Case Study on Rape Victims
Introduction
Concerning philosophies of morality, rape is no doubt abhorred. However, what is debatable is whether or not it is one’s duty to ensure that a rape is reported. In a particular case, one hotline operator finds herself in a dilemma that challenges her duties as a licensed social worker, with the obligation of ensuring that victims report their rape. As a part of the twenty-four-hour hotline staff at a local rape crisis center, the duty of the hotline operator is to provide the support and counseling necessary to protect the victim’s identity. As a part of the advocacy services the hotline provides, the crisis center is dedicated to aiding victims both in reporting their crimes, and in the process such an action entails. Some people call the crisis center with the intention of reporting their rapes because they feel empowered to do so. Other callers do not wish to report their rapes for personal reasons, and still other individuals are undecided as to a proper course of action. Phone operators are responsible for taking calls for the crisis center’s advocacy program, and they must also take into account the purpose of the center’s companion program. The companion program empowers the social worker answering emergency calls to obtain an understanding of the difficulties victims encounter in the process of reporting their rapes. Thus, the social worker must face the fact that women who have suffered as a result of their rape have a right to be notified of the potential traumas involved in reporting the crime. A lot of times rape victims are unprepared for the insensitive and harsh treatment they may receive from the police, hospitals, and legal system. If the hotline operator warns her of such difficulties, chances are the victim will be discouraged to report the crime. On the other hand, encouragement to report may not be in the best interest of the victim, particularly if she is too physically and emotionally weak to bear the processes because of the trauma already endured from the rape (Rothman 205-208).
Statement of Moral Dilemmas
The two sides of this situation present general ethical conflicts of interest. That is, should the hotline operator value her professional commitment, as a social worker, to justice more than her obligation the client’s best interest? Furthermore, this case poses the important und...
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...ve the individual needs of the victim that the system often overlooks. With any luck, even the most radical of feminists can understand that there are options independent of the legal system that can support women, without barriers, and without having to rely on the anecdotal word of mouth interaction. Therefore, everyone should do all that they can, as soon as possible, to ensure that such violent sex crimes dwindle. Since society and the system cannot change overnight, we must continually work towards full equality. At the same time, people such as victims of rape and their respective counselors should do their best to ensure that those criminals blocking sexual equality are brought to justice in the system they seek to change.
Work Cited
BOOKS:
Frye, Marliyn. From The Politics of Reality. “Oppression.” Ca: The Crossing Press. 1983.
Rachels, James. The Right Thing to Do. NY, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2003.
Rothman, Juliet Cassuto. From the Front Lines. Ma: Allyn and Bacon. 1998.
WEBSITES:
www.americancivilrightsreview.com. Contacted December 1, 2004.
www.eserver.com. Contacted December 1, 2004.
www.paralumun.com. Contacted December 1, 2004.
There is a pressing need for a high level of worker/client boundary identification when working within a client population, however realizing a conflict of interest scenario is vitally important when facing a dual relationship with a client. There are so many issues that are faced by a human service professional, explaining all of them may be difficult. In this field there are issues such as burnout, secondary trauma, compassion satisfaction, dual relationships, and boundary issues. (Reamer, F. (2012). As human services professional or social workers there is a code of ethics. In statement 6 of the code of ethics, it states human services experts must be mindful that in their associations with customers/clients power and status are unequal. Accordingly they distinguish that double or various relationships might build the danger of damage to, or abuse of, customers, and may debilitate their expert judgment. In any case, in a few neighborhoods and circumstances it may not be achievable to escape social or other nonprofessional contact with customers. Human service professional experts...
In the past century, America has made great leaps in terms of equality. With the efforts made by the civil rights and suffrage movements, all people gained the right to vote. We are even moving forward with marriage equality, and currently fifteen states recognize same-sex marriage. But regardless of all of our progressive institutional movements forward, we continue to socially oppress women. Men’s violence against women has grown to be an internationally recognized epidemic, and will continue to grow unless measures be made to stop it. Domestic violence continues to be prevalent in the lives of many families, and is the primary cause of homelessness in half of cases for women in children. Many women have been forced to alter their behaviors out of fear of being sexually or physically assaulted. One out of every three women is sexually or physically abused in their lifetimes. The first thing that comes to mind is, there are a lot of people abusing women out there. Many people with opposing ideas may claim that men can be victims of violence perpetrated by women, but in instances not used for self-defense, it is rarely part of a systematic pattern of power and control through force or threat of force. In fact, 99% of rape is perpetrated by men, but when confronting men about the issue of violence against women, it is often combated with denial. Jackson Katz writes in his book, The Macho Paradox, “We take comfort in the idea of the aforementioned child-rapist murderer as a horrible aberration. A monster. We’re nothing like him.”(Katz 30). The sad truth is that most women who are raped are raped by men they know, or even men they love. Many men have a hard time believing that saying that most violence is perpetuated by men does not...
