The Realities of Rape

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Imagine you are a 28 year old woman, and have been working for a Wall-Street bank all day. You decide to go on a run in Central Park to wind down your day. It is a cool evening. The air is lush and Central Park breathes with the energy of New York. It is April 19th, 1989. You start your run off strong. Halfway through your run, you turn a corner and a man steps out from the shoulder. He strikes you with a tree branch. You realize he is dragging you. Everything spins. You cry out for help and howl with pain. You hit your attacker around the face. There is a struggle, but he easily overpowers you. He takes off your clothes and binds your wrists to you head. The blows do not stop. Everything goes black. When you wake up, you are in the hospital and are told you have been raped, and severely beaten. You suffered severe hypothermia, blood loss, a fractured skull, and have been in a coma. You cannot remember what happened that night and you do not remember the attack. You feel alone, ostracized, and overwhelmed. Your physical injuries are nothing compared to the pain that dwells in your heart. This is the story of the Central Park jogger, and this is the reality of rape.

Rape is when someone forces you to take part in sexual activity of any kind if you have said "no" and do not consent. Date rape is when someone you know through social connections forces you into sex. It doesn't have to just be intercourse, it could be oral sex or anal sex. Penetration can be from a body part or an object. It can happen to boys just as it could happen to girls, and boys are typically raped by other men. Rapists could make physical and verbal threats, and they could also use emotional blackmail. Date rape attackers...

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...tting or are only acquaintances. Always communicate with sexual partners about their wishes and never assume consent. Encourage anyone facing adversity due to their gender or sexual orientation. Everyone plays a role in the wellbeing of others and it is up to us to bring an end to a culture of rape.

Works Cited

Bayley, Alex. "Rape Culture." Geek Feminism Wiki. Wikia, 9 June 2009. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. .
The Central Park Five. Dir. Sarah Burns, Ken Burns, and David Mcmahon. Public Broadcasting Service, 2012. Online Streaming.
"Get Info | RAINN." Get Info | RAINN | Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. N.p., 2009. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. .
The Invisible War. Dir. Kirby Dick. Prod. Amy Ziering and Tanner K. Barlow. By Kirby Dick. Chain Camera Pictures, 2012. Online Streaming.

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