that you would of never of thought that they could and would, and do sexually assault you.

Even though the first amendment states freedom of expression, statistics show rape and sexual assault numbers have risen due to the presence of rape culture in modern society. Rape culture promotes more assaults and violent acts, not only towards women but also towards men. Some evidence rape culture is present in today’s society are rising statistics showing that only three out of a hundred rapists see jail time and that over 17 million American women are victims of sexual assault every year. Rape culture is seen in every aspect of daily American life, even if people do not realize it.