EVERYDAY RAPE Whether you have heard it a thousand times or never before, understanding the normalisation of rape culture is extremely important.
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hen reading about sexual assault (or SA), the comment section can be a minefield. People often say that rape culture is fictional. a so-called slogan made to shame men or make rape seem like a big deal. But it is. Usually, we can easily dismiss these comments as online trolls with nothing better to do than invalidate others: Though something didn’t sit right with us. We realise that some just don’t understand what rape culture is. Maybe you don’t. And If you don’t, that’s okay. Tag Mag explores some of the key issues.
What is it?
normalised or made into jokes. And this happens a lot. Every day. And it is dangerous.
Have you heard? First, this culture treats rape as a problem to be solved. Victims (often presumed to be female or feminine) are told to alter their behaviour rather than those who commit rape (often perceived as male or masculine). We understand that this attitude can be damaging and wrong. Below are some views which contribute to rape culture. How many have you heard of?
Cover up! Firstly, the easy bit. ‘Rape’ is an act of sexual penetration of the vagina, anus You might’ve heard of the “personal responsibility” or mouth of another person argument. For example, without consent. No ifs, no women are told not to go buts, no consent. out late and drink or cover ‘Culture’ is the things that a up. Although many still take group of people or a country these measures to stay safe, commonly do together over this puts pressure on women prolonged periods. This and not on rapists. Clothes, might range from the arts drinking and staying out late is to education to food. You not consent. No one is asking could say British culture is old for it. poems, university and baked beans. Sometimes, it can be It’s your fault! uncomfortable to link sexual violence with that concept. We all know that our society When people ask questions like “What were they doing doesn’t outwardly promote there?” or “How drunk were rape. We don’t walk down they?”, it implies that SA is the street and see posters likely in certain situations. encouraging us to commit it. Again, these questions But the attitude is still there. normalise rape and blame When we talk about rape victims. We do not hold rapists culture, we mean cultural and attackers accountable practices that excuse or as a society. In fact, in an otherwise tolerate sexual independent survey, we violence which can include found that 82% of teens had victim-blaming. We are been assaulted or harassed. talking about the way that we If we don’t start holding the collectively think about sexual offenders accountable, that violence. More often than not, number will only continue to it is situations in which these assaults are ignored, trivialised, rise!
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“I’m scared to walk home at night, but there’s nothing I can do” They finally said yes! Say that you are at a party and see someone you want to take home. You ask to go, but they say no. So you ask again and again. Until you persuade them. Well, shocking as it might seem, that is harassment. Coercion is the act of persuading or pressuring someone to do
something until they say yes. We need to learn about consent and how no means no because pressure does not equal consent. Don’t keep asking again and again if you get turned down. You’re embarrassing yourself and hurting someone else. Basically, the rapist is to blame, and we need to understand that.
