Rape culture

Many of the attitudes, beliefs, and mistaken ideas about rape have been with us for centuries. By looking at myths, such as "women ask for it," and "women secretly enjoy rape," from a historical perspective, lead us for better understanding how they evolved. Women are still seen as the property of men, are protected as such. Men and women are still taught to occupy very different roles in today's world. Men are usually in power positions, and women are seen as passive. This socialization process is changing, but slowly.

Rape is a forced sexual intercourse against the will of the victim (Parrot, 1988). Rape is a violent act, not a sexual act. The myth that men who rape women are sexually pathological has begun to be …show more content…

Drinking plays a role in sexual aggression in a number of ways. First, some men use alcohol to reduce the resistance of a date who has not previously consented to sexual activity. Some men do this intentionally to trick the woman into agreeing to something that she would not agree to when sober. Most men give the role of alcohol no thought and simply offer alcohol no thought and simply offer alcohol to their dates as part of the normal dating ritual. The problem is that these men believe that a woman who contents to sex when toxicated is giving her consent. Second, alcohol lowers inhibitions and often increases interest in sexual activity. And because it lowers inhibitions, alcohol makes it more likely that the male will do something – such as using force – that he would not do when he had not been drinking. Finally, drinking allows people to attribute their behavior to the alcohol rather than their own choices (Mufson at all, 1993).

It is also important to acknowledge that men and women commit rape, both men and women are victims, and rapes occur among both heterosexuals and homosexuals. No one is completely free of the threat of rape. A recent scientific study of acquaintance rape on thirty-two campuses conducted by Ms. Magazine and psychologist Mary P. Koss showed that significant numbers of women are raped on dates or by acquaintances, although most victims never report their attacks. Ms. survey states that