...Rape as a Social Murder Sexual assault is the fastest growing crime in America. Women are the targets of rape, the most underreported violent crime. 60% of rapes go unreported to the police; cases that are reported and end up going to trial have a low rate of punishment for perpetrators (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, 2008). Rape is a powerful tool of sexual violence because women are forced to assume the position of powerless victim, one who has no control over what is happening to her body. The ability to silence its victims also erases evidence of the crime, thus leading to a higher incidence of underreporting. Rape is part of a system of male dominance. This system has lead to opinions that the female body, especially the black female body, is available for men at their leisure, thus leading to a society tolerant of prostitution and sexual violence against low-income black women. Race is one of the predicting factors of sexual violence. Although 80% of all victims are white, minorities are more likely to be attacked (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, 2008). Since the black female body is hypersexualized, due to negative media images, black women face injustices when trying to pursue justice for an unjust attack on their bodies. Societal male dominance has created an environment where sexual violence is tolerated; this environment combined with the social position of low-income black women in the United States has lead to disproportionate sexual victimization...
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...December 2014 When discussing sexual assault or rape, people often overlook the effects and aftermath of the situation, especially non-physical effects. Those of us who have the privilege of receiving public education are taught about the importance of consent-getting someone’s permission before touching their body-in sexual education classes, or maybe we are taught by our parents or other guardians. Regardless of how we are taught, we all learn that it is wrong to touch other people when we are told “no”. However, we hardly ever take the time to consider that there are more lasting effects of sexual assault than making someone uncomfortable. Sexual assault damages victims’ health physically as well as psychologically (Campbell). It is most common to hear about the physical impacts sexual assault can have on victims. Perpetrators of sexual assault are motivated by feelings of power and control over their victims, and therefore are violent and forceful, which can cause lasting physical damage to the victim. One hundred percent of completed rapes, 39 percent of attempted rapes, and 17 percent of sexual assaults against females result in injured victims. Immediate physical effects a person can experience after a sexual assault or rape include bruising, bleeding, difficulty walking, soreness of the body, disorientation, nausea, vomiting, and tension headaches, among other effects. Some other physical consequences experienced by rape survivors include gynecological damages, pregnancy...
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...Social Inequalities and the Law In “Real Rapes and Real Victims: The Shared Reliance on Common Cultural Definitions of Rape,” the authors argue that myths and stereotypes about rape and rape victims abound (Stewart, et al, 1996). Such misinformation can have a “dramatic” impact on the victim including the experience of the rape victim, shaping how she comes to accept an assumed definition of reality that colors her own experience. The most common dilemma in rape cases is victim blame. In fact, victim blame is part of what Stewart et al (1996) mean when they say, “…as a consequence of the reliance on cultural myths and stereotypes of rape, the victim accepts a definition of reality that shapes her own experience.” According to Schaafsma (Rape Advocacy Program), “The genteel idea of womanhood sets women up to be perfect rape victims - those who don't know how to fight back because they've never been taught how.” In today’s world of liberated women, society questions how these women can be victimized through rape or any other type of violent crime for that matter. According to a November 2005 UK poll (Sexual Assault Research), “…a third of people believe women who flirt partially responsible for being raped.” Settings of the “classic rape portrayal” are often the means according to which rape victims decide to report the rape. In a 2003 study of rape victims, DuMont, Miller, and Myhr established that women who did not resemble the mythologized “real victim” were as likely as...
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...R a p e Lee Pui Shan SCM-022936 Tan Su Lean SCM-015132 Liang Shuo SCM-021296 Licia Tan SCM-022667 Soh Yee Sin What is Rape? Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse which is initiates by one Or more persons against another person without that person’s consent the act may be carried out by physical force coercion abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent such as one who is unconscious incapacitated below the legal age of consent the term is most of ten defined in criminal law there are several types of rape date rape gang rape marital rape prison rape and so on the most common is gang rape Factors which lead to Rape The incidence of rape in our society is increasing. As we can see, in the newspaper and on TV, this is not just happening in our country, but in foreign countries as well. On average, there are more than three cases of rape each day. Everything happened for a reason. In fact, the main factors that will lead to rape are divided into three types, which is individual factors, peer and family factors, and societal factors. First of all, individual factor is one of the main causes in a rape case. Some of the men will easily misunderstanding or misread cues that given out by women in some social situations. Their incorrect mind-set made them believe that the women are implying some sex hints towards them...
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...that victim are four times greater for a college female student than for any other age group. The phenomenon of date rape is not new, however it has evolved into a communication phenomenon, in which communication about sex and rape, the negotiation of consent, the rape itself, the aftermath of rape and the reaction to date rape, are central to defining a rape culture on campus. Women have been muted in a multitude of ways, including the methods in which women tell stories, through male-controlled media, in ways women’s bodies are portrayed and analyzed, and through censorship of women’s voices. Rape is a horrible experience, so why would women keep quiet about it. Campus cultures perpetuate the `culture of silence` that exists among young men and women by fostering a culture of rape which silences experiences and advocates victim blaming (self blame) that is set ablaze by the social acceptance of rape myths, experiences not being defined as rape, secondary rape, and the absence of deterrence, all of which create an underlying tolerance towards rape. In this paper I will examine how women are affected by the rape supportive culture that exists on campuses and creates an internalization of self blame are muted before, during, and after the experience of date rape. Both male and female students contribute to muting women, thus perpetuating a rape culture in which rape becomes an expectation, or part of the social milieu. Only a male dominated society that trains men to use women as...
