Analysis Essay

Strauss 1

Hanna Strauss

Dr. Wolfgang Lepschy

ENC 1101

28 March 2018

“Rape Culture” in Our Society

A prominent issue in our society is sexual assault and the fact that the victims of these crimes are often neglected in our society. According to statistics from the Department of Justice, “[o]nly 310 out of every 1,000 sexual assaults are reported to police. That means about 2 out of 3 go unreported” (“The Criminal Justice System”). This neglect leads to a lack of justice served for these victims who deserve it so badly. These problems all stem from an issue referred to as “rape culture.” It affects almost every aspect of the process a victim must go through if they choose to report this crime. The crime of rape is extremely underreported, causing the issue of sexual assault to be overlooked in a way that causes a great percentage of the population to not realize how common it is. Additionally, once reported, sexual assault cases rarely make it to trial. If a victim does choose to report the crime and their case does go to trial, the legal process they are about to endure will be even more challenging. In sum, on top of enduring basic struggles associated with being a rape victim, victims of sexual assault rarely report these crimes, and those who do report are often mistreated by the legal system and society due to the widespread rape culture. Comment by Wolfgang Lepschy: Use of thought-provoking facts to establish context and relevance for the issue. Comment by Wolfgang Lepschy: Focus statement/thesis summarizes the issue that will be analyzed.

Sexual assault, more specifically rape, is clearly an issue that needs more attention. It is arguably the most underreported crime in America. The main reason this crime is not reported by its victims is out of fear. Victims hold a valid fear that they will not be believed. This is mainly due to society’s preconceived opinions and beliefs about sexual assault and its victims (Beavers and Halabi 558). The horrible difficulties that come with being a public victim of rape discourage new victims from opening up or even admitting to themselves that it happened. Many victims fear coming forward to their families and support systems. The possible disapproval and the lack of comfort and understanding only increases the inevitable self-guilt, shame, and embarrassment (Sarmiento 141). On top of this, the stereotype of a rape victim is not a pretty one. Therefore, it’s no surprise that victims do not want to be put in the same box as the others before them; in fact, they fear that box. Comment by Wolfgang Lepschy: This paragraph analyzes one cause for the under-reporting of rape: fear. Comment by Wolfgang Lepschy: The student develops the first cause by paraphrasing different sources.

For those brave enough to report this crime to the police, it is not likely that the case will even continue past that point. During an interview with specialist Kelsey Singer, she shared her professional opinion about why prosecutors often fail to take these cases to trial: “...through what I have seen in my experience… it is rare that there will be any DNA evidence whatsoever… Without evidence, it makes the case that much harder to prove as it then becomes a question of consent, thereby turning into a he said/she said scenario.” However, if a case can be built and tried, the legal process is often so unbearable that victims frequently question their decision to report. Comment by Wolfgang Lepschy: Skillfully transitions from first to second cause. Comment by Wolfgang Lepschy: Introduces and explains the second cause.

In addition, many victims are unable to recall all of the events that occurred, making it seem as though they never happened. This disassociation is very common and is due to the effects of Rape Trauma Syndrome, which causes victims of sexual assault to have either a fight, flight, or freeze response at the time of the traumatic event (Kaufman 1476). The mind goes to extraordinary lengths to protect our bodies by withholding memories, as they could be too traumatizing to relive. This becomes a problem in the legal process because as a victim heals from the trauma, they begin to recollect different events and memories, calling the events into question. Comment by Wolfgang Lepschy: Third cause.

The strength it takes to stand up in front of a jury and describe the trauma in detail, multiple times, in front of the assailant, while being interrogated and challenged by the defense attorney and the judge, is very wearing on a person. Furthermore, this process is not a short one. It can take many months to years until a case actually goes to trial. Meanwhile, the victims continue to struggle and heal from the incident. Many victims of sexual assault suffer from alcoholism, self-blame, and have trust issues that affect their relationships. Moreover, 80% of rape victims are diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (Kaufman 1476). Another difficulty that regularly occurs in sexual assault cases is when a victim has had a relationship with the perpetrator in the past. Even though logically everyone should know and understand that consent is something that needs to be issued in every sexual interaction, many people turn a blind eye to this fact. Why? The answer is rape culture. Comment by Wolfgang Lepschy: The fourth reason is the stress and emotional discomfort the victim has to endure.

The beliefs about rape and victimization are so embedded in American minds that people do not even realize that they are surrendering and adhering to such myths, thus leaving the majority of the population with biased opinions regarding how these matters should be handled. Societal beliefs in rape myths and rape culture are what hinder progress in terms of how victims are treated. Rape culture is responsible for victim blaming, which is done by the public, but also police officers, medical personnel, judges, and juries (Reling et al. 501). Unfortunately, this validates victims’ feelings of self-blame. Average people often live their lives under an illusion of safety. When they blame the victims for what happened, then those people can find a sense of security in that this awful crime “will never happen to them.” The problem is that unfortunately it is not that simple. Comment by Wolfgang Lepschy: Here the student transitions to society blaming the victim.

The crime of sexual assault does not discriminate. Men, transgender individuals, elderly people, inmates, and members of the military are all subject to sexual assault. For instance, 1 in every 5 women are assaulted, and 1 in 10 males are assaulted. In addition to this, 1 in 7 military members are subject to abuse at the hands of a commanding officer and 60% of sexual violence in prisons is perpetrated by staff. When it comes to this crime, every 98 seconds someone is assaulted. This means that there are hundreds of thousands of people who are perpetrated against daily. Individuals aged 12-34 are at the highest risk of assault, and women 16-19 years old are four times more likely to be sexually assaulted than the general public (Singer). Comment by Wolfgang Lepschy: Additional statistics illustrate the pervasiveness of the issue.

Though being underreported may give people the false impression that this crime isn’t common, this is evidently not the case. Sexual assault is a major issue that affects much of America’s population. In order for justice to be served to the victims of sexual assault, it is imperative that rape culture be abolished. Until our society properly educates themselves on the existing rape myths and alters their views toward victims of rape and sexual assault, this crime will continue to occur and be underreported. Comment by Wolfgang Lepschy: Sums up analysis with a wake-up call for society.

Works Cited

Beavers, Jenelle M., and Sam F. Halabi. "Stigma and the Structure of Title IX Compliance."

Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Winter 2017, p. 558+. Academic OneFile, link.galegroup.com.db28.linccweb.org/apps/doc/A528197847/AONE?u=lincclin_tcc&sid=AONE&xid=001a7bb7.

“The Criminal Justice System: Statistics.” www.rainn.org. RAINN, 2018, www.rainn.org/statistics/criminal-justice-system.

Kaufman, Miriam. "Care of the Adolescent Sexual Assault Victim." Pediatrics, June 2001, p.

1476. Academic OneFile, link.galegroup.com.db28.linccweb.org/apps/doc/A75561254/AONE?u=lincclin_tcc&sid=AONE&xid=39833adb.

Reling, Timothy T., et al. "Rape Myths and Hookup Culture: An Exploratory Study of U.S.

College Students' Perceptions." Sex Roles, vol. 78, no. 7/8, Apr. 2018, pp. 501-514. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1007/s11199-017-0813-4.

Sarmiento, Ilaria. "Rape Stereotypes and Labeling: Awareness of Victimization and Trauma."

Psychological Reports, vol. 108, no. 1, Feb. 2011, pp. 141-148. EBSCOhost, doi:10.2466/07.13.16.PR0.108.1.141-148.

Singer, Kelsey. Interview by phone. By Hanna Strauss. 8 Mar. 2018.