Introduction
Rape culture is a social phenomenon where sexual violence, particularly against women, is viewed as normal, and the rape victim is blamed for what the perpetrator did. Rape culture in college is caused influenced by various factors such as gender, race and financial background of an individual. Rape culture is usually normalized through various media platforms where a projection of the victim being responsible for their safety is displayed. Indeed, one can observe rape culture in several aspects of society, including educational institutions, workplaces, popular culture, and the justice system. Rape culture is more prevalent among men judged by their sexual abilities, and sex to them is viewed as conquest (Lindsey 358). The prevalence of rape culture in society shows that educating the public on the issues is essential to be a safe and just society for everyone, irrespective of gender. This paper discusses how rape culture negatively affects people of different races, genders, and SES, and interventions must be taken to correct this intersectionality of social identities. Through analyzing and discussing how rape culture manifests itself and impacts those affected, the study will advocate for a more inclusive approach to combating rape culture.
Overview of the Research
The research questions in this review shall be centered on the rape culture in society and how this culture impacts people of individual races, genders, and SES and identifying effective interventions. This review will answer three questions: how rape culture affects individuals of different races, genders, and SES. Barriers that people face when addressing the rape culture and the most effective strategies for addressing this culture. The objectives of this research paper shall be to provide a clear understanding of the concept of rape culture, address the intersectionality of social identities, review and critique the existing interventions, and Advocate for the best approach to address the issue. The study will rely heavily on previous studies and literature to answer the questions.
Literature Review
Numerous studies have been conducted to bring more understanding of rape culture in aspects such as its definitions, impacts, motivators, effects, and mitigation measures. Rape culture has been defined as normalizing and ignoring sexual violence (Pilling 142). It can also be said to be the culture of allowing and condoning sexually harmful acts, including objectification, glorification of sexual aggression, and blaming the victim for their actions (Lindsey 45). Studies have shown that rape culture is prevalent in many countries across the globe. For example, Ivert et al. research found that one in three women in the EU has experienced physical or sexual violence since age 15 (295). The statistics are even worse in the US, where studies show that one in every five women has been raped at least once (Martini et al., 377). For men in the US, the statistics are better when it comes to rape, as only 1 out of 71 men has reported rates in their lives (Martini et al. 377). The high rate of rape among men is an indication of a toxic and aggressive nature that is taught to boys.
The rape culture affects all people regardless of their gender, ethnicity, social background, economic background, and educational levels, although the impact is not distributed evenly. People from marginalized backgrounds, especially those of lower social and economic status, are more likely to experience sexual violence that comes with rape culture. For instance, research shows that women of African descent are more likely to experience sexual violence than whites (Lindsey 356). Similarly, transgender individuals also have higher reported incidences of this discrimination caused by rape culture compared to cisgender individuals. The impacts on people who have been victims of the rape culture are more pronounced for people of low financial backgrounds since they are not capable of seeking immediate medication. Rape culture also has other impacts rather than direct negative impacts brought by rape. First, people, both men and women, who do not conform to this culture and beliefs may be subjected to ridicule and bullying. The culture also perpetuates other gender and relationship dynamics, such as gender roles. Although the culture affects everyone, it is more on women and people of low social and economic standing.
The rape culture has several theories and concepts that validate its existence. One is the normalization of sexual violence when rape is viewed as a trivial matter caused by the victim’s mistakes. Second is the culture of power and privilege, especially among men who view sexual prowess as a norm (Lindsey 346). Another standard theory that is related to rape culture is the intersectionality of social identities, which include SES, gender, and race. Understanding the three critical concepts discussed above could help set up effective strategies that help combat the rape culture.
Effects of the Rape Culture on Different Social Groups
The rape culture affects people of different races, genders, and social and economic statuses. Women are among the most affected social groups due to men’s culture of maintaining muscularity. Women may face rape culture due to various factors such as objectification, sexual harassment, and victim blaming (Igot et al. 18). Women who oppose the gender norms and expectations that allow rape culture usually face ridicule from society. While all women face the heightened danger of sexual violence, women who intersect their gender impacts with other adverse impacts face more oppression than their counterparts (de los Ángeles Estrella-González et al. 22). Overall, the rape culture impacts women more since they are physically weaker and perceived to lack a personal opinion on sexual matters.
