Don't Rape -- Not, Don't Get Raped
If a woman does not want to end up on the news as the 720th rape victim of the day, she has to deny herself the privilege of being outside at night and abstain from expressing herself through clothing, personality, or hobbies;
“Get a black belt in martial arts.”
“Just don’t leave your house at night.”
“Don’t wear provocative clothing.”
“Don’t drink alcohol in public.”
This privilege is only granted to men who are able to protect themselves from getting raped. It is highly disturbing that the ‘rape culture myth’ has actually solidified into rape culture in modern American society. Women are blamed and scorned for their own victimization, and terms such as, ‘gray rape’ and ‘date rape’, are formed to demonstrate different levels of actual rape. Is the word ‘rape’ not enough implication? Rape, in any shape, color, and form, is the result of the enforced conformity of women and normalized sexual violence by society -- not the result of a woman in a skirt.
In TIME magazine, a weekly news magazine in the United States, Caroline Kitchens, a Senior Research Associate at American Enterprise Institute with a bachelor’s degree in political science, writes an article titled, “It’s Time to End ‘Rape Culture’ Hysteria” (TIME). She argues that, “Twenty-first century America does not have a rape culture; what we have is an out-of-control lobby leading the public and our educational and political leaders down the wrong path” (Kitchens). She writes off the efforts of anti-sexual harassment activists as hysteria, and claims that “Moral panic over ‘rape culture’ helps no one — least of all, survivors of sexual assault”. Hysteria is an exaggerated or uncontrollable emotion characterized by irrationality -- which is not what the activists of the anti-sexual harassment movement are displaying. Their passionate efforts to eradicate rape only helps prevent future harassment by promoting education. The survivors of sexual assault should not have to be bothered, but that does not imply that these anti-sexual harassment movements should be required to be terminated. Without these movements, rape culture will only become inflated and regarded as the norm. America needs to start teaching boys not to rape -- not teaching girls how not to get raped.
What exactly is rape culture? It is a culture in which sexual violence committed against women by males is normalized by society. It is widely integrated into television, movies, books, music, advertisements, laws, jokes, and although it is still legally deemed a crime, instead of viewing it as a problem that needs to be changed, people become desensitized to the act and consider it as something that is inevitable in life. Rape culture should not be written in quotations any longer -- there are statistics to prove it.
Just about how often are women raped in the United States each day? “683,000 adult American women are forcibly raped each year. This equals 56,916 per month; 1,871 per day; 78 per hour; and 1.3 per minute. ” (New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault). The sheer number of rape cases showcases the severity of the problem at hand. However, society still condemns the female victim for somehow dragging herself into the situation by being provocative and male offenders are condoned for their crime due to the ambiguous perception of what ‘consent’ implies. The term ‘gray rape’ is applied when penetration transpires while one partner gives consent (or did not give consent, but did not refuse either) while intoxicated or subjected to feelings of being threatened or is unable to communicate due to incoherence. It is not a legal term and holds no influence in the court of law. However, it is widely used in society, not only by third parties, but even by the victims themselves because they feel shameful or guilty to say that they have been raped.
Rape is not just an unlawful crime, it is a hate crime that targets mostly the female sex. Men can be raped as well, but it’s the risk of a nine month baggage that make women feel more victimized. According to the article, “Offensive Feminism”, written by Jill Filipovic, a journalist whose work on law, politics, gender and foreign affairs has appeared in various media sources, “Sexual assault is not only a crime of violence and power, but also one of entitlement. So long as men feel entitled to dominate and control women’s bodies, sexual assault will continue” (Filipovic 26). The act of sex itself is viewed as male oriented, beginning with the penis penetrating the vagina and ending with the ejaculation of the male. Rape is committed by men who seek to instill dominance over their partner. In the article, “Doing Gender and Doing Gender Inappropriately”, Barbara Perry explains that, “It is no coincidence that violent crimes perpetrated against women has risen so steadily in the three decades corresponding to the rise of the women’s movement” (Perry 336). As women gained rights over the years, and the ability to do more of what men could do, the men felt challenged by the women’s growing authority. When a woman walks down a street, she encounters multiple situations in which men exclaim unwanted derogatory comments that make her feel powerless and make them feel dominant. It is argued that feminism is to blame for the development of the term ‘gray rape’ because feminism is what granted women freedom and independence, but as Lisa Jervis states in her article, “An Old Enemy in a New Outfit”, “Flirting and hookups do not cause rape. Rapists and the culture that creates them -- with it’s mixed messages and double standards -- cause rape” (Jervis 169). American culture does send mixed messages to its populace. America is a country that loves emphasizing its righteousness, flaunting its civil rights, granting social freedom and equality and that includes gender equality. However, the fact that a rape culture exists at all and that a woman has to go through extra measures in order to ensure her own safety is enough to prove that sexism still perseveres in modern day America. It is not only “[f]lirting and hookups” at parties that women are in danger of getting sexually assaulted; They are at risk on the streets, at schools, at the gym, in public areas -- even at work.
