Do Western Societies have a Rape Culture?
The state of women’s safety in the UK is poor.
A 2021 United Nations survey revealed that 97% of women aged between 18-24 years have faced sexual harassment in public spaces.
Top Source
Contribute
Research shows sexual assault victims are blamed for being attacked.
As per 'The Sexual Victimization of College Women' paper, rape victims get blamed for being attacked the most, relative to victims of other interpersonal crimes (like robberies). This has been a point of focus for various empirical investigations.
Top Source
Contribute
The majority of reported rape cases are true.
According to a study by Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services (CONNSACS), only 2% of reported rape cases are false. Victim-shaming and blaming are graver issues than we consider them to be.
Top Source
Contribute
False rape cases are only 1% of the total cases, still rape reports are often not believed.
According to a study by The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), 9 in 10 cases are never reported. The Independent, a British online newspaper, cites the reason for fewer numbers of rape cases being reported as the fear of not being believed by the authorities.
Top Source
Contribute
The fight against misinformation needs a hero like you.
Add your views to this topic by signing up. You’ll also be able to add or vote on sources, and start new topics. Because if you don’t fight misinformation, who will?
Sexual harassment isn’t taken seriously in the UK, as demonstrated by the fact that it’s not a criminal offence.
64% of women have been sexually harassed in the UK (where it’s not an offence in its own right). As per UK law, the prosecution does not just have to prove the victim's point of no consent but also the defendant's unreasonable belief that consent was given.
Top Source
Contribute
People justify victim-blaming, based on various beliefs, as a defence mechanism for coping with bad news.
The Psychology of Violence journal cites the common belief that ‘people get what they deserve’ as the primary reason for victim-blaming. According to Professor Barbara Gilin, this is because people want to believe there are things they can do to avoid becoming victims.
Top Source
Contribute
Not everyone who contributes to victim blaming is ill-intentioned.
According to Sherry Hamby, a professor of Psychology at the University of the South, sometimes people with good intent can also promote victim-blaming. For example, even therapists who work in prevention programs may recommend ways on how to not be a victim of a crime.
Top Source
Contribute
The fight against misinformation needs a hero like you.
Add your views to this topic by signing up. You’ll also be able to add or vote on sources, and start new topics. Because if you don’t fight misinformation, who will?
The majority of rapists never go to jail for their crimes.
As per an analysis by Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, 97% of rapists have never been behind bars. Jaclyn Friedman, author of ‘A World Without Rape’ says actual rapists are usually people who are known to their victims.
Top Source
Contribute
The entertainment industry has been instrumental in feeding rape culture.
Journalist Harriet Williamson points out that rape is commonly normalised through rape jokes or sexual violence in television shows and films. Popular American TV dramas like Game of Thrones have shown sexual violence through their plot and content.
Top Source
Contribute
Media that romanticizes stalking can increase stalking-supportive behaviour.
Research conducted by Julia R. Lippman, a researcher at the Center for Political Studies at the University of Michigan, highlights that romanticized pursuit behaviours featured in the media as a part of normative courtship, can lead to an increase in stalking-supportive beliefs.