Rape Culture: Attitudes and Assessments

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Rape, it seems to be an uncomfortable word for most people to hear or talk about. Whether it’s just embarrassing or a sore subject most people just don’t like to talk about it. There is a certain stigma that surrounds rape and that is the main source of the problem. There is rape culture in this country that leads men and women in this country to believe that in certain situations rape is okay. Whether she was “dressed like she was asking for it” or was passed out drunk, these are not excuses for rape. I believe that if people were more educated about rape and there were harsher punishments for rapists that this would become less of a problem in the United States and worldwide. There is a long history of rape culture and movements to end it.
How is Rape Defined and What is the Issue
Just recently as of January 2013 the definition of rape was changed on a national level. The old definition went as, “The carnal knowledge of female forcibly and against her will.” (fbi.gov) .This definition was recently changed because it was too broad and different jurisdictions interpreted it differently to disenfranchise certain victims. The new definition goes as follows, “Penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.” (fbi.gov)
Some people do not understand the definition of rape. Recently a photo went viral on the internet asking high school students when they thought rape was acceptable. The students were asked and the answers were alarming. According to the photo obtained from thescooping.com, 54% of the male students thought it was okay to rape a female if she starts to have sex with him an...

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...alistic Practice Model. Social Casework, 62(1), 30-39.
Lawal, D. (2013, March 22). Photo of the day: When is rape okay? Retrieved November 15, 2013, from http://www.thescoopng.com
McMahon, S., & Farmer, G. (2011). An Updated Measure for Assessing Subtle Rape Myths. Social Work Research, 35(2), 71-81.
Muehlenhard, C. (1994). Are Rape Statistics Exaggerated? A Response to Criticism of Contemporary Rape Research. Journal of Sex Research, 31(2), 144-146.
Pat, M. (2013, May 20). Frequently Asked Questions About the Change in the UCR Definition of Rape. Retrieved November 15, 2013, from http://www.fbi.gov
Pazzani, L. (2007). The Factors Affecting Sexual Assaults Committed by Strangers and Acquaintances. Violence Against Women, 13(7), 717-749.
Sexual Offenders: Who and Why - AARDVARC.org. (2011, March 28). Retrieved from http://www.aardvarc.org/rape/about/whowhy.shtml

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