Feminist Criminology, 7(2), 146-162. Kinder-Matthews, J. & Co., Ltd. (1994) The 'Standard' of the 'St Working with female sexual abusers. (pp. 57-67). The 'Secondary' of the Miccio & Fonseca, L.C. a.
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As a part of the National Association of Social Workers, social workers may face different kinds of ethical dilemmas in their scope of practice. The code of ethics is put in place so that these professionals may be able to act wisely and make the most suitable and appropriate decisions thereby positively benefitting the client likewise themselves. An ethical dilemma is a conflict between two or more ethical principles. These ethical principles aim to provide beneficense, least harm, respect for autonomy, and provide justice. I will discuss three ethical dilemmas affecting human rights in social work.
As Estrich demonstrates, the law on rape has major flaws. The law exposes traditions and attitudes that surround women and sex. It condones the idea that sex contains male aggression and female passivity. The law uses three different criteria to label an act of sex as rape: mens rea, force, and consent. Estrich feels that these features demonstrate sexist attitudes within the law. Our legal system abandon’s mens rea which is Latin for “guilty state of the mind.” It is the perpetrator’s ability to understand force and non-consent. A woman must demonstrate resistance. The man can escape by stating he did not realize the woman was not consenting. So, the court turns to the woman to see if she provided proper evidence that she did not consent to the sex.
According to the article, “Force: upsetting rape culture”, the first rape myth is stranger rape. “The Stranger Rape Myth is the idea that most rape i...
It is not a topic that is brought up often, especially at schools or at gatherings, yet it is crucial that everyone be educated, or at least informed on a topic that affects women every day. “Given that sexual violence continues to occur at high rates in the United States, it is vital that we understand attitudes and cultural norms that serve to minimize or foster tolerance of sexual violence” (Aosved, 481). Growing rates of sexual violence goes to prove that it is not taken seriously by many, especially when myths excuse the actions of the perpetrator and instead guilt victims into thinking they are responsible for the horrible act. Burt (1980), in her article titled, “Cultural myths and support for rape” attempts to make sense of the importance of stereotypes and myths, defined as prejudicial, stereotypes, or false beliefs about rape, rape victims and rapists- in creating a climate hostile to rape victims (Burt, 217). Examples of rape myths are such sayings as “only bad girls get raped”; “women ask for it”; “women cry rape” (Burt, 217). This only goes to prove that rape myths against women always blame and make it seem like it is the women’s fault she was raped and that she deserved it for “acting” a certain way. McMahon (2007), in her article titled, “Understanding community-specific rape myths” explains how Lonsway and Fitzgerald (1994) later described rape myths as “attitudes and beliefs that are generally
She mentions how the victims choose to keep quiet about the incident, since they fear their attacker will harm them for reporting the incident. Adefolalu mentions, "Victims who feared reprisal attacks from perpetrators were five times more likely to delay presentation than those who were not. " My hypothesis is fear of their assault prevents an individual from reporting a sexual assault committed towards them. My null hypothesis is fear does not affect if an individual reports a sexual assault. My independent variable is fear of assault and my dependent variable is unreported sexual assault.
It is very troubling to hear that 1 in 5 women in University will be victims of sexual assault, and even more so that less than 60% of cases get reported. The purpose of my paper is to put emphasis on how important it is that more people be informed about rape culture, but to also explain how men are just as important in working towards prevention as are women.
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...apidly our world today. There are hundreds of places people may go and visit for help or more information about rape and sexual violence. It is very important that when and if it happens, the victim needs to report the crime to authorities immediately. People must know the truth about rape and sexual violence and what to do about it.
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I am a 19-year-old girl, far too old to think I know everything. I don’t pretend to be an expert on rape. Having known the feel of a cold blade pressed to my side gave me no superior understanding of the crime, only a small scar to remember it by. Thus I offer you no solution. I cannot say with any conviction that my writing will help to save even one person from being subjected to a similar fate. Before you’ve read to the bottom of this page three more girls will be sexually assaulted, one girl will be raped. Neither the eloquence of my words, nor the fervor of my voice will have changed a thing.