Rape in America: The Recent Statistics are Startling

According to a survey commissioned by the Justice and Health and Human Services departments released on 17 November 1998, it was reported that, "One in six U.S. women and one in thirty-three U.S. men have been raped at some time in their life (rape_study)." This startling statistic proves that rape is a very prevalent problem in our society today, and the problem is only getting worse. Former Attorney General Janet Reno spoke out against rape and other violent acts in a report that was published in the Washington Bureau of The Dallas MorningNews. She is quoted as reminding the public that, "We've got a problem of rape, a serious problem of rape," and that "the surveys that have just been concluded show that "much remains to be done"(Landers, Jim).

Rape affects our society in a very forceful way. Not only is it damaging to the rape victim, but family, loved ones and others are affected as well, including the rapist him/herself. So many stories come behind the statistics that society focuses on. Many of these stories have been posted in an article simply named, "Storied Behind the Stats." Lisa, a survivor, admits that she "still lives with shadows of the past." Jennifer tells us that she has "gone through extensive therapy . . . and it still hurts." Miya says that, though she has never been raped, she does feel for those who have been. S.Y. wonders "if rapists and/or molesters ever stop to think about the hurt that they are going to create." Mothers and fathers of victimized children often go through therapy, too, wishing that there was something they could have been done to prevent what happened to their child. Rape never affects just a single individual; it affects society as a whole. (Rapebbs; ABCnews.com)

So what has caused this heinous crime to become such a commonplace occurrence today? Some people believe that all rape and sexual abuse stems from some sort of abuse cycle. In speaking to a rape victim online (who would like to remain anonymous), he shared his belief that many perpetrators were once victims themselves who are just repeating a cycle that they became lost in long ago. This argument comes up time and time again in conversation with convicted rapists who use their upbringing and abuse as a kind of excuse for their behavior.

Another cause is the lack of firm punishments and convictions in our legal systems. Many people in high authority refuse to admit that an actual crime has been committed, preferring to keep anything "ugly" that has happened in their jurisdiction from reaching public knowledge. In speaking with Jenna, another rape survivor, she had an incident when she was raped repeatedly by her church leader. When she went to higher officials in the church to report the incident, she was "paid money to keep quiet and see a therapist to solve the problem on my own." Unfortunately, this kind of cover-up is commonplace. Also, perpetrators are often let off because of technicalities in the legal process, such as too much time passing since the rape occurred and was reported, lack of evidence, the victim having been under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and even mistakes made during the medical examination. In an incident relating to the last reason, a young girl relates a personal experience she had:

To begin with, the nurse yelled at me for not coming to the hospital immediately, though I was at the hospital within 36 hours of the rape. When I told them I wanted to file a report, they did not notify the police... When the police came to get the [rape] kit, the hospital had lost it. In all, the hospital left out five key elements to the Rape Kit in order to prosecute. (Kimberly; rapebbs)

Because of experiences such as the one retold above, too many victims don't report the crime. A victim's reasons for keeping silent can vary from fear to shame to dissociation. For many, the fear of the medical examination following a rape is enough to keep them quiet. A victim who wishes to remain unnamed says, "I have not gone to the gynecologist in a year and a half because of the rape kit. It was so traumatizing. I know for health reasons I need to but I can't bring myself to do it." Her story is just one of many who feel the same way. There is also the fear placed in them by the rapist. In interviewing Rebekah, a young woman who was abused as a child, she talks about the fear that was instilled in her by her attacker:

I never, ever, to this day have reported what happened to me, even when I had the social workers there before me; I feared him too much. He had told me in no uncertain terms what would happen to me if I ever told, and to an eleven-year-old, it's hard to resist the kind of power that he seemed to hold over me. It only became worse for me after the truth came out through one of my sisters who had been abused, too, because he thought that I was the one who had finally told the truth. He told me he would never forget what I had done to ruin his life, and that someday I would "get what was coming to me." Even though I haven't seen him in five years, I carry that fear with me still today. I carry the fear that someday I will run into him again and that same fear will come back . . . I even feared my own family ever finding out; after all, he is my cousin.

Her story is only one in thousands of boys and girls, men and women who have been raped or otherwise sexually abused in their lifetimes. They carry so much fear and shame, even for something that is not their fault, that they never file the reports that could put their attackers behind bars. Also there is the problem of dissociation--the victim never remembering what happened until weeks, months, or even years after the attack. When so much time has passed, it is difficult to prosecute the offender.