The rape culture severely impacts black people, particularly the woman of culture, due to the intersecting form of oppression that this group of people faces. The existence of images of fetishization and hypersexualized black female bodies in movies and music videos have promoted this culture of rape (Gray et al. 42). There also exists racism and discrimination in the legal and healthcare systems, which reduces the number of events of sexual violence reported. Lack of reporting, contributed by shame associated with speaking up during such scenarios, further promotes the normalization of rape culture.
People of low income are disproportionately affected by rape culture when compared to people belonging to other demographics. The intersection of poverty with other factors, such as the inability to access healthcare systems, legal bodies, and education, makes it hard for people to access basic amenities. Poverty is also linked with the culture of victim-blaming and shaming, which further discourages the victim (Poerwandari et al. 5912). People of low income also face high risks of rape because they put themselves in high-risk situations. In general, rape culture has a more impact on people of a low economic class than other impacts.
Barriers to Addressing Rape Culture
Many barriers make it challenging to address rape culture and associated issues. One of the most prevalent barriers is victim blaming, where society blames the raped person rather than the perpetrator. Victim blaming is a barrier to the fight against the rape culture since it makes the victims go silent; thus, no legal investigation (Blumell and Mulupi 494). Additionally, the fact that perpetrators can do sexual violence without being held accountable could result in a culture of impunity and sexual tolerance. The barriers listed above affect women, people of low income, and people of color by intersecting various forms of discrimination. Communities that are disproportionally affected by marginalization face more instances of sexual oppression due to their fear of reporting.
There is sufficient evidence to prove that the marginalized community is more affected than other communities by rape culture. First previous studies and literature prove that sexual assault is significantly higher in marginalized communities. Two popular surveys, the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey have come to a similar conclusion that black women are more vulnerable to sexual crime than their white counterparts (Addington 4). Another vulnerable group which is the transgender minority, also suffers from a risk of facing sexual oppression and discrimination. There are also several situations where the media objectify marginalized groups of back people. Similar fetishization and exoticization are also popular among the gay community. The examples above prove that rape culture disproportionately affects a group of people.
Strategies for Combating and Fixing Rape Culture
Preventing the rape culture in a community requires a combination of skills, including education, prevention programs, bystander intervention, and legal reforms. Teaching community members more about the topic can help them understand what sexual consent means and how to identify and discover sexual consent among other people. The educational programs could be established in different locations ranging from schools, workplaces, and community environs to ensure that the knowledge reaches each individual (Rodrik and Sabel 97). Sexual oppression and crime can also be minimized by the community adopting bystander intervention. This usually involves authorizing persons to interfere when they observe harmful behaviors, such as sexual nuisance or assault. These interventions are helpful since they have people intervene in various settings, especially in schools, colleges, and even the workplace environment.
Another essential technique to reduce sexual assault brought by rape culture is to enact legal reforms and ensure that the wrongdoers are punished accordingly. Legal reforms can be made better either by implementing the previous policies or formulating new ones. Reforms, for instance, could be made better by improving access to healthcare and legal resources, increasing penalties for culprits, and bettering the guard for survivors. It is also essential to center the strategies of fighting rape culture with marginalized communities (Proweller et al. 3160). This would involve including the former victims from these marginalized communities in the expansion and realization of prevention and intercession plans against rape in the community. This action would include addressing the interconnecting forms of coercion and discernment contributing to sexual violence and making comprehensive and available support services for survivors from all origins.
If a stakeholder needs to efficiently control and reshape the rape culture, the strategies they adopt have to be personalized to the specific for a particular niche of people in society. Taking a particular market niche is important because it fosters the understanding of the unique challenges and problems that marginalized groups face in reporting, accessing support, and looking for justice (de-Lima-Santos and Mesquita 112). For example, the abovementioned prevention programs could be adjusted to deal with a specific cultural norm and insolences directed towards a particular community. The step would encompass integrating ethnically subtle language and descriptions, partnering with community administrators and managers, and including the previous from these groups in the growth and employment of the plans.
