Sexual Abuse “Stop freaking out; you’re acting like I raped you.” It is so sad and disgusting how this generation is so desensitized about rape, or any sexual abuse. In the recent media, the public has seen high profile cases such as Bill Cosby, where more than forty women have come out with assault allegations. Instead of support and sympathy, some of the reactions were that the women were all lying because family man Bill Cosby could never do that. Others went as far as to make a Halloween theme costume of the alleged rape. Also, who would have thought that a 16-year old girl’s rape would be made viral, but not for the right reason. It was a trending topic on Twitter as Houston-area teen; Jade was shown passed out and undresses, with thousands …show more content…
Through a closer observation of current research, one discovers the scope of violence, the signs to detect its presence in a person’s life, and what programs are in place to help people to protect them and be in better and …show more content…
“There are some risk factors that are associated with the likelihood of sexual violence”(“Sexual Violence: Risk and Protective Factors”). “It is said that a combination of relational, community, and societal factors are what pushed some people into becoming sexual perpetrators”(“Sexual Violence: Risk and Protective”). “Some of the community factors include poverty, lack of employment opportunities, and general tolerance of sexual violence within the community”(“ Sexual Violence: Risk and Protective Factors”). “Next are relationship factors, which include emotionally unsupportive family environment, association with sexually aggressive peers, and involvement in a violent or abusive intimate relationship”(“Sexual Violence: Risk and Protective Factors”). “Finally, are societal factors, which includes high levels of crime and other forms of violence, weak laws and policies related to sexual violence and gender equity, and societal norms that support sexual violence”(“Sexual Violence: Risk and Protective Factors”). This, however, does not condone sexual violence, but now one can see how upbringing has a lot to with another’s behavior, as one get older. This is a very disturbing way to enter life, but not as near as disturbing as the victim’s aftermath of sexual
Today, many kids don’t know how to deal with the trauma after they were raped because the subject is so taboo that they feel as if it was their fault due to the fact they were never told otherwise in a safe environment. Schools don’t talk about sex unless they are enforcing a strong message of abstinence. This leaves a lot of gray area for most teens today. Because of this, adolescents don’t know the line between consensual and non-consensual sex, who’s to blame in a situation like Melinda’s, and if it is okay to ask any questions about the subject. Kids who were raped and going through this struggle will start to find a way to blame themselves. Victims of sexual assault feel like they need to “confess everything [and] hand over the guilt and mistake and anger to someone else” (Anderson 51). Victims of rape shouldn’t
In America, violence has always been an integral part of national culture. Crime and bloodshed, euphemized through use of “action” (this has a source) plots, are glorified both on and off screen. The more disturbing the act of violence, the more enthralled the public seems. The most prolific of crimes, those committed by infamous serial killers, inspire the most attention. As said by Jeff Lindsay, creator of the book series that inspired the wildly-popular television program, Dexter, “We’re sickened and disgusted, but we need to know. And the more we know about the scene, the more we really are horrified” (“Sympathy for the Devils”). Violence, especially committed by this special class of felons, is enthralling. News reports play a role in this strange attraction, as it is through the news that people even have knowledge of such killers, but the evolution in the “serial killer genre” (Lindsay, “Sympathy for the Devils”) of film and television helps to desensitize people to the gruesome murders that are committed. This begs the question of whether this disturbing trend should be stopped, lest the American “culture of violence” (this has a source) continues to grow stronger. Through news reports, film, and television, criminals are constantly romanticized through use of sympathetic characterization and gratuitous depictions of their crimes, which lends to peoples’ incr
There has been much debate about why people commit sexual crimes. As far as to what causes people to become sex offenders, there is no real answer to this question. No single factor can fully interpret why someone commits a sexual offense, though it is believed that some combination of factors may combine to increase sexual deviancy dramatically. These factors include biological, circumstantial, environmental, and sociocultural aspects of the person, describing the development of abnormal sexual expression through the same mechanisms by which conventional sexuality is also learned (Terry and Tallon). There are a number of sub-theories which have been designed to explain the onset of sexual deviancy. However, because no one can pinpoint the dynamics of sexual deviancy, different theories have been developed to study and account for the development of sexual aggression and behavior. An explanation of the main theories is offered below:
Violence is a common issue not only in The United States, but all around the world. There are many forms of violence such as domestic violence, sexual assault and rape, and murders. About every twenty seconds a person becomes the victim of domestic abuse ( Domestic Violence n.d.). One and six women are victims of sexual assault or rape ( Thinking of Ways to Help?, n.d.). This is an issue typically not addressed or prevented. There are ways people can be taught to help prevent domestic violence, sexual assault, and even possibly murder from a family member.
Rarely does the media offer how the victim tried to defend against the aggressive act, but it quickly allows those accused to state no assault occurred, merely a miscommunication. Celebrities and song artists using rape culture and sexual assault as a way to further their career diminishes society 's concern when attacks occur. Today’s generation typically decides as a whole whether or not the statement or event categorizes as offensive or immoral, leading to not only the victims but individuals attempting to raise awareness to be told their views are invalid.
