What is Rape?

:
Whos Next?
Written By Cameron A. Glover

Glover 1

What is Rape?: Whos Next?

What is rape? Why do people commit rape? Where does it happen? How does it happen?
How often does it happen? Are you safe? These are frequently asked questions pertaining to the
curiosity of the subject of rape. It is fair to say that when people hear the word rape they go
into some type of deliberate, trepidatious, and/or an abhorrent mode. There is absolutely nothing
wrong with your consciousness, if you conclude rape in that way.
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of
sexual penetration perpetrated against a person without that person's consent. Should you be
concerned? Lets talk statistics. According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network
(RAINN): The nation's largest anti-sexual assault organization, Forty-four Percent (44%) of rape
victims are under age of eighteen and eighty percent (80%) are under the age of thirty; Two
hundred ninety-three thousand (293,000) people are sexually assaulted annually, which mean
someone is being sexually assaulted every one hundred seven seconds; Sixty-eight percent (68%)
of sexual assaults are not reported to the police and ninety-eight percent (98%) of rape suspects
will spend at least a day in jail; Eighty percent (80%) of the assaults are committed by someone
known and forty-seven percent (47%) of rapist are friends or acquaintances.
Dont be intimidated by the numbers or the facts. You have to self-analyze yourself by
determining what do you differently or similarly to the average rape victim. What are the
characteristics of someone who is more likely to be raped? What is the psychology of a person

Glover 2

who is likely to get raped? What type of environment surrounds an imminent rape victim? What
is the appearance that provoke rapist? Whos Next?
Survivors of rape are not always those we would consider sexually attractive. Rapists are
often very impulsive and generally act upon women who are most vulnerable; they are
disconnected from reality and dont think about what their victim goes through. It is a proven
fact that people, not only women, with low self-esteems or lack confidence are pretty much more
likely to get preyed on. Why? People with low self-esteem tend are most vulnerable and gullible.
A rapist can easily manipulate these types of people into believing pretty much anything just by
being friendly or acts of innocents.
People that do not have mental stability are also easy to prey on. For example, a person who
is undoubtedly drunk or high can easily be taken advantage of. Drug-facilitated rape may
happen a lot more often than we think. Many of these crimes are crimes of opportunity; for
example, a man sexually assaults a woman who is drunk or on drugs because he sees her as an
easy target. The most frequently detected drug in victims of drug-facilitated sexual assault is
alcohol. The second most common is marijuana. Adolescent females (16-19 years) and young
adult women (20-24 years) are 4 times more likely to be sexually assaulted than women in other
age groups. (The Hard Facts, SOGC)
Maybe some people are not mature enough to know, like children. In a 2012 maltreatment
report, of the victims who were sexually abused, 34% were younger than 9 years old. The played
out clich of rape, Can you help me find my dog!, still works in this day and age to the
unsophisticated children.

Glover 3

A persons psychology is highly thought about amongst rapist. Survivors of sexual assault
may blame themselves for what happened. If only if they could have made a wiser, much more
sophisticated decision and not have been so foolish.

Glover 4

Rape could take place anywhere. Research says, a rapist is more comfortable where the
victim feel the most secure. Approximately fifty percent (50%) of all rape/sexual assault
incidents were reported by victims to have occurred within 1 mile of their home or at their home.
According to RAINN, seven percent (7%) of rape or sexual assaults take place in a school,
Thirteen percent (13%) take place at the home of a friend, neighbor, or relative, and
Eighteen percent (18%) take place in a public area, such as a commercial venue, parking lot, or
park.
One kind of rape is marital rape, which, like all other forms of rape, is seriously
underreported and takes place in society more often than most people believe. This occurs
anytime a spouse is forced to have sex with his/her spouse when he/she does not want to and
does not give consent to. Survivors of marital rape also tend to be survivors of verbal and
physical abuse from their spouses. Some people blame survivors for the abuse they endure
because they failed to eagerly provide sex to their spouses as they "should. Until recently, there
was no legal basis in the United States for a survivor to claim marital rape. Defining and making
marital rape illegal was a positive step in reducing its occurrence and empowering its survivors.
As in all instances of rape, it is important that the survivors are not blamed for being raped or
expected to have sex with their spouses just because they are married to them.
Rape also occurs in colleges. Nearly one in five college women were victims of rape or
attempted rape during their freshmen year, with the most falling prey during their first three
months on campus, according to a new study. The researcher, Kate Carey, professor of
behavioral and social sciences in the Brown University School of Public Health, wrote that if a
similar number of young people were breaking their legs in their first year of school, we would

Glover 5

expect that the community would do something to enhance the safety of the environment. The
study found sexual violence widespread. Among those surveyed, 37 percent said they were either
raped or attacked by someone who attempted to rape them at least once from age 14 through the
end of their freshman year. Students were most vulnerable during fall semester of their freshmen
year a period often called the red zone between the start of classes and Thanksgiving break.
Rape on college campuses can happen through team sports, fraternities, conjoining sex
dormitories, etc. This can relate to the psychology and mental stability of a person. The most
vulnerable and some of the desperate seem to be considered as easy targets.
Another type of rape is prison rape. This type of rape usually involves male on male
forcible contact. It is believed that prison rape may occur for several reasons, which include
asserting dominance, proving manhood," satisfying sexual needs, and exerting power and
control over other inmates. In most cases the assailant considers himself to be heterosexual and
he may even have a partner outside of prison. Unfortunately, most perpetrators are usually not
prosecuted for these offences.
Another type of rape is wartime rape. Since ancient times it has been a common military
war tactic for an attacking army to invade a village or city and rape the women there to establish
dominance over, as well as humiliate their enemy. Along with that, soldiers may rape in order to
feel powerful and in control because they are a part of the very uncontrollable and terrifying
situation of war. Nearly every war has had a history of women being raped by opposing soldiers.
In most countries, it is now a punishable offence to carry out acts of rape on enemies as a means
of gaining a militant advantage.

Glover 6

Rape can occur more often in some of the places where you would think it be the last. Some
of the places that were listed are places that you really want to go, college or military, and others
you really do not determine whether if you can go or not, like prison. This information is not
meant to intimidate you. In fact, it should be enlightening you. Just play it safe pretty much
anywhere you go.

Glover 7

What does a potential rape victim look like? By wearing something that is more revealing
than usual, is that person necessarily asking for it? It is not always the person wearing the most
cleavage showing. Most convicted rapists do not remember what their victims were wearing.
Victims range in age from days old to those in their nineties, hardly provocative dressers. A
Federal Commission on Crime of Violence Study found that only 4.4% of all reported rapes
involved provocative behavior on the part of the victim. In murder cases 22% involved such
behavior (as simple as a glance).
While the level of temptation might be argued to be very similar but rape is ok because of
temptation? Very little rape has to do with how women are dressed. Women get raped when
wearing a burka, when wearing pants and a t-shirt, when being covered from head to toe during
bad weather. Dress has nothing to do with rape.

Glover 8

Rape is the most common crime today, and it is less reported. It should be known as the
silent crime because people are too ashamed to report to authorities. People have to be proactive
in preventing rape by being aware of their surroundings, always travel in groups, limit alcohol in
public places, and protect themselves by learning self-defense. There are numerous agencies,
activist groups, churches and different organization in every city that can help victims. To put a
stop to this silence that surrounds this crime, victims have to speak up. Victims should not allow
the perpetrator to have that power over them. Perpetrators need to be stop, so justice can be
served.