Rape Attitudes And Beliefs By Rhissa Briones

One in four women will be sexually assaulted during her lifetime. About 700,000 American women are raped each year. Rape is a form of sexual assault involving unwanted intercourse. Moreover, rape is also sexual intercourse without consent and with use of force. This is one of the worst experiences that could happen to anyone. Furthermore, rape is important to study because it is a very big social problem, not only in the United States, but everywhere around the world. One woman who discusses this topic is Rhissa Briones. In her scholarly article, Rape Attitudes and Beliefs: A Replication Study, Briones talks about sexual violence and society and how the rates of rape have not changed over the years. Briones states, "Rape is feared by women
Rather, the act is perceived by women as a severe and brutal form of personal violation," (Briones 8). In addition, there are many ways this problem affects people. Rape causes many social and psychological issues for the victims. Many rape victims blame themselves and get severe anxiety and depression. Also, rape can lead to suicidal thoughts and/or suicide. Two more women who discuss this social problem are Mary E. Odem and Jody Clay-Warner. In their scholarly article, Confronting Rape and Sexual Assault, they show the social science literature on rape and discuss many things about rape, such as, health, social and psychological problems, law, and women's studies. Odem and Warner state, "Feminists forcefully challenged conventional understandings of rape by redefining it as a serious and pervasive social problem threatening all women, a problem that demanding immediate attention... Both as a physical act and psychological threat, rape is a means of inducing fear in women, limiting their movements, and reinforcing their dependence on men," (Odem, Warner
I would conduct this study by taking the interpretive approach to study this issue. This approach will help me to understand what social and psychological effects rape has on their victims. Moreover, the goal is to understand the victims' social and psychological affects on them, rather than making predictions. This approach is more interactive, so it can help to see what meaning the victims attach to their social world. This approach searches for the definition of a situation and helps find out the victims' values. Additionally, the research method I would be using to gather data is a survey and an interview. To find the participants, I would go to different types of locations and hand out the surveys, have people fill them out, and send it to me. Each survey would be put in a pre-stamped and labeled envelope so that it will be easy for them to mail the surveys back to me. Also, the first questions on the surveys will be, "Have you or do you know anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault?" And, "If so, was it a friend, family member, or you?". Next, I would choose a few rape victims to interview, contact them, and then set up a date and time to video chat with them and interview them. Also, to make sure I have consent to interview the victims, I will call each surveyor that has been a victim of sexual assault to ask for their consent. I will do a