When it comes to defining rape it can be rather difficult, however, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, rape can be defined as forced sexual intercourse, which includes psychological and physiological coercion. This may include vaginal, anal, or oral penetration. Either a woman or a man can be a victim of rape, however, more women are victims then men. Also, most victims know the assailant. As mentioned by the Haven’s Project at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2/3rds of rape were done by someone the victim knows. However, it is difficult to know exact statics about rape, because both rape and sexual assault are some of the most unreported crimes. This makes it rather difficult when it comes to helping to prevent rape from occurring. …show more content…
However, she feels that it has made her a stronger person. She is still very sensitive to the term rape, and does not like when people use that term, she feels as if it is much too invasive, and instead prefers when people use the term sexually assaulted. Macy has said that if it were not for her friend’s and families support, she would not be where she is today. Not only has the traumatizing event made her a stronger person, but she also sees the significance of helping other females who have been victims. She feels the importance of making sure the individual does not feel alone. A year after the rape, Macy saw one of the boys at a party she was at. She walked up to him and said you may have dragged me down and hurt me, but I am stronger then I have ever been. The boy has nothing in return to say. She knew that she will always have to live with that frightening night, but those three men will always have to live with the thought that they raped someone. She knew that that idea alone would make them …show more content…
However, often times rape goes unreported because the individual feels shame, guilt, and fear of reporting the event, so often times the perpetrator gets off with no repercussions, because it is to painful for the victim to relive the traumatizing events that occurred during their sexual assault. Not only is rape common amongst other age groups, but also rape is a common occurrence on college campuses. According to statistics 20% of college women are victims of rape. Personally, I think universities need to become more active in preventing rape from occurring, and helping those who are victims. For example, just because my friend Macy did not want to press charges three men got away with no repercussions, and the university did not do anything to get the three boys in trouble. In fact the three boys are all still students
This type is the most common type that is not reported right after it happened because of the status of the person who did the rape or because of other types of fear. In this case, Beau was a football player for the University and he seemed untouchable because of the praise they received. Something we see that Allison did well was that she went to get a rape kit right after the incident happened, so they were able to prove that rape did in fact
Laurie Halse Anderson pours in so much care for the character that the reader cannot help but feel concern for her well-being. Melinda’s rough freshman school year is quite similar to the lives of those who are victims of sexual assault. The author is trying to get the point across that sexual assault is a terrible thing and that victims need to speak up. Having an anonymous way for women to report rape and for the attackers to be found guilty would promote an environment of safety
One in five women and one in sixteen men are sexually assaulted while in college. 63% of sexual assaults are not reported to police and only about 2 to 10% of reports are found to be false. In Jon Krakauer’s book: Missoula, Rape and the Justice System in a College Town. Krakauer focuses on the many rapes that occur on the college campus in Missoula. Most of the rapes that happen on college campuses are done by men, but to say all men are rapists is unjust and sexist.
However, even though they are usually not the ones at fault, nothing is ever said about the event. In a report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, it was found that 75 to 77 percent of sexual assaults, attempted rapes, and completed rapes were never reported (“Sexual Assault and Rapes”). Furthermore, the blame of the whole event was never put on the person responsible. Instead, the victim was blamed for not denying the advances, or for not making themselves clearer in their intents(“Sexual Assault and Rapes”). This huge chip to carry often leaves the victims feeling isolated, scared, full of shame, depressed, and with a low self-esteem(“Sexual Assault and Rapes”).
Melinda avoids talking about her assault as she is struggling with feelings of guilt, shame and fear, fear of being judged or not believed if she tells someone about what happened to her. Melinda is haunted by the memory of her rape which contributes to her decision to keep her assault a secret. Therefore,with Melindas
In the book, Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in College Town, by Jon Krakauer, the reader delves into how rape and sexual assault are treated in the town of Missoula, and the University of Montana. As the reader, we are informed on how the university, the police department, the district attorney’s office, and the community reacted to these rape and sexual assault allegations. We see how the criminal justice system has failed the victims, and are forced to live with what happened to them, while their assailants are free of any burden. The law is set in place to protect people from victimization, but when the men, in this book, are not legally held accountable, then any woman, or man, is more susceptible to victimization. It is interesting
It is estimated in the U.S that rape or attempted rape occurs every five minutes. It is documented that 46% of criminals charged for rape become apprehended within three years of being released for different criminal activity.
Melinda is raped by an older boy at a party the summer before her freshman year of high school. The impacts of this event are socially and psychologically devastating for Melinda. Her declining mental health renders her physically unable to speak about being raped over the summer. She is unable to cope with her trauma, and forced to suffer alone. However, she eventually becomes empowered to speak up for herself and about her experience.
To Report Into Easy To Discredit Victims. This article Challenge the accuracy of David Lisak and his associates findings in their asserting that their data for false accusation provided inconsistent number. Belknap (2010) question if 5% of rapes among college women are reported to campus police how can 5.9% of rapes reported on college campus are false accusations reports. according to Belknap (2010) 95% of college women do not report their rate victimization to the police 5% the Lisak is saying that 5% is false accusation. The problem with this study
Sexual assault remains the most underreported crime for teens as well as adults, (Why Don’t They Tell? In the award-winning novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson writes about a character named Melinda Sorinado who was raped in the summer of freshman year and during freshman year we read about her dealing with the trauma she experienced. “Its choppy, nonlinear narrative gradually reveals that shortly before the first day of school, Melinda went to a party, where she was raped by a handsome, popular senior… But also, I had been sexually assaulted a month before ninth grade started,” (Interview with Author). Due to him being so popular, she didn’t tell anyone, some of the reasons that may have happened could be.
It looks scary how vulnerable the survivor can be at the time of assault. However, as long as the matter of violence is associated, the students at college campuses are safer than their non-college mates. Some training and education has been administrated to the students for awareness about the violence and sexual assaults. Even, with increased training and education, most of the college campuses have much longer way to go for decreasing the intensity and number of assaults and the incidents have immense negative impact on the society and people around us.
Every year over 63,000 teenagers are raped. After Rape incidents, many victims suffer from trauma and painful emotions. A similar situation occurs in the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. In this story, Melinda Sordino, a high school freshman, is raped by an upperclassman. Many rape victims never recuperate from their attacks, but the strongest few do.
She doesn’t trust herself to know is she was actually raped or not or if her attraction to Andy and drunken state was consent. She won’t go to the party with David, a boy she actually likes, because she felt she couldn't trust him because she trusted Andy and he hurt her. Throughout her days things such as dissection of a frog or invitations to pizza parties causes her to flashback and re-live memories of what happened that she so desperately wants to forget. Seeing her rapist in the hall every day and not being able to and feeling like she can’t say anything about what he did. She sees him talking to other potential victims and she wants to help them, but has trouble finding her
In Speak, Melinda was a normal teenage girl with decent grades and lots of friends. Then, she went let that all get ruined when she went to a party without telling her parents and got raped, she called the police to the party and ended up losing all her friends. After the rape she took a terrible course of actions that only extended her suffering by adopting depressed moping behaviors and worst of all, not telling anyone about the rape. Personally, I feel there was a much better solution to her problem that she didn’t take. Before the rape, Melinda was a popular girl with decent grades and a good relationship with her parents.
There are numerous definitions of rape culture. The most accurate definition of rape culture is, “a complex set of beliefs that encourage male sexual aggression and supports violence against women . . . In a rape culture, women perceive a continuum of threatened violence that ranges from sexual remarks to sexual touching to rape itself. A rape culture condones physical and emotional terrorism against women as the norm . . . In a rape culture, both men and women assume that sexual violence is a fact of life, inevitable.”