In 2013, a 24 year old woman working as a typist at a state prison in Pennsylvania was raped for nearly half an hour after being knocked unconscious by an inmate. Prior to the sexual assault, she notified her superiors that she felt uncomfortable whenever the inmate entered her office to empty the trash, but no determining changes were made by them. When she attempted to press charges against the perpetrator, the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office claimed that she, “[wa]s to blame for her own rape, arguing that she ‘acted in a manner which in whole or in part contributed’ to the assault” and that she was, “responsible for what happened because she didn’t lock the doors separating her office from the cell block” (Culp-Ressler). This claim is, without a doubt, outrageous because a sexual offense was committed and rather than sentencing the assailant to time in prison, the attorney general’s office instead focused the spotlights on the victim, most likely making her feel anxious and hurt and forcing her to recall a horrifying incident. This is how rape culture was developed in the first place, is still currently developing, and will continue to develop if these rape cases keep pointing to the victim as the wrongdoer.
Just like how a woman holds the power to say no to sexual engagement, a man also has the choice of either respecting that woman’s ability to say no, or going against her will and committing a serious offense. It is not the woman’s actions or clothes that cause rape, it is the perpetrator’s sick state of mind and society’s apathetic regard of these horrific acts of violence. So instead of being locked up in her home at night, or walking the streets with 911 pre-dialed on her phone, let the sex offender be locked up behind prison bars.
Works Cited
"Facts About Sexual Assault." Facts About Sexual Assault. NYC Alliance Against Sexual
Assault. Web. 13 Dec. 2014.
"What Is Rape Culture?" WAVAW Women Against Violence Against Women. Web. 13 Dec.
2014.
Culp-Ressler, Tara. "Pennsylvania Attorney General Blames This 24-Year-Old For Her Own
Rape." ThinkProgress RSS. 25 Sept. 2014. Web. 13 Dec. 2014.
Filipovic, Jill. "Offensive Feminism: The Conservative Gender Norms That Perpetuate Rape
Culture, and How Feminists Can Fight Back." Yes Means Yes! Berkeley: Seal, 2008.
13-27. Print.
Jervis, Lisa. "An Old Enemy in a New Outfit: How Date Rape Became Gray Rape and Why It
Matters." Yes Means Yes! Berkeley: Seal, 2008. 361. 163-170. Print.
Kitchens, Caroline. "It's Time to End 'Rape Culture' Hysteria." Time. Time, 20 Mar. 2014. Web.
13 Dec. 2014.
Perry, Barbara. "Doing Gender and Doing Gender Inappropriately." Sex, Gender, and Sexuality.
Second ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2013. 333-352. Print.
“Get a black belt in martial arts.”
“Just don’t leave your house at night.”
“Don’t wear provocative clothing.”
“Don’t drink alcohol in public.”
This privilege is only granted to men who are able to protect themselves from getting raped. It is highly disturbing that the ‘rape culture myth’ has actually solidified into rape culture in modern American society. Women are blamed and scorned for their own victimization, and terms such as, ‘gray rape’ and ‘date rape’, are formed to demonstrate different levels of actual rape. Is the word ‘rape’ not enough implication? Rape, in any shape, color, and form, is the result of the enforced conformity of women and normalized sexual violence by society -- not the result of a woman in a skirt.
In TIME magazine, a weekly news magazine in the United States, Caroline Kitchens, a Senior Research Associate at American Enterprise Institute with a bachelor’s degree in political science, writes an article titled, “It’s Time to End ‘Rape Culture’ Hysteria” (TIME). She argues that, “Twenty-first century America does not have a rape culture; what we have is an out-of-control lobby leading the public and our educational and political leaders down the wrong path” (Kitchens). She writes off the efforts of anti-sexual harassment activists as hysteria, and claims that “Moral panic over ‘rape culture’ helps no one — least of all, survivors of sexual assault”. Hysteria is an exaggerated or uncontrollable emotion characterized by irrationality -- which is not what the activists of the anti-sexual harassment movement are displaying. Their passionate efforts to eradicate rape only helps prevent future harassment by promoting education. The survivors of sexual assault should not have to be bothered, but that does not imply that these anti-sexual harassment movements should be required to be terminated. Without these movements, rape culture will only become inflated and regarded as the norm. America needs to start teaching boys not to rape -- not teaching girls how not to get raped.
What exactly is rape culture? It is a culture in which sexual violence committed against women by males is normalized by society. It is widely integrated into television, movies, books, music, advertisements, laws, jokes, and although it is still legally deemed a crime, instead of viewing it as a problem that needs to be changed, people become desensitized to the act and consider it as something that is inevitable in life. Rape culture should not be written in quotations any longer -- there are statistics to prove it.
