Rape and sexual assault is a topic that is constantly in the media. I feel like I am always hearing stories of sexual assault—whether it be on local or national news. Heck it wasn’t too long ago that the story of Stanford swimmer Brock Turner flooded social media. The country was practically in an uproar over the disgusting acts of this college student. For a solid two weeks I don’t think there was anything on my Facebook feed except for his face and people’s statuses, talking about how disgusting he is and so on and so forth—and pending his release from prison, the talk is far from over.
And let me just say, I'm not really mad about it. I really appreciate the fact that men and women are both able to open up and discuss this topic. Sexual assault and rape is something that many find very hard to talk about. It’s an uncomfortable topic, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be discussed. While it upsets me greatly that so many people are dealing with situations such as these, it’s almost refreshing to see how many people care.
Which brings me to my point…
Why do people STILL think it’s okay to use the word “rape” so disgustingly out of context?
“I just got raped by that test”
“I’m gonna rape you in *insert sport here* tonight”
“Yo we totally raped that homework assignment”
Are you kidding me?! I see and hear this talk on the daily and I’m unsure why it is still a thing. Do people not realize how utterly disrespectful it is to say something to that nature?
Maybe you don’t know someone who is a victim of rape or sexual assault, and maybe you do. But put yourself in that victims position. How would you feel if you saw others using that term so loosely, as if it meant absolutely nothing. As if they saw it as a joke.
Now don’t get me wrong—I totally understand that my generation has grown up with this sort of “slang” that includes some pretty inappropriate language, but when is this going to change? If we continue to speak the way we do- nothing’s going to be different. Future generations are going to continue to use this word out of context.
Just put yourself in the shoes of a victim for a moment. This victim could be a stranger, your parent, your sibling, your best friend or you. How would it make you feel seeing that term so loosely thrown around?
“Be an ally to rape survivors, and expand your vocabulary," Amelia Shroyer, Huffington Post
