Introduction
For this paper, Patricia Lockwood’s “Rape Joke” is selected to be analyzed, as this story prompts its readers to comprehend the impact of sexual assault through semi-serious writing that reveals the author’s life experiences. Being a victim of rape, the author reflects on how others react to her tragedy, as well as how she perceives the problem (Lockwood). While the writer’s objective may be to discuss rape jokes, she uses this reader’s expectation to highlight a more overarching subject that has a profound impact on Americans’ lives.
Actions taken against the occurrence of sexual assault are insufficient, as people disregard such discussions as too problematic. The story’s message regarding this topic is that victims of rape are not being taken seriously with their traumatic experiences and concerns for future safety, as society expects them to drop the subject (Lockwood). There is a need to encourage people to talk about this topic and draw attention to its severity, as the current state of affairs leads to adverse outcomes for victims through insufficient support from the general population.
The Presented Issue
The issue that will be explored in this writing is the misconceptions regarding sexual assault that lead to the suppression of discussions of this problem among the public. There are harmful beliefs among the population regarding rape that downplay the seriousness of this crime by claiming its unimportance (Prina and Schatz-Stevens 930). This issue should be addressed due to the consequences such acts bring to their victims, which worsen their quality of life and well-being.
Without proper dialogue, it is impossible to create the necessary support tools for people who have experienced sexual assault. Lockwood attempts to highlight a slew of issues through her story. The lack of help for these individuals, their stigmatization through mass media, and the concerning statistics about reported rape cases reveal the consequences of neglectful behavior among society toward victims of sexual assault.
Reasons
The Lack of Support
The extent of this problem can be seen through society’s reaction to these violent incidents. Naturally, people who become traumatized can expect social services to help them with recovery. The existence of such services for the presented case is crucial for one’s mental and physical well-being, as victims can be protected from persecution and further harassment through shelters, assistance from psychiatrists, and other programs (Robinson et al. 2).
However, in reality, there is no strong reaction among communities that pushes them to help people with such experiences to recuperate from trauma. It is possible to perceive this notion through the fact that there is a significant backlog of untested assault kits, which proves the criminal justice system is not set up to help rape victims (Quinlan 225). As a result, people do not seek help after such incidents, as they do not expect to find the resources necessary to recover from them.
Some barriers actively prevent women from reporting sexual violence cases, especially among partners. Intimidation from relatives and perpetrators, the stigma related to disclosing sensitive information, and economic consequences work as hindrances for rape victims who want to seek justice (Robinson et al. 2). It is crucial to negate such outcomes through the empowerment of women suffering from experiences of abuse.
Negative Portrayals in Media
Another issue is the portrayal of rape in mass media, as the role this medium has in creating a positive dialogue about such incidents. Many outlets ignore factual information in their pursuit of viewership through sensationalistic strategies and untrue articles by relying on the public’s expectations of such reports (Elmore et al. 532). This phenomenon undermines the foundation of severe debates and actions focusing on combatting the normalization of sexual assault. Currently, media exposure generates adverse reactions from society directed toward victims rather than perpetrators and systems that do not function adequately, as the narrative regarding violence against women is filled with myths (Elmore et al. 532).
Victim blaming serves as a severe hindrance to a proper discussion of sexual assault and remains present in many news articles. Moreover, sexist stereotypes about women’s behavior are being actively propagated through numerous sources of information, causing distorted views on sexual assault to become prevalent (Prina and Schatz-Stevens 936). Therefore, the media plays a crucial yet currently detrimental role in this struggle for justice due to the mishandling of sensitive information in favor of more significant revenue.
Statistical Indications
The statistics of sexual assaults in the United States reveal that there is a necessity to create an open dialogue regarding this problem. The number of reported cases in the country skyrocketed by more than 50% from 2010, revealing that such crimes have become more common (Statista Research Department). However, additional statistics show the actual extent of problems with public views on sexual assault.
At the same time, the number of unreported cases is exceedingly high, as the Justice Department reports that approximately 80% of all incidents of sexual assault and rape are not brought to the police (Morgan and Truman). Despite the growing number of cases, they remain severely underreported due to the stigma they carry for their victims. This situation indicates that the issue is not being resolved appropriately at the time, causing suffering to those ignored by society.
Problem Resolution
This problem can be addressed through a multimodal approach that would prioritize assistance from the public to traumatized individuals and encourage them to speak freely about their experiences. Victims must be able to call for justice through empowerment programs that guide them toward seeking legal assistance and protection.
However, in addition to providing such opportunities, it remains vital to ensure that outside factors, such as fears of ostracizing, do not interfere with the success of these interventions. Therefore, there is also a need to discourage media outlets from spreading misinformation regarding the causes of sexual assault in society, as myths associated with it silence women from speaking out (Elmore et al. 533). These people must be heard and understood correctly, as ignoring their pleas harms them further.
Conclusion
In the example of the #MeToo campaign, it is possible to see what positive changes can alleviate the situation. Civil rights activists succeeded in raising awareness of the general population regarding this uncomfortable yet essential topic by giving voice to abused women (Modrek and Chakalov 2). In addition to normalizing talking about sexual assault, this discourse helped with condemning perpetrators of crimes, which is also beneficial for society. In conclusion, sexual assault is a serious issue that is rarely discussed in the community appropriately, as Patricia Lockwood’s “Rape Joke” attempts to show through its downplaying attitude.
Works Cited
Elmore, Kristen C., et al. “Rape Myth Acceptance Reflects Perceptions of Media Portrayals as Similar to Others, but Not the Self.” Violence Against Women, vol. 27, no. 3-4, 2020, pp. 529-551. Web.
Lockwood, Patricia. “Rape Joke.” The Awl, 2013. Web.
Modrek, Sepideh, and Bozhidar Chakalov. “The #MeToo Movement in the United States: Text Analysis of Early Twitter Conversations.” Journal of Medical Internet Research, vol. 21, no. 9, 2019. Web.
Morgan, Rachel E., and Jennifer L. Truman. Criminal Victimization, 2019. The Bureau of Justice Statistics. 2020. Web.
Prina, Francesca, and Julie N. Schatz-Stevens. “Sexism and Rape Myth Acceptance: The Impact of Culture, Education, and Religiosity.” Psychological Reports, vol. 123, no. 3, 2019, pp. 929-951. Web.
Quinlan, Andrea. “Visions of Public Safety, Justice, and Healing: The Making of the Rape Kit Backlog in the United States.” Social & Legal Studies, vol. 29, no. 2, 2019, pp. 225-245. Web.
Robinson, Sarah R., et al. “A Systematic Review of Barriers to Formal Help Seeking for Adult Survivors of IPV in the United States, 2005–2019.” Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, vol. 22, no. 5, 2020, pp. 1279-1295. Web.
Statista Research Department. “U.S.: Reported Forcible Rape Cases 2020.” Statista, 2023. Web.
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