Sexual Violence - Essay Example

Rape Culture

Sexual violence has always been an area of concern, not only in America but globally. Most rape victims are often trolled in social media when they seek help and get blamed for allowing the incident to happen. The issue of gender disparity is highly evident when it comes to rape cases, and mostly, females fall victim to rape cases, and most of them attest to the fact that they are threatened not to talk about it. The article on exploring rape culture within social media forums gives a detailed fact that people are trolled on social media when trying to air out their grievances on experiences they have had with rapists.

Zaleski, in collaboration with her fellow authors, wrote an excellent piece on rape culture. First of all, we need to understand what rape culture is; it is a phrase invented in the 70s to depict how people blame victims of sexual violence and support male sexual abuse (Navid 1). Rape culture is a slogan used to entice people into embracing the teaching of sexualized violence prevention as in "be careful not to get raped,” instead of “do not rape.” (Navid 1). The above statement clearly shows that the society we live in does adhere to or recognize ethical norms. Emmie Buchwald, a famous author from the 19th century, wrote a book on rape culture titled Transforming a Rape Culture (1993). In her book, she states that rape culture is a more comprehensive precept that allows men to engage in harmful sexual activities like rape (Emmy 1). She adds that the society views rape as something sexy, and in this kind of society, both genders view rape as part of their daily lives that is inevitable t any given moment (Emmy 1). However, what we perceive as unavoidable is the expression of values and attitudes that can be easily changed.

Rape victims are vulnerable to getting blamed for sexual abuse incidences than victims of other crimes. Any person who has ever undergone an act of sexual abuse goes through a tough time trying to forget about the incident, which terrorizes most victims mentally. Most victims have nowhere to go to or any person to turn to and talk to relieve the pain a bit (Claire, Monica, and Caroline 1). Sexual assault has become a pressing issue to the American society, and statistics reveal that 3 out of 10 women get assaulted in their lifetime. Additionally, sexual assault reports are among the highly underreported criminal cases in the United States (Claire, Monica, and Caroline 1). Studies on sexual abuse and victim-blaming focus mainly on two perspectives; individual aspects and situational aspects. Individual elements are primarily described as the 'rape perception framework," while situational factors are characteristics of the abuse that influence victim blame (Claire, Monica, and Caroline 1). Moreover, there is a third critical aspect, which is the main focus of the essay: societal or institutional aspects. These consist of gender roles, social media, and the significant surrounding that contribute to the promotion of victim blame.

Additionally, rape culture consists of jokes on how raping is fun, TV, the type of music people listen to, especially young adults, laws, words, and graphics. In short, things that make sexual violence seem so typical that individuals believe that rape is inevitable (Navid 1). This perception makes people view rape as something that- cannot be changed instead of thinking about how they will change it (Navid 1). These consistent sexual assault threats affect most women’s daily lives in terms of asking them to be careful on what they wear and how they carry themselves in a not so provocative manner towards men (Navid 1). If a lady does not conform to these precautions and gets raped, it will be their fault, and the blame should not be pinned on the rapist.

Rape myths are popular tools that collaborate to authenticate a rape culture in the community and demoralize rape investigations and tribunals in courts and the constitutional structure. Platforms for challenging and prohibiting rape myths must be thoroughly surveyed and maneuvered (Holly and Courtenay 1). Studies reveal that prevailing cultures related to top rape culture, interfere with rape charges. Individuals are challenged to reform laws based on rape culture to make society a better place(2). Rape myths have a high effect on how rape and sexual abuse cases are handled in the constitutional structure. The community at large and social media plays a significant role in affecting rape culture in America.

Social media platforms can become a way of advocating for online misogyny and, at the same time, creating a space for feminist education and human rights activism. Scholars like Carrie Rentschler confirm that social media gives space where rape culture can be performed and, at the same time, resisted (Sophie et al. 935). Various people who were interviewed confirmed that they witnessed cases of victim-blaming and “slut-shaming”, a series of rape jokes and people cheering on male sexual conquests. The respondents stated that it was distressing to rape victims to see such things written on social media. They applauded those platforms that offered inspiration, education, and harmony to people who felt uncomfortable with rape culture (Sophie et al. 937). This is a clear depiction that social media platforms can be used for the greater good in demeaning rape culture and changing people's perceptions of rape.

In the article, Kristeen mentions that most young ladies have sexual relations with celebrities to acquire money. If they are denied the cash, they accuse them of sexual assault as the case of Henry Cosby (Kristeen et al. 924). So is it true that celebrities coerce young ladies into having sex with them in exchange for payment? Research reveals that several celebrities have been accused of coercing young ladies into having sex with them and going to extents of raping some of them. An example of such is Henry Cosby, a songwriter, music producer, and arranger who formerly worked with Motown records from the time it was invented until 2002. Henry has been subject to rape allegations, sexual assault, child defilement, and having a history of sexual misconduct (Matt and Jones 1). The first case was on a woman called Constand in 2004 when she reportedly said that he would touch her breasts and her genital areas, and eventually, he took advantage of her (Matt and Jones 1). It is clear to say that not only Cosby but also lots of celebrities take advantage of being influential people in society and decide to do whatever they want to claim to be above the law.

