Rape Stereotypes: A Mythological Analysis

Rape myths are an individuals or communities’ theories that excuse or justify the rapist’s actions. They are justifications that support the idea that somehow the victim which are usually women are the cause of their rapes. Rape myths are prejudicial ideas that are created by false stereotypes. There are rape myths that apply to the victim and the perpetrator.
Sociologist believes that observance of rape myths promote an abuse climate that blames the person who has been violated, excuses the person who performed the crime and blamed the victim (Belknap 2015:347). In my opinion, any act that allows a perpetrator to shift blame is creating a climate of acceptability. Most of the rape myths introduced in this chapter as reasons a person violates another human being are ridiculous. I believe that the regardless of how a person dresses they still have a right to decide who they will or will not be intimate with, so I void that myth, as a sad attempt to blame the victim.
I too consider this to be hogwash. Along the same lines of the clothes or lack thereof excuse I feel that if a person is overcome by drugs to the point that they commit rape that they had to be thinking of violating the person before them consuming the amount of whatever substance that gave them the courage to commit the despicable act. To put it another way rape myths create and approve the culture of rape (rape culture) it provides definitions to poor choices and condones perpetrators’ behaviors. They also create an atmosphere within society that victimizes the victims of abuse by trying to establish the offenders’ behavior as