pe cases, it has a harder time dealing with acquaintance rapes even though they make up the vast majority of cases (Samaha, 2013). The Bureau of Justice Statistics (2011) victim survey on rape and other sexual assaults found that 75 percent of rape victims knew their assailant ( ). According to Samaha (2013), contributory factors include:
• Victims aren’t likely to report acquaintance rapists, or they don’t recognize them as rapes.
• When victims do not report them, the police are less likely to believe the victims.
• Prosecutors are less likely to charge acquaintance rapes.
• Juries are less likely to convict acquaintance rapes (p. 357).
Accordingly, although a rape may have actually occurred, convincing a detective, prosecutor, …show more content…
Additionally, if the victim contributory behavior suggests that she willfully exhibited signs of sexual overtones prior to the sexual act, her claim may be taken less seriously (Karmen, 2013). However, some groups argue that instances of acquaintance rape should not be dismissed so easily and should be treated as seriously as a rape committed by a stranger. As a result of conflicting viewpoints, deciding who is to blame and what repercussions are needed have lead to a widely debated argument between victim blaming and victim defending standpoints
Victim blaming is a term used by society to lay partial blame upon the victim of sexual assault. In other words, the actions or lifestyle choices of certain individuals put them at a higher risk of becoming a victim. They are regarded as people who failed to properly omit the potential dangers of their actions or they chose …show more content…
Additionally, victim defending examines why some men choose to force themselves upon women and rejects the idea that their actions stem from an uncontrollable lust or passion. Instead, it argues that rape in an act of hate and anger and reasons that nothing erotic or suggestive can justify such a hostile act or degradation (Karmen, 2013, p. 301). Dissimilar from the preconceived definition of what constitutes a real rape, victim defending insists that a real rape occurs the moment any unwanted sexual intercourse transpires. In addition, the willful act of engaging in sexual intercourse is not to be confused as total consent, but rather the victim’s plight for their own safety. A victim may choose to acquiesce in the act for many reasons, such as the overwhelming physical strength of the aggressor, getting caught off guard or there may be an implied threat posed by the presence of a weapon (Karmen, 2013). Furthermore, unlike victim blaming, victim defending does not hold women accountable for learning how to prevent themselves from becoming a victim. Rather, it aims to educate both females and males on how to do the right thing when relating to the opposite sex. The concepts of both victim defending TRANSITIONAL SENTENCE TO HOW THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM HANDLES RAVE
• Victims aren’t likely to report acquaintance rapists, or they don’t recognize them as rapes.
• When victims do not report them, the police are less likely to believe the victims.
• Prosecutors are less likely to charge acquaintance rapes.
• Juries are less likely to convict acquaintance rapes (p. 357).
Accordingly, although a rape may have actually occurred, convincing a detective, prosecutor, …show more content…
Additionally, if the victim contributory behavior suggests that she willfully exhibited signs of sexual overtones prior to the sexual act, her claim may be taken less seriously (Karmen, 2013). However, some groups argue that instances of acquaintance rape should not be dismissed so easily and should be treated as seriously as a rape committed by a stranger. As a result of conflicting viewpoints, deciding who is to blame and what repercussions are needed have lead to a widely debated argument between victim blaming and victim defending standpoints
Victim blaming is a term used by society to lay partial blame upon the victim of sexual assault. In other words, the actions or lifestyle choices of certain individuals put them at a higher risk of becoming a victim. They are regarded as people who failed to properly omit the potential dangers of their actions or they chose …show more content…
Additionally, victim defending examines why some men choose to force themselves upon women and rejects the idea that their actions stem from an uncontrollable lust or passion. Instead, it argues that rape in an act of hate and anger and reasons that nothing erotic or suggestive can justify such a hostile act or degradation (Karmen, 2013, p. 301). Dissimilar from the preconceived definition of what constitutes a real rape, victim defending insists that a real rape occurs the moment any unwanted sexual intercourse transpires. In addition, the willful act of engaging in sexual intercourse is not to be confused as total consent, but rather the victim’s plight for their own safety. A victim may choose to acquiesce in the act for many reasons, such as the overwhelming physical strength of the aggressor, getting caught off guard or there may be an implied threat posed by the presence of a weapon (Karmen, 2013). Furthermore, unlike victim blaming, victim defending does not hold women accountable for learning how to prevent themselves from becoming a victim. Rather, it aims to educate both females and males on how to do the right thing when relating to the opposite sex. The concepts of both victim defending TRANSITIONAL SENTENCE TO HOW THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM HANDLES RAVE