Cause Of Rape In Alaska

According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), one in six women in the country are victims of attempted or completed rape. That’s 17.7 million nationwide and about 44% of the victims are under the age of 18. Rape and other forms of sexual violence and harassment are horrifying and degrading to the victims, and sadly women make up the largest percentage of victims. However, oftentimes the female victims of rape and sexual abuse are often blamed for the attacks because their outward behavior or appearance (i.e. tight and short clothing, exposing skin, flirting) entices rapist and abusers to degrade and dehumanize their body. The age old “she was asking for it” argument is often used, yet there are many flaws to this unrealistic …show more content…
In Alaska, the rate of rape is triple that the national average, due to the low number of law enforcement officers and distance between remote communities. “In Alaska, like in much of the country and around the world, the abuse of rape and assault are due to sexual assault is often a domestic matter and abuse frequently occurs in the context of generations of learned behavior,” according to Mary Elizabeth Williams in an article for Salon.com. Many women in Alaska and around the world are afraid to tell their story or are unable to. The fear of being humiliated, blamed and pointed fingers at often outweigh the feeling of liberation from their abuse. This is a perfect example of a narrative that takes place in Alaska within the United States and it shows how women around the world feel destroyed when this happens. The term “asking for it” can be a disgrace because it’s a term used to justify nothing, but horrifying behavior that invites …show more content…
Unfortunately, women are often the targets because in many places around the world (and even in our nation) women and young girls are not people, but objects of pleasure. Rape is an evil act, committed by ignorant and often distorted perhaps, and it can happen to anyone. Rape can happen to the intoxicated woman walking down the dark city streets in heels and a miniskirt. Rape can happen to the woman in wearing a hijab or burqa in broad daylight. Rape can happen to your sister, my daughter, your niece or my cousin. Women (and men) do not “ask for it”, 17.7 million women and girls across the nation did not ask to be raped or abused. In order to protect women and young girls from this despicable act, we cannot remain silent on what rape and consent really is, we can not victim blame and point fingers at insignificant issues that cause victims to never report their rape and we must break the double standards that we have when it comes to sex. Only we can build a safer world for our sisters, our nieces, our cousins and our