Just about how often are women raped in the United States each day? “683,000 adult American women are forcibly raped each year. This equals 56,916 per month; 1,871 per day; 78 per hour; and 1.3 per minute. ” (New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault). The sheer number of rape cases showcases the severity of the problem at hand. However, society still condemns the female victim for somehow dragging herself into the situation by being provocative and male offenders are condoned for their crime due to the ambiguous perception of what ‘consent’ implies. The term ‘gray rape’ is applied when penetration transpires while one partner gives consent (or did not give consent, but did not refuse either) while intoxicated or subjected to feelings of being threatened or is unable to communicate due to incoherence. It is not a legal term and holds no influence in the court of law. However, it is widely used in society, not only by third parties, but even by the victims themselves because they feel shameful or guilty to say that they have been raped.
Rape is not just an unlawful crime, it is a hate crime that targets mostly the female sex. Men can be raped as well, but it’s the risk of a nine month baggage that make women feel more victimized. According to the article, “Offensive Feminism”, written by Jill Filipovic, a journalist whose work on law, politics, gender and foreign affairs has appeared in various media sources, “Sexual assault is not only a crime of violence and power, but also one of entitlement. So long as men feel entitled to dominate and control women’s bodies, sexual assault will continue” (Filipovic 26). The act of sex itself is viewed as male oriented, beginning with the penis penetrating the vagina and ending with the ejaculation of the male. Rape is committed by men who seek to instill dominance over their partner. In the article, “Doing Gender and Doing Gender Inappropriately”, Barbara Perry explains that, “It is no coincidence that violent crimes perpetrated against women has risen so steadily in the three decades corresponding to the rise of the women’s movement” (Perry 336). As women gained rights over the years, and the ability to do more of what men could do, the men felt challenged by the women’s growing authority. When a woman walks down a street, she encounters multiple situations in which men exclaim unwanted derogatory comments that make her feel powerless and make them feel dominant. It is argued that feminism is to blame for the development of the term ‘gray rape’ because feminism is what granted women freedom and independence, but as Lisa Jervis states in her article, “An Old Enemy in a New Outfit”, “Flirting and hookups do not cause rape. Rapists and the culture that creates them -- with it’s mixed messages and double standards -- cause rape” (Jervis 169). American culture does send mixed messages to its populace. America is a country that loves emphasizing its righteousness, flaunting its civil rights, granting social freedom and equality and that includes gender equality. However, the fact that a rape culture exists at all and that a woman has to go through extra measures in order to ensure her own safety is enough to prove that sexism still perseveres in modern day America. It is not only “[f]lirting and hookups” at parties that women are in danger of getting sexually assaulted; They are at risk on the streets, at schools, at the gym, in public areas -- even at work.
In 2013, a 24 year old woman working as a typist at a state prison in Pennsylvania was raped for nearly half an hour after being knocked unconscious by an inmate. Prior to the sexual assault, she notified her superiors that she felt uncomfortable whenever the inmate entered her office to empty the trash, but no determining changes were made by them. When she attempted to press charges against the perpetrator, the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office claimed that she, “[wa]s to blame for her own rape, arguing that she ‘acted in a manner which in whole or in part contributed’ to the assault” and that she was, “responsible for what happened because she didn’t lock the doors separating her office from the cell block” (Culp-Ressler). This claim is, without a doubt, outrageous because a sexual offense was committed and rather than sentencing the assailant to time in prison, the attorney general’s office instead focused the spotlights on the victim, most likely making her feel anxious and hurt and forcing her to recall a horrifying incident. This is how rape culture was developed in the first place, is still currently developing, and will continue to develop if these rape cases keep pointing to the victim as the wrongdoer.
Just like how a woman holds the power to say no to sexual engagement, a man also has the choice of either respecting that woman’s ability to say no, or going against her will and committing a serious offense. It is not the woman’s actions or clothes that cause rape, it is the perpetrator’s sick state of mind and society’s apathetic regard of these horrific acts of violence. So instead of being locked up in her home at night, or walking the streets with 911 pre-dialed on her phone, let the sex offender be locked up behind prison bars.
Works Cited
"Facts About Sexual Assault." Facts About Sexual Assault. NYC Alliance Against Sexual
Assault. Web. 13 Dec. 2014.
"What Is Rape Culture?" WAVAW Women Against Violence Against Women. Web. 13 Dec.
2014.
Culp-Ressler, Tara. "Pennsylvania Attorney General Blames This 24-Year-Old For Her Own
Rape." ThinkProgress RSS. 25 Sept. 2014. Web. 13 Dec. 2014.
Filipovic, Jill. "Offensive Feminism: The Conservative Gender Norms That Perpetuate Rape
Culture, and How Feminists Can Fight Back." Yes Means Yes! Berkeley: Seal, 2008.
13-27. Print.
Jervis, Lisa. "An Old Enemy in a New Outfit: How Date Rape Became Gray Rape and Why It
Matters." Yes Means Yes! Berkeley: Seal, 2008. 361. 163-170. Print.
Kitchens, Caroline. "It's Time to End 'Rape Culture' Hysteria." Time. Time, 20 Mar. 2014. Web.
13 Dec. 2014.
Perry, Barbara. "Doing Gender and Doing Gender Inappropriately." Sex, Gender, and Sexuality.
Second ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2013. 333-352. Print.