Bystander intervention plans may also be adjusted to fit different communities. Factors such as language barriers, socio-economic status, and ability to find the required resources may be needed. For instance, programs could include educating the public members who may not have access to old-style educational backgrounds, such as rural or non-English speaking communities. It is, therefore, notable that stakeholders should prioritize tailoring prevention, intervention, and legal strategies to the specific needs if they want to reduce the rape culture (Roxo 8). Masculinity must be redefined from dominance over others to dominance over oneself to fix the rape culture.
Conclusion
This paper has highlighted the pervasive and damaging impact of rape culture on individuals from different social groups. After reviewing the evidence and previous literature, the study has concluded that a more inclusive approach to combatting rape culture is needed. Furthermore, the study has emphasized the need for tailored prevention and intervention strategies that consider different social groups’ exact needs and experiences and for an intersectional approach that recognizes the multifaceted connections of race, gender, sexuality, and socio-economic status. The study has contributed to the ever-growing literature about rape culture. Further research needs to be done on the topic, with more focus on directly interviewing marginalized communities.
Works Cited
Blumell, Lindsey E., and Dinfin Mulupi. “Investigating Rape Culture in News Coverage of the Anita Hill and Christine Blasey Ford Cases.” Violence against Women, vol. 28, no. 2, 2022, pp. 487-509, Web.
de los Ángeles Estrella-González, María, et al. “Gender Violence in the Women of Azogues.” International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology, vol. 5, no. 9, 2020, pp. 22-26, Web.
de-Lima-Santos, Mathias-Felipe, and Lucia Mesquita. “Data Journalism in Favela: Made by, for, and about Forgotten and Marginalized Communities.” Journalism Practice, vol. 17, no. 1, 2023, pp. 108-126, Web.
Gray, Kayla, and Lynne, Rich. “Evidence of Rape Culture in Modern Music.” CLA Journal 7, 2019, pp. 35–51, Web.
Igot, Jamaica Jewel G., et al. “Rape Culture in the Society: An Analysis of Promising Young Woman.” International Journal of Modern Developments in Engineering and Science, vol. 1, no. 12, 2022, pp.15-26, Web.
Lindsey, Linda L. Gender: Sociological Perspectives. Routledge, 2020.
Martini, Mara, Stefano Tartaglia, and Norma De Piccoli. “Assessing Rape Myth Acceptance: A contribution to Italian Validation of the Measure for Assessing Subtle Rape Myth (SRMA-IT).” Sexual Abuse, vol. 34, no. 4, 2022, pp. 375-397, Web.
Pilling, Merrick D. “Sexual Violence and Psychosis: Intersections of Rape Culture, Sanism, and Anti-Black Sanism in Psychiatric Inpatient Chart Documentation.” Interrogating Psychiatric Narratives of Madness: Documented lives, 2021, pp. 137–163, Web.
Poerwandari, Elizabeth Kristi, Carina Putri Utami, and Indira Primasari. “Ambivalent sexism and sexual objectification of women as predictors of rape myth acceptance among male college students in Greater Jakarta.” Current Psychology, vol. 40, no. 12, 2021, pp. 5909-5918, Web.
Proweller, Amira, Beth S. Catlett, and Sonya Crabtree-Nelson. “Feminist Activism and YPAR: Privileged Girls Interrupt Rape Culture.” Violence against Women, vol. 27, no. 15-16, 2021, pp. 3157-3175, Web.
Rodrik, Dani, and Charles F Sabel. Building A Good Jobs Economy. Cambridge: Harvard Kennedy School, John F. Kennedy School of Government, 2020.
Roxo, Uchechi, et al. “Prioritizing the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Adolescent Girls and Young Women within HIV Treatment and Care Services in Emergency Settings: A Girl-Centered Agenda.” Reproductive Health, vol. 16, 2019, pp. 1-13, Web.