Not At Fault Merriam-Webster defines rape as “unlawful sexual activity frequently sexual intercourse carried out forcibly or under threat of injury against the will usually of a female or with a person who is beneath a certain age or incapable of valid consent.” Rape was once thought of only as a violent crime that happened in a back alley in the bad part of a city, and, while this still holds true, the act has grown and evolved throughout time. Whether it is a drug slipped into a drink, or someone that is under the influence and cannot give proper consent, rape is still rape and the assault is still traumatizing for the victims. More often than not, victims of sexual assault are convinced that they are at fault for everything that has happened to them. However, this is not the case. Only the victim can accurately know whether or not their consent was given, it is not up to the
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In 2012, a story surfaced about a sixteen year old high school student who was intoxicated at a party had her rape recorded and photographed by fellow partygoers. The young boys that assaulted the girl were tried and convicted in a juvenile court. A CNN reporter “commented that the offenders were ‘very good students’ and ‘star football players’ who ‘watched as their lives fell apart.’” (Maier 32) while little was said of the victim and her trauma. In fact, the boys’ assistant football coach accused the girl of making up the story of her rape in order to stay out of trouble with her parents for being intoxicated. This kind of reaction to victims that speak out is extremely frightening and discouraging.
Another instance where rape cases tend to go unreported is when the victim knows their rapist. It is a common belief that “you can’t be raped by someone you know” (Allison 71). Unfortunately many people hold very tightly to this belief and they will in turn switch the blame from the perpetrator to the
In 2012, a story surfaced about a sixteen year old high school student who was intoxicated at a party had her rape recorded and photographed by fellow partygoers. The young boys that assaulted the girl were tried and convicted in a juvenile court. A CNN reporter “commented that the offenders were ‘very good students’ and ‘star football players’ who ‘watched as their lives fell apart.’” (Maier 32) while little was said of the victim and her trauma. In fact, the boys’ assistant football coach accused the girl of making up the story of her rape in order to stay out of trouble with her parents for being intoxicated. This kind of reaction to victims that speak out is extremely frightening and discouraging.
Another instance where rape cases tend to go unreported is when the victim knows their rapist. It is a common belief that “you can’t be raped by someone you know” (Allison 71). Unfortunately many people hold very tightly to this belief and they will in turn switch the blame from the perpetrator to the