Hence, the beginning of rape culture was triggered by social perceptions towards genders. Traditional gender roles invoke thinkings and fantasies of male victimizers and female victims (Belknap, 2001). Because of this, underreported cases in which men are victims attract less social attention. Male victims had been eliminated from the definition of rape for a long time in our history. Before 2012, rape was defined by the Code of Hammurabi as the violation of female virginity against a woman’s will by a male offender (Morczek, 2015, p. 51).
Since these scenarios, in which women are sexually abused by men, has been implanted in the community for centuries, rape culture is still acknowledged based on this foundation. According to Buchwald, Fletcher, and Roth (2005), feminists suppose that the view of gender-based violence, in rape culture, is expected and assumed to be a harmless social fact. This results in the growth of sexual violence against women. Besides rape, “sexual victimization also covers sexual coercion, verbal and visual harassment, and most stalking behaviors” (Fisher, Daigle & Cullen, 2010, p. 3).
Repeated sexual violence, despite physical and mental injuries, is believed to be less offensive (Dines, 2010, p. 63; Deming, Covan, Swan & Billings, 2013, p. 466). In the rape culture, violence continues to occur without any penalty. Instead of being viewed as a crime, violent expressions and language associated with sexual activities are considered sexually attractive (Buchwald et al., 2005, p. xi).
The fact that victims perceive rape culture and sexual violence as understandable manners reminds me of two Stockholm syndrome characteristics. They are viewing the abusers as “good guys” and “denial or rationalization of violence and anger toward the abuser” (Graham, Rawlings & Rigsby, 1994). In spite of the injuries caused by the abusers, the victims still have an emotional relationship with them. The similarity between the patients who have Stockholm syndrome and the female victims discussed in Morczek’s report (2015) makes me question if young girls are trained to have an unhealthy mental life.
We don’t know if the violent expressions in Morczek’s report (2015) occurs within a romantic relationship. Either being in a romantic relationship or not, a woman experiences a violation of her mind or bodies, like unwanted sexual contact, should be considered as a victim of sexual victimization (Fisher et al., 2010, p. 3). In Morczek’s report (2015), sexual violence isn’t seen as a crime in the rape culture (p. 50). The male and female victims seem to view themselves as followers of traditional gender roles. Sex-role stereotypes are the rules that they choose to obey.
Although I am not a victim of sexual violence, reading about the rape culture invokes many emotional aspects in me. I used to be sexually assaulted in both verbal and physical way. Each time my body was violated, either I was on my date or not, I was so shocked that I froze. However, I never reported them. The reason is that I couldn’t stand the frustration and the shame talking about them.
This thinking of mine might be influenced by the rape culture. When women are expected to be silent and “enjoy” the violation of their minds or bodies (Morczek, 2015, p. 50), their words seem to be powerless. The worst reaction I have ever received was how others normalize it. Since then, I don’t feel safe telling people these unfortunate stories.
Some people manipulate the rape culture for their benefits. Last year, in Vietnam, Hung Manh Do, a 48-year-old man, tried to kiss a girl in the elevator without her consent. Despite her resistance, Hung succeeded. His behavior was recorded by the camera in the elevator. After the release of the video, the only legal punishment he faced was the fine of 8,66 dollars. That was how Hung got out of the crime (Dong, 2019).
This frustration made the young female victim speechless. Fortunately, Hung couldn’t lead a peaceful life after that. After the case ended, the Vietnamese community on social media criticized Hung and shared his photo. Media sensationalism, according to Morczek (2015), strongly impacts and shapes public opinion on sexual offenders (p. 51). Under such pressure, Hung eventually apologized to the girl. However, the girl still stayed silent. However, the girl still stayed silent.
I also knew a woman experienced both domestic and sexual violence. She shared that her husband forced her to be naked in front of her child. Like the women discussed in the rape culture (Morczek, 2015, p. 50), she didn’t speak up. However, unlike them, she didn’t accept or enjoy it. She ended up divorcing him.
Instead of leading a better life, she was always haunted by the painful past. Hence, she is still suffering from battered woman syndrome. The reason is the self-destructive coping behaviors she learned during the abuse (LaViolette, Barnett, 2014, p. 162). She spends her earnings on drinking and lives in poverty.
Rape culture is potentially harmful to every human being. It threatens a human’s right to protect the physical property like his or her body and the mental property like his or her emotional stability. If the law couldn’t help the victims receive a better life, it’s our responsibility as a community to support and protect them.
Eurus Thach.
References:
Belknap, J. (2001). The invisible woman : gender, crime, and justice. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Buchwald, E., Fletcher, P. R. & Roth, M. (2005). Transforming a rape culture. Minneapolis, MN: Milkweed Editions.
Deming, M. E., Covan, E. K., Swan, S. C., & Billings, D. L. (2013). Exploring Rape Myths,
Gendered Norms, Group Processing, and the Social Context of Rape Among College Women: A
Qualitative Analysis. Violence Against Women, 19(4), 465–485. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801213487044.
Dines, G. (2010). Pornland : how porn has hijacked our sexuality. Boston: Beacon Press.
Dong, P. (2019). Vụ "cưỡng hôn" bị phạt 200 nghìn đồng: Quá nhẹ và không đủ sức răn đe. Lao Dong. Retrieved from https://laodong.vn/ban-doc/vu-cuong-hon-bi-phat-200-nghin-dong-qua-nhe-va-khong-du-suc-ran-de-663344.ldo.
Fisher, B. S., Daigle, L. E., & Cullen, F. T. (2010). Unsafe in the ivory tower : the sexual victimization of college women. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Graham, D. L. R., Rawlings, E. L., & Rigsby, R. (1994). Loving to survive: Sexual terror, men’s violence, and women’s lives. New York, NY: New York University Press.
Hlavka, H. R. (2014). Normalizing Sexual Violence: Young Women Account for Harassment and Abuse. Gender & Society, 28(3), 337–358. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243214526468
LaViolette, A. D., & Barnett, Ola W. (2014). It could happen to anyone : why battered women stay (Third edition.). Los Angeles: SAGE.
Morczek, A. (March/April 2015). The Synergistic Connection Between Sexual Violence and Rape Culture. The Sexual Assault Report, 18(4), 49-64.
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