Rape culture is a problem faced by every member of society. In rape culture, women are objectified and victims are blamed for the crime committed against them. Society allows for sexual scripts in which men are supposed to be more desirous of sex and often times not in control of their desires. This type of sexual script plays into rape culture in that it takes blame off of the often male perpetrators, placing the blame on their victims. Victim blaming affects sexual self-schema of the victim, giving them negative associations with their personal sex experiences Rape culture only supports victim blaming, making individual victims feel even more disgusted in their sexual self-schema.
In the US, 95 percent of reported sexual assaults are committed against females, making this a very gender based crime with rape culture perpetuating it (“Chapter 10: Resisting Violence Against Women,” 511). Violent, sexual crimes against women are not solely based in the US, however. According to “Confronting Violence” by Tokyiwaa Manuh and Adolt Awuku Bekoe, one in every three women on a global scale have been “beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime” (538). In the global South, women often experience rape and other forms of sexual assault from people they are close to. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Guinea, people with trusted positions use rape and sexual harassment to exploit and humiliate their opponents (538). In Congo, “tens of thousands of women, possibly hundreds of thousands, have been raped” and in shocking and brutal ways that go beyond imagining (Jeffrey Gettlemen, 544). The fact that rape and sexual harassment is so commonly used against women on a global scale is alarming.
In the United States, college campuses have high rates of sexual crimes committed. A campus “with 10,000 female students could experience about 350 rapes a year” with about 9 in 10 of the offenders being known to the female victim (“Chapter 10: Resisting Violence Against Women,” 511-512). Though there are such high numbers of rape at college campuses, about only 5 percent get reported, with acquaintance rape being the most underreported (“Chapter 10: Resisting Violence Against Women,” 512). The article “Sexual Assault on Campus” by Elizabeth A. Armstrong, Laura Hamilton and Brian Sweeney points out that college campuses are particularly prone to sexual crimes against women because of fraternities and bars (485). In a fraternity, there is often an emphasis on heteronormativity, meaning that the peers in a fraternity pressure each other to uphold a heterosexual lifestyle. Places like fraternities formalize and structure gender inequality and provides both a place and an opportunities for rape to be committed (Armstrong 485). Rape is often committed by an acquaintance, making the crime seem even more personal and heinous to the victim. Though there may be avenues for the victim to seek help after the crime, this does not help in preventing the actual crime. It should not just be up to the victim to recover from rape, but it should also be up to society to prevent rape in the first place.
The article by Manuh and Awuku puts an emphasis on educating men and boys about rape. On a global scale, prevention methods involve teaching men and boys about the importance of “ending gender-based violence, while respecting women’s leadership and voices in defining this issue” (Manuh 539). On a national scale, FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture, is a website dedicated to stopping rape culture and raising awareness. It’s goal it to make the public aware of rape culture through art and the media. In the past they have conducted demonstrations at the white house. Next summer, they are planning on a Quilt Monument that will blanket the lawn of the national mall with stories of rape victims (FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture).
A similar approach could be taken to the smaller scale of college campuses. In “Rape Culture on Campus” Kristin Bain tells of her efforts to raise awareness of rape culture and to educate potential rapists about rape in order to prevent it on a college campus. The university she works on holds a Rape Awareness Week every year, and she has worked to bring about more awareness of rape on a monthly basis (Bain, 27). Their process is still ongoing in the effort to make a change in rape culture.
In the US, 95 percent of reported sexual assaults are committed against females, making this a very gender based crime with rape culture perpetuating it (“Chapter 10: Resisting Violence Against Women,” 511). Violent, sexual crimes against women are not solely based in the US, however. According to “Confronting Violence” by Tokyiwaa Manuh and Adolt Awuku Bekoe, one in every three women on a global scale have been “beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime” (538). In the global South, women often experience rape and other forms of sexual assault from people they are close to. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Guinea, people with trusted positions use rape and sexual harassment to exploit and humiliate their opponents (538). In Congo, “tens of thousands of women, possibly hundreds of thousands, have been raped” and in shocking and brutal ways that go beyond imagining (Jeffrey Gettlemen, 544). The fact that rape and sexual harassment is so commonly used against women on a global scale is alarming.
In the United States, college campuses have high rates of sexual crimes committed. A campus “with 10,000 female students could experience about 350 rapes a year” with about 9 in 10 of the offenders being known to the female victim (“Chapter 10: Resisting Violence Against Women,” 511-512). Though there are such high numbers of rape at college campuses, about only 5 percent get reported, with acquaintance rape being the most underreported (“Chapter 10: Resisting Violence Against Women,” 512). The article “Sexual Assault on Campus” by Elizabeth A. Armstrong, Laura Hamilton and Brian Sweeney points out that college campuses are particularly prone to sexual crimes against women because of fraternities and bars (485). In a fraternity, there is often an emphasis on heteronormativity, meaning that the peers in a fraternity pressure each other to uphold a heterosexual lifestyle. Places like fraternities formalize and structure gender inequality and provides both a place and an opportunities for rape to be committed (Armstrong 485). Rape is often committed by an acquaintance, making the crime seem even more personal and heinous to the victim. Though there may be avenues for the victim to seek help after the crime, this does not help in preventing the actual crime. It should not just be up to the victim to recover from rape, but it should also be up to society to prevent rape in the first place.
The article by Manuh and Awuku puts an emphasis on educating men and boys about rape. On a global scale, prevention methods involve teaching men and boys about the importance of “ending gender-based violence, while respecting women’s leadership and voices in defining this issue” (Manuh 539). On a national scale, FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture, is a website dedicated to stopping rape culture and raising awareness. It’s goal it to make the public aware of rape culture through art and the media. In the past they have conducted demonstrations at the white house. Next summer, they are planning on a Quilt Monument that will blanket the lawn of the national mall with stories of rape victims (FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture).
A similar approach could be taken to the smaller scale of college campuses. In “Rape Culture on Campus” Kristin Bain tells of her efforts to raise awareness of rape culture and to educate potential rapists about rape in order to prevent it on a college campus. The university she works on holds a Rape Awareness Week every year, and she has worked to bring about more awareness of rape on a monthly basis (Bain, 27). Their process is still ongoing in the effort to make a change in rape culture.