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...Alabama Agricultural & Mechanical University Kiaera Donnell Group Plan 2 Rape PSY: 556 Group Dynamics Dr. Linda Holloway September 15, 2015 Rust University Counseling Center has recently contacted my local agency requesting my assistance to establish a support group for the young ladies on their campus who are rape survivors. Rape or, more technically, sexual assault is a crime of violence done predominantly to women. While the legal and mental health definitions differ from state to state, rape refers to the crime of forcing a woman to engage in acts of sex against her will. This form of sexual assault includes any act involving oral, vaginal, anal or object penetration or contact for which the women has not given formal consent. While many victims can (and do) overcome its effects, for some it is an emotional and physical injury that lasts for months or years leaving lifelong scars. Survivors can be helped to lessen the adverse impact that this most invasive of violent acts has on their lives through structured emotional support which guides and reaffirms her recovery and healing. Group counseling or therapy offers survivors just such structured support. SSG, (Survivors Support Group) will be a structured, thematic psychotherapy group for the ladies of Rust University. Our aim is to provide a safe therapeutic environment where members may explore behaviors, feelings and attitudes, as they make life choices which enhance adjustment and recovery. The information...
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...victim? If the act is statutory rape then yes, in fact it is, but should that act even be considered a crime in the first place? It is, after all, a consensual act between two people. According to law, although it is a consensual act, a minor cannot legally give consent to a sexual act. Thus, the statutory rape law causes a problem for many teenage couples that have intercourse but legally cannot. But if there is consent from all persons involved, who is the law actually protecting and is the law worth the problems it generates? I believe statutory rape laws are old-fashioned and result in more problems than they are intended to solve, therefore, there is no...
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...safety among area residents and to higher crime rates in that area. Crime mapping- hot spots (where the crime is) Walter Miller found that trouble is a dominant feature of lower class culture. (True) Violence more expectable in the south Techniques of neutralization- criminal offenders deny responsibility for their behavior. The concept of co-offending refers to the fact that youthful offenders tend to commit crimes in the company of their peers. They found that communities characterized by high rates of delinquency do not necessarily experience exceptionally high rates of crime or of gang related homicides. (True) Although the large majority of people growing up in inner city poverty ridden areas, for example, probably experience an inequitable opportunity structure firsthand, only a relatively small number of those people become criminal. (True) Cloward and Ohlin observed that legitimate opportunities are generally available to individuals born into middle class culture, participants in lower class subcultures are often denied access to them. African Americans are disproportionately represented in the homicide statistics as both victims and offenders. Nonprimary homicides involve victims and offenders who have no prior relationship and usually occur in the course of another crime such as robbery. Poverty is a stronger predictor of family homicide and population size is more important in explaining stranger homicide. Victim precipitation- focuses on the characteristics...
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...According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Crime Victimization Survey an American is sexually assaulted every 107 seconds. The prevalence of sexual assault is statistically difficult to analyze because of the frequency of unreported cases. Victims of sexual assault endure an extensive recovery process to regain power and control. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) defines sexual assault as, “sexual contact or behavior that occurs without explicit consent of the victim. Some forms of sexual assault include: Penetration of victim’s body (rape), attempted rape, forcing to perform sexual acts (oral sex), fondling or unwanted sexual touching” (RAINN, 2016). Sexual assault perpetrators thrive in environments where victims...
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...the lives of children, women and men. Rape is one of the crimes that go unreported because the data that is available does not estimate the real magnitude of the heinous act. Sexual assault victims often suffer from injuries that are inflicted by an executor of the act, or end up dying. Statistics confirms that in the US, one in every 34 men and a fifth of the women experienced either completed or attempted rape in their lives. Some researchers report that after every 3 minutes, someone suffers sexual assault in America. The effect of sexual assault does not only affect emotions but also financial, social, physical and interpersonal domains (Fisher, 2010). Groth (1979) establishes that sexual assault victims may experience many, none or some of the likely repercussions of an attack at different given times. There are certain effects of rape that researchers have never fully identified. Some researchers allege that there is no known way that an individual can apply to identify a sexual assault victim by just looking at them. They allege that effects are not signs of weaknesses, deficiencies or illness, nor are they an individual’s characteristics. Researchers deduce that they are mere responses to events that are traumatic (Fileborn 2011). An array of long-term and short-term emotional and psychological impacts has been attributed to sexual assault: Short-term and Immediate Impacts During the attack, the victim experiences different reactions such as dissociation...
