Rape " a Social Problem"
Rape: A Social Problem
Deanna Havens
Soc 203: Social Problems
Dr. Rollins
July 23, 2011
Rape is a part of society. Rape is and always will be a social problem. Sexual assault is defined as a sexual act performed without consent, the violation of one person by another. Rather than an act of sexual gratification, rape is an angry and violent expression of the rapist’s desire to dominate someone else (Ledray, 1986, pg. 1-2). Rape not only affects the victim, it also affects family, friends and associates. It was not long ago that rape was not recognized as a real problem. Today, however, society is conscious of this fact: that an individual has the right to choose when to consent to sexual acts. Rape victims can turn the outrage of assault into an opportunity for recovery, change and growth. While statistics show that the majority of rape victims are women, men also experience this trauma. The issue of sexual assault has many different myths and beliefs circulating around it. We as a society need to understand sexual assault and the trauma it causes to victims so we can begin prevention of this crime. Every two minutes, someone in the United States is sexually assaulted. Each year there are about 213,000 victims of sexual assault, sixty percent of which are not reported to law enforcement. Fifteen of sixteen rapists will never spend a day in jail (RAINN, 2011). Statistics show that fewer than forty percent of sexual assault victims report to law enforcement. Going to make a police report can be challenging because eighty to eighty-five percent of reported rape cases are perpetrated by someone the victim knows (Mtryrapecrisis.org, 2011). Once a rape or sexual assault is reported, law enforcement may ask of the victim to undergo a medical forensic exam to collect further evidence. The exam can be invasive and re-traumatizing for victims, but it is the victim’s choice to participate in the exam. Now, some rape victims are unwilling to report the
Deanna Havens
Soc 203: Social Problems
Dr. Rollins
July 23, 2011
Rape is a part of society. Rape is and always will be a social problem. Sexual assault is defined as a sexual act performed without consent, the violation of one person by another. Rather than an act of sexual gratification, rape is an angry and violent expression of the rapist’s desire to dominate someone else (Ledray, 1986, pg. 1-2). Rape not only affects the victim, it also affects family, friends and associates. It was not long ago that rape was not recognized as a real problem. Today, however, society is conscious of this fact: that an individual has the right to choose when to consent to sexual acts. Rape victims can turn the outrage of assault into an opportunity for recovery, change and growth. While statistics show that the majority of rape victims are women, men also experience this trauma. The issue of sexual assault has many different myths and beliefs circulating around it. We as a society need to understand sexual assault and the trauma it causes to victims so we can begin prevention of this crime. Every two minutes, someone in the United States is sexually assaulted. Each year there are about 213,000 victims of sexual assault, sixty percent of which are not reported to law enforcement. Fifteen of sixteen rapists will never spend a day in jail (RAINN, 2011). Statistics show that fewer than forty percent of sexual assault victims report to law enforcement. Going to make a police report can be challenging because eighty to eighty-five percent of reported rape cases are perpetrated by someone the victim knows (Mtryrapecrisis.org, 2011). Once a rape or sexual assault is reported, law enforcement may ask of the victim to undergo a medical forensic exam to collect further evidence. The exam can be invasive and re-traumatizing for victims, but it is the victim’s choice to participate in the exam. Now, some rape victims are unwilling to report the
References: Henslin, J. M. (2008). Seeing the Social Context: Readings to accompany Social Problems. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon Ledray, Linda E. (1986) Recovering from Rape. New York: Henry Cole & Co. Lockwood, Kate Harris. (2011) The Next Problem with No Name: The Politics and Pragmatics of the Word Rape Madanes, Cloé. (1990) Sex, Love and Violence: Strategies for Transformation. New York: W.W. Norton & Co, Inc. McCombie, Sharon L. (1986) The Rape Crisis Intervention Handbook: A Guide for Victim Care. New York: Plenum Press. Rhodes, Dusty & McNeil, Sandra. (1985) Women Against Violence Against Women. London: Onlywomen Press Ltd. Walsh, Ryan M. & Bruce, Steven E. (2011, May) The Relationships between Perceived Levels of Control, Psychological Distress, and Legal System Variables in a Sample of Sexual Assault Survivors