Rape Culture Essay

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Last week the White House released a short, celebrity packed, 60-second public service announcement (PSA) on the topic of sexual assault. 1 is 2 Many addressed those who are in control of preventing sexual assault as its intended audience was those who can put a stop to sexual violence: the perpetrators or would-be offenders. Although this one minute announcement completes the task of bringing sexual assault to the forefront of discussion, it fails to encompass central issues of rape culture: societal perceptions, the victim, and the justice system. Sexual assault is a phenomenon that has been around for centuries. The culture of sexual assault is rooted in both legal practices and societal perceptions; in order for its reforms to be effective, they need to target both aspects of rape culture, as one factor by itself is not enough to maintain reforms and foster needed change. The culture of rape—how it is defined, its victims and its offenders (and how they are perceived by society), myths, and its laws—has changed throughout the years, and in particular during the first wave of legal reforms in the 1970’s. Although these legal and social changes are improvements from past conditions, they can be further developed and expanded. The legal system is flawed and its errors are reflected in how courts address sexual assault cases, and more specifically its victims and offenders. This is largely rooted in social factors and how communities, including families of offenders and victims, judges, legislators, and defenders, perceive or label victims and offenders. Societal misperceptions about sexual assault victims can negatively impact views on sex crimes and downplay its consequences. Thus, the culture of rape cannot properly develop ... ... middle of paper ... ...room for improvement. The second perspective that also influences the development of rape culture are myths and societal conceptions of sexual assault, rape, and victims. Kahlor and Morrison, authors of TV Rape Myth, suggest that two of the main myths are the notion that victims “asked for it”, whether by dressing a certain way or behaving flirtatiously, and that some women lie and “claim rape” after regretting consensual sex. (Kahlor & Morrison 2007). The authors suggest that this perception is affected and promoted by the media, and television in particular. The cultivation theory holds that high levels of television consumption lead to misrepresentative notions of reality. According to Kahlor and Morrison, studies have shown a positive correlation between men’s exposure to such depictions and their acceptance of violence against women (Kahlor & Morrison 2007)

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