Sexual violence is a significant social and cultural problem within America and all over the world. Within the United States nearly 1 in 5 women – or nearly 22 million – have been raped in their lifetimes. Arrest rates for sexual assault cases are low as they are hard to investigate because of the effects of the trauma itself. According to the National Crime Victimization Survey, approximately 12% of the 283,200 annual rape or sexual assault victimizations from year 2005-2010 resulted in an arrest at the scene or during a follow-up investigation. Findings from the same survey revealed that more than one-third of women reported experiencing a sexual assault at some point during their lifetime. Within American society, rape constitutes an experience
To begin with, the topic of rape and sexual assault is constantly silenced by society and joked about. For the most part, rapists and sexual offenders are never served justice, and often are not reported. 68% of sexual assault cases have gone unreported and 98% of rapists will never spend a single day in jail (U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Bureau of Justice.) Only 2% of these criminals receive jail time. Only 2% of the criminals get what one deserves for ruining another’s life. Most victims are three times more likely to suffer from depression and six times more likely to develop post traumatic stress disorder; victims are twenty six times more likely to abuse drugs than the average person ( World Health Organization.) It is a common belief
Although it is important to be prepared in the case of sexual harassment, this method of teaching coincides with victim-blaming. The idea places the burden of sexual assault on the victim rather than potential perpetrators. In reality, teaching people about rape culture and how to avoid partaking in it places the burden of sexual assault on those who commit the act which more effectively helps eliminate the stigma around the issue. An article called, Rape and Sexual Assault, concisely paints a picture of the issue by explaining, “Sexual assault has nothing to do with how attractive a girl or guy is. It has nothing to do with desire or passion. Rape and sexual assault come from a need for power and control. In rape, sex is a weapon. It is used to overpower, humiliate, and inflict pain on another person,” (Rape and Sexual Assault). The author of this article asserts that the victim of sexual assault is never at fault, and details specific examples of rape culture to help the audience better understand the topic. In another article, Society's Response to Survivors, the author, Sarah Ullman explains the concept and effects of rape culture. She contends that victim blaming often leads to unstable mental and physical health for the victim. She mentions that many times when victims attempt to tell their
One way individuals learn criminal behaviors by the way violence is portrayed in the media. Whenever the media creates a positive image of aggressiveness, it's influence is the greatest. For example, when actors are portrayed in a way that indicates no punishment, with realistic violence, rewarded for their actions, or their actions shown as justified. (Conklin, p 185).
The importance of addressing issues of sexual violence is necessary in order to prevent sexual assault. Addressing sexual violence means reducing the rate of victims created by the occurrence of sexual abuse. In addition, reducing economic burden (i.e., medical and mental health treatment services, confinement expenses, criminal justice expenses) in the community. Furthermore, aid in developing, maintaining, and enhancing preventative measures to effectively treat sex offenders and their victims to maintain population well-being. Many studies explored many avenues of understanding factors influencing the occurrence of sexual assault; from understanding victims and potential life consequences to offenders and their offending behaviors by exploiting sub-external components contributing to an act of sexual crime.
Along with television shows, news stations are accused of trivializing rape aswell. How many times have you heard, “She asked for it.” or any other type of victim blaming, or a derivative of,“Boys will be boys.” to make rape seem like not such a big deal (1a)? News channels will even go as far as scrutinizing a victim’s dress, mental state, motives and history to make the victim seem in the wrong about their rape (1a). Some channels will inflate the fake rape statistics to make rape seem like a less
525,6000 minutes in a year; every 2 minutes a sexual assault occurs. That’s an average of 293,066 victims every year (Langton and Truman). Rape cases have made headlines in national newspapers; even have gone viral on social media. Recently, the public’s reactions to these stories have become a problem of its own. Campaigns have been created to help raise awareness of the backlash rape victim’s experience.
This research will analyze how Society in America handles rape according to Stats ,education ,and helping victims.60% Of women who reported rape were under the age of 18.29.3% were less than 11 years old. 32.3% were between the ages of 11 and 17. 22.2% we 're between the ages of 18 and 24. 7.1% 4 between 25 and 29. 6.1% older than the age of 29. 3% ages were not disclosed. This shows that age is a major factor when it comes to sexual assault in America.Youths 12 through 17 are two to three times more likely to be sexually assaulted . Through statistics you can see that rape and sexual assault is a huge issue
Rape culture has been seen in many ways throughout the media. For example, during one of our readings we learned how rape and violence against women were being seen as normal, in song lyrics. Rape culture is also reinforced in films and movies. But, I decided to focus my manifesto project on how rape culture is represented in the news media. I have personally read and seen how the news media often blames the victim for being raped. Although they don’t state it so obvious, if you pay close attention you can see it. I believe this is an important issue given that it reinforces the idea that a victim of rape is responsible for it, which isn’t the true. Anyone who is raped is not responsible for what happened to them. If the news media, along with
Rape culture is something that we see in the news, online, and in the media regularly lately, but what is rape culture? Rape has been defined as, “Unlawful sexual activity and usually sexual intercourse carried out forcibly or under threat of injury against the will usually of a female or with a person who is beneath a certain age or incapable of valid consent.” (Merriam-Webster) Culture is defined by Merriam-Webster as, “The act of developing the intellectual and moral faculties especially by education.” That means that culture is a learned set of behaviors. As a matter of fact, the process by which children learn how to behave within a society is called enculturation (Ferraro, 2007). When you pair the word “culture” with another word like “rape”, the implications are terrible. “Rape Culture” means we have learned to accept rape and acts of sexual misconduct as part of our culture.