Taking a Stand Against Sexual Assault
Rape culture (RC) in our society is more prevalent than most realize. For generations, our young women have been raised on the same hysteria that has been passed down for decades: warnings of dress, attitude and promiscuity. These hysterical reactions to the battle of the sexes have become behavior expectations for women, thus standardizing the chronic shame associated with womanhood. The byproduct of this shame and public scrutiny is an increase in sexual assault (SA) directed towards both men and women. However, 90% of adult SA victims are indeed female; therefore, there is an obvious prejudice in our society that must be addressed. Mindsets that contribute to RC are caused by patriarchal restraints placed on both men and women and are perpetuated by misogyny due to an uneducated public.
The trivialization and normalization of SA and abuse towards an unconsenting party are not about sexual violence but rather cultural norms and institutions that protect predators, promote impunity, and shame victims. RC has roots in long-standing patriarchal power structures. This culture often ignores the fact that today’s rape culture burdens men too; men can be just as likely to suffer assault, while women are just as likely to be perpetrators of it. Thus, male victims are sometimes left without legal protection and social support. In fact, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, rape is the most under-reported crime with 63% of sexual assaults not reported to the police. More concerning is the low likelihood of men reporting instances of SA.
It is more common, though, for rape or SA to occur to women in their lifetime. In fact, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in five women in the United States experience completed or attempted SA during their lifetime. This is in part due to our inherently misogynistic society, but it is also caused by treating rape as a problem solved by improving the behavior of potential victims. This toxic idea is exemplified through many aspects of everyday society: encouraging women to abide by curfews, discouraging women from wearing revealing clothing, discouraging promiscuity, and teaching women how to avoid getting assaulted rather than teaching men not to do it. These notions place an unjust responsibility on women, causing shame to be a main aspect for victims of SA.
Rape culture affects everyone. The innate, toxic biases from our society must be discussed and dissolved in order to create a more equal environment. The general public needs to investigate rape culture and its impact on society. Seek information on how to stop its influence; it is imperative that we all do our part to make the world better – we are the next future generation.
