Why Does Rape Exist And What
Why does rape exist and what causes it? What is it about our society that makes rape one of the fastest growing violent crimes in this country? The causes and reasons for rape are deeply entrenched in our social structure. We can explore some of the motivations and circumstances, which lead men to rape. We have learned that some men rape out of anger and a need to overpower, dominate, and humiliate. We can also look at some of the historical attitudes from which today 's beliefs and stereotypes have evolved. However, we must look beyond both rapists ' motivations and history if we are to truly understand the act of rape.
From very early ages, men and women are conditioned to accept different roles in our society. Women are raised to be passive and men are raised to be aggressive. We are conditioned to accept certain attitudes, values and behaviors. Our conditioning is continuously and relentlessly encouraged and reinforced by the popular media, cultural attitudes and the educational system. The media is a major contributor to gender-based attitudes and values. The media provides women with a complete list of behaviors that precipitate rape.
The high incidence of rape in this country is a result of the power imbalance between men and women. Women are expected to assume a subordinate relationship to men. Consequently, rape can be seen as a logical extension of the typical interactions between women and men. Women 's vulnerability to rape is a result of this subordinate relationship. We are a rape-supportive culture because society teaches women to be victims and men to be aggressors.
One section of the Chapter 8 reading in Women in the Criminal Justice System that I found particularly interesting was the section about rape vulnerability; particularly for students in college. It says that students are especially vulnerable to rape because they are typically within the age range which sexual assault is most prevalent and because of the heavy drinking that is
From very early ages, men and women are conditioned to accept different roles in our society. Women are raised to be passive and men are raised to be aggressive. We are conditioned to accept certain attitudes, values and behaviors. Our conditioning is continuously and relentlessly encouraged and reinforced by the popular media, cultural attitudes and the educational system. The media is a major contributor to gender-based attitudes and values. The media provides women with a complete list of behaviors that precipitate rape.
The high incidence of rape in this country is a result of the power imbalance between men and women. Women are expected to assume a subordinate relationship to men. Consequently, rape can be seen as a logical extension of the typical interactions between women and men. Women 's vulnerability to rape is a result of this subordinate relationship. We are a rape-supportive culture because society teaches women to be victims and men to be aggressors.
One section of the Chapter 8 reading in Women in the Criminal Justice System that I found particularly interesting was the section about rape vulnerability; particularly for students in college. It says that students are especially vulnerable to rape because they are typically within the age range which sexual assault is most prevalent and because of the heavy drinking that is
References: Van Wormer, K., & Bartollas, C. (2000). Rape. Women in the Crime and Justice System (Fourth ed.). Pearson Education.