Rape: Is It a Social Problem or an Individual Problem?

Introduction

Rape is a significant social problem in the society, and it is a sexual act perpetrated without consent, leading to the violation of a victim's rights. It is unlawful intercourse performed through force against the will of a person. Marital rape is also a common practice which is characterized by a forcible sexual act between the legally married couples. According to the feminist's perceptions, rape is mainly a social problem whose prevalence can be resolved by eradicating patriarchal gender stereotypes and norms. The liberalists view rape as a gender-neutral crime that leads to the infringement of rights thus being autonomy on the victim (Joseph, 2017). Rape occurs in different social groups: however, it is revealed that it is highly prevalent among the minority groups, with relatively lower social status. Rape cases are detrimental to the well-being of the society, and it requires the collective efforts and policies to curb this social problem.

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Theoretical Perspective on Rape

Theorists have provided different theoretical perspectives on rape as a social problem. The concept of 'rape culture' gained significant momentum in the 1970s and 1980s, signaling the inception of the second-wave feminist movement whose objective was to counter stereotypes and cultural norms that perpetrated rape and sexual abuse in the society (Whisnant, 2017). In 980s, the sociologists classified cultures as rape-prone or rape free. Rape-prone cultures were characterized by tolerant norms on sexual violence and rape case. On another hand, rape-free cultures recorded relatively lower frequencies of rape cases where such practices were highly discouraged. This approach enabled sociologists in determining the mechanisms behind rape-prone and rape-free cultures. It was revealed that economic empowerment of the minority social groups such as women and people led to a reduction in the cases of rape and sexual violence (Whisnant, 2017). Reduced incidences of sexual assault amongst women in 1980s were also realized when women and men were less segregated during the events of childrearing and work.

Feminist movements have always challenged the myths associated with rape. This involves emphasizing on the need of 'breaking the silence' around sexual violence cases in the society. According to feminist activism, rape is not an exceptional and rare practice but rather, a usual experience in the lives of women (Joseph, 2017). Recently, the feminist's campaigns have focused on the 'speakouts' and creation of platforms where the victims can share out their experiences on rape and other related violence. It is imperative to extrapolate accurate statistics on the prevalence of rape incidences to allow formulation of a lasting solution to this problem. Kim (2012) revealed that few assailants had been punished, which include conviction rates of 2-9% of total rape cases reported in the United States.

Feminists also use gender inequality perspective to theorize rape. It is argued that acquaintance rapes are often premeditated, implying that they are performed to exert the dominance of a particular gender over the perceived weak gender. The second wave of feminist movement alleged that rape functioned as a mechanism of social control in male-controlled societies. Rape and the fear of being raped enabled men to assert their influence over women, thus maintaining their status of quo through the system of gender stratification (Whisnant, 2017). The frequency of rape cases and sexual violence is relatively higher in the societies where women are perceived to be sexual objects for men. In such scenarios, the culprits maintain their power and privileges thus enforcing their alleged sexual rights through intimidation and coercive force.

Why is Rape a Social Problem?

The constructionists address rape as a social problem by focusing on the process that can lead to the actual act of sexual violence behaviors to the culprits. Rape is not an exceptional issue affecting a few people but rather, a social justice problem which poses a challenge to everyone. Rape is relevant to different struggles for equality such as systemic racism, ableism, and homophobia (Nagle, 2016). Rape culture, which constitutes the contexts where rape is pervasive, tolerated and normalized, was an indication that the problem has escalated and needed immediate solutions. Rape culture was perpetrated by societal attitudes on gender and sexuality. According to the constructionists, rape culture paved the way for the typical behaviors such as victim blaming, shaming, sexual objectification and trivializing of the rape cases which adversely affected the social life of the victims. This is an indication that the society has been reluctant in addressing rape cases due to the rape culture.

The rape culture outlines the heinous crimes and negative connotation associated with rape. According to Nagle (2016), some societies have become silent and in the state of denial regarding the handling of the rape cases. Some communities have nurtured the culture of stigmatization on rape victims, prompting them to fear to share their experiences. This has hindered the establishment of effective policies and programs that can advocate for increased law enforcement and jurisdiction that can facilitate complete eradication of this social problem. The findings published by Vox in 2016 reported that one in every five women in campuses were victims of sexual violence, but 91% of the colleges did not report the occurrences of these sexual assaults (Nagle, 2016). This is an indication that the administrators in various institutions (learning institutions and workplaces) are reluctant to report the actual prevalence of rapes. The victims are left to battle with shame and fear of being intimidated.

There is the need for developing the culture where the victims are publicly supported and not neglected or shamed. Currently, rape victims usually suffer from public shame, which isolates them. For example, recent findings indicate that sexual and domestic violence in U.S. and Baltimore is reaching critical levels. There were 6247 calls to 911 in the first three months of the 2016 reporting sexual assault cases in Baltimore City (Nagle, 2016). In the United States, the studies also indicate that one in three women, one in six men and close to half of the transgender people could have experienced sexual assault as minors. Native American are two times more likely to be raped as compared to other social groups. These statistics indicate that the prevalence of rape in the society is increasing.

Who is affected by this Social Problem?

Sexual violence affects different people directly and indirectly. This includes individuals across various age groups, sexual orientation, socioeconomic backgrounds, and gender. There are relatively more female rape victims than men. The effects of rape can either be psychological trauma or physical trauma or both. It follows that rape victims usually suffer from mental health, reproductive health, and social wellbeing.

Possible Solutions for the Problem

Rape is a critical social problem with detrimental impact on the victims and immediate family members. Eradication of rape incidences is the primary objective of sexual assault prevention. This approach requires comprehensive prevention model which address the prevailing issues at every level of the social ecology of a person, relationships, and society. Developing a culture that supports victims as opposed to neglecting and shaming them can help in ending rape culture. It is common for some communities to be silent on the acts of sexual assaults. This has denied the victims a supportive platform where they can share their experiences and ways of seeking justice (Nicola, 2017). Rape victims should be given psychological care and support. This should involve initiating programs which will provide counseling and therapy to facilitate the process of healing. Implementation of the cognitive-behavioral approach can also help victims of sexual violence to recover psychological damage caused by trauma.

Creation of awareness against sexual violence through life-skills and related educational programs can enhance complement efforts towards eradication of rape in the society. Such initiatives should focus on enlightening the community on the need for men and women living together as partners. This includes teaching the community about myths and realities of sexual assault. People, especially young individuals should be discouraged from using alcohol or drugs to lure someone into having sex. Campaigns to discourage sexist behaviors such as objectifying and stereotyping of women should be supported and intensified. These practices can facilitate a reduction in sexual violence, which is escalating.

Conclusion

The increasing cases of rape are posing critical social problems that are detrimental to the social wellbeing of many people. Sexual assault affects many lives, both directly and indirectly. The victims typically suffer from mental health, reproductive health, and social welfare. Relevant bodies should adopt different approaches to finding a remedy to this problem. This should include focusing on the elimination of the rape culture which condones and normalize rape.

References

Joseph, P. (2017). Rape: is it a social problem or an individual problem? Wikimedia , 1-3.

Nagle, R. (2016). Rape is a social justice issue. Baltimore Sun, 1-3.

Nicola, M. (2017). A Social Problem: Individual and Group Rape. Advances in Applied Sociology, 95-114 .

Whisnant, R. (2017). Feminist Perspectives on Rape. In E. N. Zalta, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (pp. 32-56). Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University.