A final cause of the prevalence of so much rape in today's society is simply ignorance. Too many people are unsure of what is considered actual "rape" and what is not. Oft times victims are ignorant as to their rights concerning the offence. There are even times when the rapist is actually ignorant of the permanent damage done to the victim and others. There, too, is the problem of he or she (the rapist or attacker) not recognizing, or being willing to recognize, when the other person has said, "No," and that "No," means, "No, I do not consent to this activity." Unfortunately, rape is not clearly defined and people are not educated as to its actual definition. It is disturbing that "the government does not consider all rapes to be rape. Rape has been defined by 'a protest from the individual', not by the absence of his or her consent" (Erin; rapebbs). According to the report quoted in the introduction, rape was defined as "forcible vaginal, oral, or anal intercourse" (rape_study). It is no wonder, then that many women feel they cannot press charges against a rapist because they did not, "run, kick, scream, fight, or shout 'No' at the top of their lungs." According to Rebekah, and many other rape and abuse victims interviewed, rape is simply, "intercourse of any kind without consent from both persons." This is the definition that most legal courts in the country abide by today, and this is the message that needs to be taught in our society.

So, what can we do to solve this problem that our country is finally beginning to take a closer look at? Though rape will never be done away with, the numbers of attackers and victims can be greatly reduced. One method that comes up most frequently is simple "prevention." When speaking to rape victims, though, a variety of emotions come forth concerning prevention. Many who have been through the healing process realize that there was nothing they could do to prevent what happened to them, that it was not their fault. Others go through periods of intense guilt and remorse because they believe that they somehow could have prevented what happened to them. Jenny, a young adult who was raped while in her teens, believes that her rape could have been prevented had she not been drinking, or if her attacker had not been drinking, if she had not gone back with him to his house, had she not been out alone that night . . . many different "if only's" come to mind in such instances. It is true that there are many simple precautions that can be taken to prevent oneself from becoming a victim. An article entitled "Prevent Rape" was published in The Orlando Sentinel which included a list of "play it safe" reminders. The article states that "many rapes occur in the victim's home, garage, or an apartment laundry room or stairwell." The advice given includes such safety precautions as, "Never advertise that you live alone on your mailbox or in the phone book. Always use a first initial and last name only . . . Never let a stranger enter to use your phone. Offer to make the call yourself . . . Never pick up hitchhikers . . . Park in well lighted areas . . . and, If being followed, pull into a gas station, police station, or fire station--or anywhere where there are lots of people."

Some believe that tougher laws and punishments would decrease the number of rape incidents as well. First, as already stated before, there needs to be a better legal definition of rape that can become widely known so that victims know what their rights are. In visiting a Rape Recovery Forum on the internet, the question was asked of the members, "What do you think should happen to convicted rapists?" The answer that came up most frequently was "castration for DNA proven perpetrators." This is a possible solution since the technology exists to prove, without doubt, through DNA testing whether or not an individual is guilty of rape. The offender could not repeat the offence if castrated, thus cutting down on the number of rapes that occur. If such stronger measures were taken against sex offenders, society would see a decrease in these sexual crimes, but only if the victims speak out.

Thus we come to what would be the best possible solution: more victims speaking out. According to Joanne Johnson, a rape and abuse therapist, "Currently only five percent of rapes are reported, and even less ever go to court and convict the offender." These kind of statistics are startling! Why are victims not reporting the crime? As stated previously, fear and shame play the largest role in silence. If victims could be assured of safety, if people could be taught while young that they will not be punished for something that was not their fault, more women and men would come forth and speak out against what happened to them. If more rapes will be reported, more offenders will be off the streets and behind bars, unable to strike again. Rape victims will be more willing to come forth if they know that they have someone to talk to who understands their situation from a personal point of view. Those who have been through the fire of rape and abuse become the best candidates for social workers, therapists, and other such people who can assist victims in the healing process and convince them to report the crime and put the offender in a prison, where he or she belongs.

Naturally, all the above solutions have drawbacks. Prevention is never a guarantee to safety, bills take a long time to go through congress to become laws, and, once again, rape victims are often too scared, ashamed, or traumatized to report the crime. The key, then, is increasing public awareness. Educate the public, beginning at a very young age, that rape is any kind of intercourse without consent from both partners, that rape is never the fault of the victim, and that a victim need not live in fear or shame of reporting what happened to him or her.

Rape has been a problem in society since the beginning of time, and it will continue to plague us as long as people live in fear and ignorance of it. Rape affects whole families, friends and loved ones, the offenders and those they associate with, and it will not go away without the efforts of everyone involved to solve the problem. When those who have been victimized can come to the knowledge that they are not outcasts because of circumstances that were beyond their control, that they were not at fault, then more perpetrators will end up behind bars. When people recognize that their actions can be considered rape simply when they do not have full consent from their partner, then rapes will decrease. When the cycle of abuse can be stopped through therapy and a decided effort to change, then victims will not become future offenders. Rape may never stop being a problem, but the great prevalence of it in our society can be decreased through the measures discussed here. "Rape is a crime; being a victim is not" (Rape Hotline).