Marital Rape - an Under Reported and Violent Crime

Each and every day, women and men across the United States are subjected to violence associated with sexual acts, also known as rape. For some this rape is committed by an unknown offender and, for other, the act of violence is committed by someone we may know quite well. In the case of marital rape, violence is the key factor in gauging whether or not the sexual act is a violation of the law but, even still, many courts find the act of marital rape to be a gray area for prosecution.

At present, all fifty states consider marital rape a violent act. Simply described as any act in which sexual contact is forced, by violence, upon another person in a marriage, is considered marital rape. However, in 1993, when the fifty states were forced to accept marital rape as a violent sexual offense, each state then went one step further in creating exceptions to the rule.

Unlike date rape, or rape by a total stranger, even fewer cases of marital rape are reported to authorities. As a result, many domestic violence prevention groups believe marital rape probably occurs more frequently more than any other type of rape but, statistically, can not be supported due to under reporting by victims.

In addition to under reporting, many experts also believe the long term consequences of marital rape may be of greater significance than that of rape by a dating partner or an unknown person. This belief lies in not only the act of violence but also in the breech of trust, love and intimacy the victim may feel toward the spouse. As a result, many marital rape victims suffer great difficulty in reconciling the relationship and are further complicated by family dynamics.

So, why would a marital rape victim not report the act of violence committed? Often, because society still views marital rape as a questionable form of violence, the victims, usually women, simply do not report out of fear of losing their families and lifestyle. Also, in many ethnic groups, a woman is still considered the property of her husband, and should be submissive thereto; leaving the female victim to face a great deal of emotional distress should she report the incident or flee from her spouse.

As with any violent act, marital rape is illegal. With some exceptions, there should be no acceptable norm for using aggression and force to acquire sex from an unwilling participant. While many rape victims, especially those that are married to the perpetrator, refuse to report the incident, the emotional and psychological complications will pervade through every aspect of their lives, ultimately deteriorating the relationship in the long term. So, whether reported as a violent act or not, there are many women, and men, who continue to suffer the effects of abuse in a marriage; sexual abuse, that is.