Rape Culture
Rape culture is where society excuses, tolerates, normalizes and condones rape/sexual assault. People victim blame ("she asked for it, look at how she was dressed. She was practically naked", "She shouldn't be alone late at night", "If he wouldn't have stolen, he wouldn't have gone to jail and gotten raped", "He shouldn't have gone to the bar"). They trivialize sexual assault ("Boys will be boys!", "oh you know how guys are"). They pressure men to "score" ("I bet you can't get that girl in bed?"). Rape culture assumes that only promiscuous women get raped and that only "weak" men get raped or men don't get raped at all.
Today I deleted someone from my Facebook because they wrote "rape and record it". That person is not the only person that takes rape as a joke. I've come across countless of people who use the word rape as a joke by saying things such as "I'm gonna rape you lol", "I raped the replay button", "She wants it...she likes it rough".
Ain't nothing funny about rape. And using it to toy around, victim blame, and anything else that defines rape culture, only degrades the severity of just how horrible rape is. Then people sit there and wonder why our society has a RISE in rapes. Because is seems to be a dam joke, that's why!
Just about two days ago I heard someone in Real life say "human trafficking doesn't happen in America. That only happens in poor countries". I have to admit that my jaw fell. Obviously this person did not hear the recent news where the FBI arrested 150 people and rescued 105 children in a 3 day operation in America.
It almost seems to me that people don't want to see how horrible this crime is. As if it's better to joke about it and ignore it then face the severity of the issue. I guess we are so used to living a good life that accepting HORRIBLE things do! happen in America too can taint our "perfect" bubble that we live in.
Well I am going to burst your bubble! Let me tell you what rape really means. Rape means HORRIBLE nightmares, flashbacks, and mental health issues for the victims. Rape means FEAR. Rape means HURT. Rape means TEARS. Rape means taking a part of someone that you can't ever give back. It's a form of killing someone.
Rape can happen to anyone. To you, your mother, your bother, your sister, your aunt, your uncle, your friends....anyone!
Laughing about rape won't stop it. Trivializing it won't stop it. Excusing it and ignoring it won't stop it.
What will stop it is avoiding using jokes with the words rape. Speaking out if you hear someone else making a joke or trivialize rape. Taking someone serious if they tell you they have been raped and supporting them. Being respectful of other people's boundaries. Always communicating with sexual partners and not just assuming consent. Get involved! and help stop rape and violence <3
Here are some resources if you have been a victim or want to learn more about rape and sexual assault :
RAINN - International Sexual Assault Resources (resources from around the world)
One In Six - Resources for men
Stop It Now - Sexual Abuse Prevention, Helpline Resources, Adult survivors and more.
Take a look at :REBELL: New release HERE and more.
Freaking awesome post! Rape culture is something that's not talked about nearly enough!
ReplyDeleteRape is such a devastating trauma that it can take years of therapy to bring the survivor back to the realisation that they are a valuable human being and that they did not choose to be treated as an object for someone else's gratification against their will. The post traumatic stress of rape is just as significant and devastating as that experienced by soldiers fighting in the most horrific of wars, and it is just as devastating because the survivors of rape can be judged by ill informed society (or the survivors believe they will be judged) as having "brought it on themselves", and there is often a lot of stigma associated with rape (people in some countries are executed if they are the victims of rape!) so survivors may not even have the benefit of compassion and understanding, despite them being the victim. Rape is not a joke, it is not something that people can just ignore later if it happens to them, the effects can echo on for decades or for life if therapy isn't available, and that can affect the survivor's ability to feel intimate and close to people they love, denying them the very thing they need, selfless love and affection. The acceptance of rape is a mental aberration, it is seeing others as insignificant objects. Nobody, NOBODY is insignificant, and nobody is ever an object to be used and discarded. The rapist may think they have "won" something, but committing rape also destroys part of their own humanity (if their conscience ever wakes up they will be haunted and unable to escape, just like their victims), so there are no winners, ever.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree Scythe and you are right Anonymous, I think the subject should be addressed more.
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