Written by: Luana Scanlan According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, there are five damaging social customs or norms linked to the sexual violence normalized in rape culture[1]:
Through social norming people, regardless of gender, are made to feel as though they have a responsibility, but not the power, to avoid being sexually violated. Norms may support the idea that only men are the perpetrators, that they cannot be victims, and that because sexual behavior is associated with male character (strong, masculine, etc.) they cannot be held responsible for their actions – it’s just ‘in their nature’. Because the narrative has been controlled by men their voices set the norm. Consequently, rape culture empowers the rapists and averts perpetrator accountability through victim blaming and negative stigma linked to sex and individual behaviors. In these ways victims become fearful of not being believed: the impact it will have on their families, the reflection it will have on their loved ones. A victim may not even realize that the act is criminal. The concept of rape within a marital relationship is still foreign to many people who believe that sex is a husband’s “right”. Rape culture objectifies and oppresses all people and in doing so prevents a society from engaging in democratic, equitable conversations about rape prevention. For example, 47% of bisexual men and 40% of gay men have experienced some form of sexual violence in their lifetime[2]. Yet, the visual of a rape victim continues to center on a young woman. Only recently have social messaging promoted the ideas that gender roles and sexual preferences do not determine vulnerability, or that rape is really about power not sex. The impact of rape culture is evidenced by the acceptance of sexist jokes, prevalence of music and videos that objectify women, the discounting of victims’ experiences and rights, the lack of effective deterrents such as enforcement of laws criminalizing sex acts including assault and harassment. The complex interrelated factors that perpetuate rape culture also support other forms of violence and inequity. In our next article we’ll review culturally based risk and protective factors that impact the incidence and prevalence of sexual violence. [1] Davis, R., et al., (2010). Sexual violence and the spectrum of prevention: Towards a community solution. www.nsvrc.org [2] Walters, M. L., Chen J., & Breiding, M. J. (2013). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Findings on Victimization by Sexual Orientation. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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