ShaeliSpurlock

DeanLeonard
1201ENGComp.
3/25/16
WhatIsBeingDoneToPreventRape
Rapehasbeengoingonsincethebeginningoftime.Rapeisseriousissue.Itaffectsthe
victiminvariousways.It'smentallyandemotionallyscarring.Theeffectsofrapediffer
dependingonthevictim.Foralongtime,eventhewordrapewastabooandnottalkedabout
much.Girlswereandstillaretaughttonevergoanywherealone.Nottogooutafterdark.Notto
dressprovocatively,andsoon.Thisiswhatsomecallprecautions.Thispaperwillfocuson
whatisbeingdonetopreventrapeandhowvictimsofrapearebeingtreated.
AnarticlepublishedbyTheNewYorkTimesexplainsOURstrategyfordealingwith
rapeoncollegecampuseshasfailedabysmally.Femalestudentsarerapedinappallingnumbers,
andtheirrapistsalmostinvariablygofree.Forcedbythefederalgovernment,collegeshavenow
gottenintothebusinessofconductingrapetrials,buttheyarenotcompetenttohandlethisjob.
Theyaresimultaneouslyfailingtopunishrapistsadequatelyandbrandingstudentssexual
assailantswhennosexualassaultoccurred.(Rubenfeld,
MishandlingRape
).Thisgivesusan
insidelookonthewaycollegesarehandlingrape.Deeperinthisarticle.ItalsomentionsBut
becauseoflowarrestandconvictionrates,lackofconfidentiality,andfeartheywontbe
believed,onlyaminusculepercentageofcollegewomenwhoarerapedperhapsonly5
percentorlessreporttheassaulttothepolice.Researchsuggeststhatmorethan90percentof
campusrapesarecommittedbyarelativelysmallpercentageofcollegemenpossiblyasfew

as4percentwhoraperepeatedly,averagingsixvictimseach.Yettheseserialrapists
overwhelminglyremainatlarge,escapingseriouspunishment.(Rubenfeld,
MishandlingRape
).
Thisstatesthatthatmanyrapistsgounpunished,andsomecollegerapistsraperepeatedly.
AnarticlepublishedbyTheDailyBeastexplainsThislatestcaseishorrifying,but
itsnotthefirstinrecenthistorytoexposehowauthoritiesaroundtheworldmistreatyoungrape
victims.Earlierthisyear,aLondonjudgeaccuseda16yearoldgirlofgroomingher
44yearoldteacherforsex,likeningheractionstoastalkerandtellingtheolderman:If
anything,itwasshewhogroomedyou.Yougavewaytotemptationatatimewhenyouwere
emotionallyvulnerablebecauseofproblemswithyourwifespregnancy.(Lytton,
13YearOld'sRapeCaseDismissedBecauseHerBodyIsWellDeveloped).
Thisprovesthat
rapevictimsaretreatedpoorly,allaroundtheworld.Italsoprovesverylittleisbeingdoneto
preventrape,especiallyifyousympathizefortherapistandblamethevictim.
AnarticlefortheNewYorkTimesexplainsThereareobviousstepsweasasociety
cantaketobettersupportallvictimsofsexualviolence:Wehavetostopblamingandshaming
survivors,andtostartholdingperpetratorsaccountable.Butwealsoneedtodomuchmoreto
supportwomenindisadvantagedcommunities.Thesearethesamewomenwhohavetheleast
flexibilityatwork,theleastaccesstoreliabletransportation,theleasthelpwithchildcare,and
theleastresourceswithwhichtopursuelegalrepresentationormedicaltreatmentontheirown.
Weneedtodoabetterjobofbringinghealth,legalandpsychologicalservicesto
them.(Rennison,
Privilege,AmongRapeVictims).
Thisarticlestatesthatwomen(andmen)who
liveonlowerincomesaremostlikelytoberaped.Italsomentionshowweneedtostopblaming
victimsfortheirabuseandstartholdingrapistsaccountablefortheiractions.

AccordingtoPBS,Ifwearereallyseriousaboutcurbingthiskindofviolenceagainst
women,mostexpertssaythepunishmentforsuchcrimesmustbeharsh."Ifarapistgetsaway
scottfreeorgetsawaywithminorpunishment,thatmeansrapeisaviablesexualstrategyfora
largenumberofmen.Rapeisinevitableifwedon'tpunishit,"saysGhiglieri.(Dickson,
Rape,
TheMostIntimateOfCrimes).
Assaidinthearticle,RapeISinevitableunlesswepunishit.
Thereneedstobemoreintensepunishmentsgiventorapistsandtorepeatoffenders.Therealso
needstobemoredonetopreventrapeinthefirstplace.
Allinall,thereislittlebeingdonetopreventrape.Aroundtheworld,rapevictimsas
youngasthirteenarebeingmistreatedbysocietyandbythecourts.Crimesandrapelawsarenot
strictenoughtopreventrapeortopreventrapistsfromstrikingagain.Rapeissomethinghardto
bouncebackfrom.Itisemotionally/mentallyscarringaswellasphysicallyscarring.Ifpeople
knowmore,maybemorewillfinallybedonetopreventrape.

WorksCited

Dickson,Mary."Rape,TheMostIntimateofCrimes."
PBS
.PBS,1996.Web.06Mar.2016.
<
http://www.pbs.org/kued/nosafeplace/articles/rapefeat.html
>.
Lytton,Charlotte."13YearOldsRapeCaseDismissedBecauseHerBodyIs
WellDeveloped."
TheDailyBeast
.Newsweek/DailyBeast,12Mar.2015.Web.06
Mar.2016.
<
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/03/12/13yearoldsrapecasedismissedbe
causeherbodyiswelldeveloped.html
>.
Rennison,CallieMarie."Privilege,AmongRapeVictims."
TheNewYorkTimes
.TheNewYork
Times,21Dec.2014.Web.20Mar.2016.

<
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/22/opinion/whosuffersmostfromrapeandsexuala
Rubenfeld,Jed."MishandlingRape."
TheNewYorkTimes
.TheNewYorkTimes,15Nov.2014.
Web.06Mar.2016.
<
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/16/opinion/sunday/mishandlingrape.html?_r=0
>.
ssaultinamerica.html?_r=0>.