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25 Everyday Examples of Rape Culture
snips:
In reading through feminist forums and articles online, particularly in articles about rape or sexual assault, I notice that sometimes in the comments section, people make statements about how rape culture is just a phrase that’s made up to make men look bad or to make it seem like rape is something that happens far more often than it actually does.
To understand rape culture better, first we need to understand that it’s not necessarily a society or group of people that outwardly promotes rape (although it could be).
When we talk about rape culture, we’re discussing something more implicit than that. We’re talking about cultural practices (that, yes, we commonly engage in together as a society) that excuse or otherwise tolerate sexual violence.
We’re talking about the way that we collectively think about rape.
More often than not, it’s situations in which sexual assault, rape, and general violence are ignored, trivialized, normalized, or made into jokes.
When we talk about rape culture, we’re discussing something more implicit than that. We’re talking about cultural practices (that, yes, we commonly engage in together as a society) that excuse or otherwise tolerate sexual violence.
We’re talking about the way that we collectively think about rape.
More often than not, it’s situations in which sexual assault, rape, and general violence are ignored, trivialized, normalized, or made into jokes.
Examples:
Pop music that tells women “you know you want it” because of these “blurred lines” (of consent).
A judge who sentenced only 30 days in jail to a 50-year-old man who raped a 14-year-old girl (who later committed suicide), and defended that the girl was “older than her chronological age.”
Mothers who blame girls for posting sexy selfies and leading their sons into sin, instead of talking with their sons about their responsibility for their own sexual expression.
People who believe that girls “allow themselves to be raped.”
Journalists who substitute the word “sex” for “rape” – as if they’re the same thing.
The ubiquity of street harassment – and how victims are told that they’re “overreacting” when they call it out.
Reddit threads with titles like “You just have to make sure she’s dead” when linking to the story of a 13-year-old girl in Pakistan being raped and buried alive.
Assuming that false reporting for sexual assault cases are the norm, when in reality, they’re only 2-8%, which is on par with grand theft auto.
Only 3% of rapists ever serving a day in jail.
Women feeling less safe walking the streets at night than men do.
1-in-5 women and 1-in-71 men having reported experiencing rape.
A judge who sentenced only 30 days in jail to a 50-year-old man who raped a 14-year-old girl (who later committed suicide), and defended that the girl was “older than her chronological age.”
Mothers who blame girls for posting sexy selfies and leading their sons into sin, instead of talking with their sons about their responsibility for their own sexual expression.
People who believe that girls “allow themselves to be raped.”
Journalists who substitute the word “sex” for “rape” – as if they’re the same thing.
The ubiquity of street harassment – and how victims are told that they’re “overreacting” when they call it out.
Reddit threads with titles like “You just have to make sure she’s dead” when linking to the story of a 13-year-old girl in Pakistan being raped and buried alive.
Assuming that false reporting for sexual assault cases are the norm, when in reality, they’re only 2-8%, which is on par with grand theft auto.
Only 3% of rapists ever serving a day in jail.
Women feeling less safe walking the streets at night than men do.
1-in-5 women and 1-in-71 men having reported experiencing rape.
There are hotlinks included at this link, that point you to the news stories surrounding the above listing:
http://everydayfeminism.com/2014/03/examples-of-rape-culture/
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