Gender-based violence has been highlighted in the article, where Kristeen and her co-authors talk on how this has become a concerning issue that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Women fall victim to gender-based violence, and most of them do not get the courage to post whatever is happening in their lives at the moment; all they do is sit and wait for one person to raise an issue, then they back them up with theirs (Kristeen 925). The question is, why are some things rubbed off by societal organizations or the government without taking into consideration the affected party's feelings? This is an infringement of individual rights, and it inflicts pain and anger into an individual, making them feel worthless to society (UNHCR). The United Nations, in partnership with other human activist programs, have tried coming up with solutions to address this issue. Their initiatives bring together different sectors in the UN that help minimize the risks of gender-based violence and ensure that there is support to all survivors.

Instead of focusing on women alone, human activist organizations should also put into consideration the male gender. Not only women suffer from sexual abuse, but men too suffer. There have been cases of men getting sodomized and boys getting defiled even by women. However, it is hard for a man to come out in the open and admit that an act of disgrace was committed. Statistics reveal that only 2 out of 10 men open up and talk about getting sexually harassed. The problem with men is that they will not open up, and some of them suffer from depression and get suicidal thoughts. The government needs to do something to address the issue of sexual violence on men and avoid putting their whole focus on women.

Additionally, in her article, Kristeen talks about how men hardly comment on matters concerning rape culture on social media platforms. Statistics show that a high percentage of married men rarely engage in social media activities. In contrast, those who engage in these activities are dubbed as lonely and searching for friends to keep them company. Adding to my bucket list, meeting strangers online, and agreeing to meet them leads individuals to get sexually assaulted. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and the likes are meant for people to interact with each other and discuss things that are trending globally or crack jokes and make new friends. However, it is advisable to avoid meeting strangers that you have only seen on social media. Once you fall into their trap and meet them, some will take advantage and either rape or sodomize and sometimes leave their victims out in the cold to die. Some of these cases sink the drain because there is insufficient evidence to prove that you met with the person and that they raped. Once the rapist commits his crime, he will vanish from all social media platforms or create other accounts and continue doing the act on several people. Therefore, a person should be cautious when meeting strange people.

In conclusion, rape culture has become a norm in society, and most people advocate for sexual-based violence. Most rape victims hardly find justice when they seek it because they do not have clear evidence to show that a specific person committed it. We live in a male-dominated society where women must be submissive to all-male requests, and their opinion does not matter. Hundreds of thousands of women suffer from inner hurt and rarely find somewhere to air out their grievances. Social media platforms have been created to help support one another. Instead, some of them tear people down, especially when it comes to trolling rape victims online and showing high levels of misogyny. Human activists should come up with ways to ensure that rape victims find justice and avoid getting shammed on social media as it can result in issues related to their mental health.

Additionally, rape culture consists of jokes on how raping is fun, TV, the type of music people listen to, especially young adults, laws, words, and graphics. In short, things that make sexual violence seem so typical that individuals believe that rape is inevitable (Navid 1). This perception makes people view rape as something that- cannot be changed instead of thinking about how they will change it (Navid 1). These consistent sexual assault threats affect most women’s daily lives in terms of asking them to be careful on what they wear and how they carry themselves in a not so provocative manner towards men (Navid 1). If a lady does not conform to these precautions and gets raped, it will be their fault, and the blame should not be pinned on the rapist.

Rape myths are popular tools that collaborate to authenticate a rape culture in the community and demoralize rape investigations and tribunals in courts and the constitutional structure. Platforms for challenging and prohibiting rape myths must be thoroughly surveyed and maneuvered (Holly and Courtenay 1). Studies reveal that prevailing cultures related to top rape culture, interfere with rape charges. Individuals are challenged to reform laws based on rape culture to make society a better place(2). Rape myths have a high effect on how rape and sexual abuse cases are handled in the constitutional structure. The community at large and social media plays a significant role in affecting rape culture in America.

Social media platforms can become a way of advocating for online misogyny and, at the same time, creating a space for feminist education and human rights activism. Scholars like Carrie Rentschler confirm that social media gives space where rape culture can be performed and, at the same time, resisted (Sophie et al. 935). Various people who were interviewed confirmed that they witnessed cases of victim-blaming and “slut-shaming”, a series of rape jokes and people cheering on male sexual conquests. The respondents stated that it was distressing to rape victims to see such things written on social media. They applauded those platforms that offered inspiration, education, and harmony to people who felt uncomfortable with rape culture (Sophie et al. 937). This is a clear depiction that social media platforms can be used for the greater good in demeaning rape culture and changing people's perceptions of rape.

In the article, Kristeen mentions that most young ladies have sexual relations with celebrities to acquire money. If they are denied the cash, they accuse them of sexual assault as the case of Henry Cosby (Kristeen et al. 924). So is it true that celebrities coerce young ladies into having sex with them in exchange for payment? Research reveals that several celebrities have been accused of coercing young ladies into having sex with them and going to extents of raping some of them. An example of such is Henry Cosby, a songwriter, music producer, and arranger who formerly worked with Motown records from the time it was invented until 2002. Henry has been subject to rape allegations, sexual assault, child defilement, and having a history of sexual misconduct (Matt and Jones 1). The first case was on a woman called Constand in 2004 when she reportedly said that he would touch her breasts and her genital areas, and eventually, he took advantage of her (Matt and Jones 1). It is clear to say that not only Cosby but also lots of celebrities take advantage of being influential people in society and decide to do whatever they want to claim to be above the law.

Gender-based violence has been highlighted in the article, where Kristeen and her co-authors talk on how this has become a concerning issue that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Read More