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...leaves psychological effects on its victims. The individual responses will be different depending on the circumstances but in majority of the cases traumatic experiences may occur. Father daughter incest can cause the teenage girl to experience depression. Recognizing depression can be a challenge at times because its symptoms can easily be attributed to other causes. Depression becomes something more than just normal feelings of sadness when the symptoms last for more than two weeks. The symptoms of depression includes: Prolonged sadness or unexplained crying spells, significant change in weight or appetite, loss of energy or persistent fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness or guilt,...
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...Head: Rape Trauma Syndrome Kianna Walls Forensic Psychology March 26, 2015 Abstract Rape is commonly defined as using force to make someone do a sexual act against their will. Rape can cause a person to experience symptoms that are very similar to post-trauma stress disorder. The person experiences symptoms such as nightmares, constant reliving of the event, and denial. Victims experiencing this go through rape trauma syndrome. RTS is not commonly used in court rooms as it is easily dissuaded. When it used in the courtroom, it is used more of a defense than to show that a victim can experience this. This paper explores what RTS is and how it used in courtrooms. It also explores why RTS should be used courtrooms, not as a defense but to show that it exist and that victims can experience this. Rape Trauma Syndrome There have been many trials that use rape-trauma syndrome as either a defense mechanism or as a way to say that rape happened and this was a consequence. But not many trials with expert testimony on RTS as allow to be used. Yet it should be as many people, both female and males, are raped and experience RTS. Rape trauma syndrome is defined by Gupta (2013) as a type of PTSD that consists of physical and emotional traits from post-rape that many people are rape victims share (pg. 415). RTS is very serious and those that have experienced this syndrome deserve to have it recognized in court. There are many misconceptions of rape. Greene...
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...Effects of Bullying Introduction Having been recognized as an expected yet serious problem in the society, bullying is no longer considered as new problem in the society. Bullying can come in various forms and it can happen to both children and adults. There is a high likelihood that most adults and children each have stories to share which relates to each of their personal experiences either of bullying, or victimization, or witnessing acts of aggression toward others. As perennial as it can get, becoming a victim of bullies has often received the notion of being viewed as a normal part of growing up, or as some have put it, a rite of passage for children and adolescents. In the late 1970s, perspectives began to change as this outlook was looked into by the different researches. It sheds new light on the damaging effects on youths’ growth and development with respect to bullying and victimization. An increase in the awareness of bullying and victimization as well as how it resulted to be a widespread societal problem has been the initial outcome of the innovative research which has encouraged other research on this phenomenon. The beginnings of research on this social issue have been primarily conducted in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries for a number of years. As the research has been shared with other experts the world over, it resulted to the spawning of the exploration on this topic and has reached other countries, including Japan, England, Netherlands,...
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...expression. Gender identity is linked to a person’s sense of self, and the sense of being male or female. A person’s gender identity is different from their sexual orientation, which is also protected under the Code. Gender expression is linked to how individuals express and portray themselves for others to view them. The first important piece of information we are given about Kimberly was that she was born a male but started living as a female at the age of 29 therefore she is transsexual, which introduces another legal concern of whether or not Kimberly is a man or a woman. We also know Kimberly was let go from her position at the rape crisis center and had discriminated against her during her volunteer training. As we know based on the situation, the rape crisis center that Kimberly was volunteering at only hired women; which may be not be discrimination because of the bona fide occupational requirement. Formally in Kimberly’s past she had experienced emotional abuse in a relationship, and she was referred to an organization that assists battered women. With her previous experiences in mind, she reached out to the rape crisis center to volunteer. Kimberly was asked to leave the premises after someone identified her as a person who had not always been a woman, solely based on her appearance. Because of Kimberly’s past experiences, she wanted to give back to the community and share her story. As the situation occurs, we arrive at an unethical position and a conflict of opinion...
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...Understanding the Effects of Sexual Trauma Julie Johnson Liberty University Crisis Counseling 302-B04 March 8, 2015 Abstract Rape and sexual trauma are not just physical violations, but also violations of mental and emotional well-being that leaves the victim with a lifetime of emotional distress. Victims of sexual trauma are often left with devastating consequences that affect the physical, psychological, social and even financial part of their lives. Because the rate of sexual violence continues to increase, researchers study the side effects extensively. Adverse effects of sexual violence are individualized and very diverse, leaving victims with a broad range of impacts. This paper will define what sexual trauma is and the devastating effects it can leave on the lives of the survivors. It will cover different variables such as the psychological impact of the immediate, short term and long term as well as the physical, social, and financial effects of childhood and adult sexual trauma. This paper will hope to promote further discussions on the effects of sexual trauma left on the lives of the victim as to help any individuals and organizations that might work with the victims of such violent acts. The analysis of this report would aim to support individuals working with victims in the recovery process of sexual trauma from family support, spiritual support, and the counseling process. Understanding the Effects of Sexual Trauma According to Basile & Saltzman...
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