When you think of rape, certain preconceptions may come to mind—like random assault, in a dark alley, by an unknown attacker. This is almost never the case. About 90 percent of rape victims know their attacker, and one in every five women will experience rape or attempted rape in her lifetime. As Americans, we often perceive tragedies such as rape as rare, unexpected occurrences. We have a tendency to paint a picture in our minds of a perfect country where issues like this only happen to very few people. But rape has always been a significant issue, and in recent years rape statistics have gone up at a shockingly high rate. According to humanrightswarch.org, "there has been a 25% increase in reported sexual assaults over the last ten years. And it's our very judicial system, our gender biases, and even our art and entertainment that helps to perpetuate this culture on a daily basis.
The recent rape case at Stanford University has the nation full of outrage and confusion. Brock Turner, a 20-year-old student at Stanford University was found raping an unconscious woman behind a dumpster. Sickening, disgusting, and horrifying are all words that come to mind. But, while, in the majority of rape cases, the rapist receives 10 or more years in prison, Brock Turner, a talented swimmer at a prestigious university, received six months.
Judge Aaron Persky, who dealt with Turner's case claimed: “A harsher sentence would have a severe impact on Turner's life.” We couldn’t have that. A rapist, dealing with his consequences and having them impact his life? That would be unethical. A rape victim knowing that her attacker would receive almost no punishment? Well, that’s fair because she made reckless decisions which led to her rape. As disgusting as it seems, that's the line of reasoning that leads to court decisions such as Persky's. Sentencing a rapist to almost no punishment sends a message to the rest of America that it’s okay to rape, and that if you’re a talented athlete, you won’t have to deal with the consequences you deserve.
The Stanford rape case, while horrible and tragic, is just one example in the sea of rape culture we live in. Take, for example, the popular 2012 song “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke. The songs lyrics state “I know you want it…but you’re a good girl…I hate these blurred lines.” These lyrics imply that women want to be raped and that the “blurred lines” of consent should not exist because women want to be raped. There are no “blurred lines” of consent. The legal definition of sexual consent is “a clear and unambiguous agreement, expressed in mutually understandable words or actions, to engage in a particular activity by two sober, mentally stable adults.”
Now, I don’t know about you, but I think that definition is extremely clear. I see no “blurred lines” about it. If a person does not follow one or more of the guidelines of legal consent, the action is rape. There is no such thing as “nonconsensual sex.” There is consensual sex, and then there is rape. This rape anthem won multiple Grammy awards and was constantly, and sometimes still is, playing on popular radio stations.
Whether or not we realize it, American society as a whole supports rape culture. Until we make an active effort to stop it, rape statistics will continue to be shockingly high, and rapists will continue to get away without the punishment they deserve.
