Women Don't Ask For Rape, They Ask For Justice - And Response (2)

  • Wednesday, March 4, 2015

The stereotypical irrationality that women typically lie about rape has brought an enormous amount of social stigma to this population. Many like to think that rape is not a huge issue in the United States, and that the media blows it out of proportion. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported that approximately 17.7 million females in America have been raped, with 108,612 of those being in 2013, and that’s just the reported cases. The FBI also found that 41,028 rape cases in 2013 happened in the South, which is the highest rate in the entire country.

This is particularly alarming since the South is the heart of the “Bible belt” in the United States.

            You may be wondering why my sole focus is on bringing justice to female victims of rape, and the truth of the matter is that 9 out of 10 rape victims are women. The Rape Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) reported that thousands of women every year choose not to report rape because of the shame and unbelief placed on them by the media. A recent study done at Harvard University concluded that the media has developed a twisted theory that women who are raped either dress provocatively, tease their perpetrators, or desire to be in a sexual situation of dominance such as rape. This stereotype that most women ask for rape or lie about it to gain attention is so clearly fueled by the media, and demolished by statistics and facts.

The FBI and numerous rape crisis centers around the nation have reported that female victims of rape are at high risk for numerous negative effects that could be detrimental to healing and living a successful life. Women who are raped are three times more likely to fall into depression, six times more likely to be diagnosed with PTSD, and 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol compared to women who are not raped. These effects were attributed not only to the rape, but to the negative stereotype placed upon these women, taking away their dignity and credibility.

            RAINN, the largest anti-sexual assault organization in the country, has found that the negative stereotype that women often lie about rape is quickly diminishing the credibility and self-worth of female rape victims. This organization has also discovered that this social stigma prevents perpetrators from being brought to justice. In essence, America is supporting rapists and leaving victims in the dust if they buy into the media’s portrayal of women who are raped. In order for female victims of rape to be validated and removed from this negative image, their perpetrators need to be prosecuted.

            The social stigma of female rape victims and the alarmingly high amount of open rape cases in the United States are clearly linked. These issues can be solved by supporting the passing of an important piece of legislation, the Debbie Smith Act, which is a DNA backlog grant program that provides funding to state and local law enforcement agencies to process the backlog of DNA “rape kits.” This program has helped find thousands of rapists and bring credibility to females who are so often told that they are liars. With each passing day that this program is not passed, thousands of rapists remain free on the streets.

            Rape is often unseen by those who don’t experience it. Thousands of the future women of America will not have a chance to live out their full potential because they are raped and nobody believes them. Thousands of rape cases remain open because once the evidence is collected the kits are swept away into storage, leaving the perpetrators to stack the shelves higher. I firmly believe that reducing the backlog of DNA and bringing the perpetrators to justice, will significantly reduce the number of rapes in the United States, and defeat the popular stance that women lie about rape. Women don’t ask for rape, they ask for justice.

Jessica Hill

Vice President of Phi Alpha

Social Work Honor Society

Southern Adventist University

 

* * *

I agree with Jessica Hill that rapists need to be brought to justice. I also feel that the sentence for rape should be no less than life without parole, and they must grow their own food (they don't deserve to benefit from tax dollars in any way, once convicted).

As for the overall message of Ms. Hill's article, I find myself scratching my head while trying to figure out how big of a rock she lives under. She references the "stereotypical irrationality" and the "popular stance" that women lie about rape...What?

Ms. Hill, open your eyes. The myth that America supports rapists, directly or indirectly, is just that: a myth. It's a myth that anyone can recognize as such unless they're actively wanting to be convinced otherwise. Whenever a woman accuses a man of rape, the public at large assumes he is guilty and labels him a rapist before the police even have time to investigate. All a female need do to ruin a man's reputation is accuse him of rape. The accusation doesn't need to turn into a conviction, or even charges. Once accused, the man is forever labeled a(n) (accused) rapist. Never has "guilty until proven innocent" been more true than when applied to men accused of rape. That wouldn't be the case if there existed this alleged stereotype that women typically lie about rape.

Personally, I believe that most women are telling the truth about being raped, but I know for a fact that some are blatantly lying (some even admit to it; see: Brian Banks). When I was in college, several football players were accused of raping a girl who, prior to the alleged act, made it well known to anyone within earshot what her intentions were. The next day, she was in full body paint at their football game cheering them on. Two days after that, she accused them of rape. As soon as they were accused, their football careers were over and they were kicked out of school. The charges were ultimately dismissed, but not the labels. She was free to go on with her life. The football players will always have their names linked with "rape" for the rest of their lives upon a simple Google search, all because of a girl's lie. This is only one of many examples of the power of a single accusation. For every example one could present of a public rape accusation leading to nothing, I can present 10 where the accused suffered irreparable damage to his career/reputation despite being found not guilty (or not even being charged). That doesn't happen if there's a stereotype that women typically lie about rape. That happens simply due to public pressure, which is a direct result of the vast majority of people assuming the woman cannot possibly be lying about rape (aka a stereotype). Otherwise, they'd want to wait for all the facts to be presented, and for each party to have a chance to present their side of the story, but we all know that's not the case.

Your argument smacks of one who would rather see 100 innocent men go to prison before 1 guilty man set free. It is built upon a foundation of quicksand; it simply doesn't even begin to hold up to the slightest bit of scrutiny.


Jim Dothard
Apison

 

* * *

A perfect example of Jim Dothard's point is playing out now. Barely half a day ago, a local Chattanooga news station posted an article on social media about a bus driver accused of rape.  There are already hundreds of comments, with all of the ones I saw being some variation of what brutal punishment should be doled out to the rapist, and nary a one calling for people to let the facts be presented before jumping to conclusions.

Not exactly the type of comments most people would expect to see when the alleged prevailing stereotype is that the woman is lying.

-Sam Horn

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