Rape Culture - Psychology

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PSYC TR 2:30 Extra Credit Assignment What does the term “rape culture” refer to and what can men do about it? Rape culture has existed in society all around the globe for a very long time. The term “rape culture” came to existence in the 1970s and was created by feminists, who wanted equal rights for women and men. This term defines an environment in which rape is seen as normal, or okay. It is an environment in which women are sexually objectified and in which they are constantly degraded not only in the media, but in everyday life. In rape culture, women are seen as only sexual objects and nothing more. Their intelligence, emotions, personality and other qualities are forgotten and overlooked while their bodies are objectified. This is a culture in which sexual violence, sexually explicit jokes, and misogynistic language are glamorized while the victims of rape are degraded and blamed for any incident that has fallen upon them. Nowadays, one in five women has reported experiencing rape. In many cases the victims of rape are accused of “asking for it” based on looking at the clothes they had on, or they are blamed for lying and “seeking attention.” This may even cause internalized cognitive dissonance where the victim may have contradicting thoughts and blame themselves for example having worn revealing clothing or having gone to a bar at night. Rape culture refers to a culture in which men are encouraged to “score” or “pick-up” as many women as possible. This not only makes women look like a game to be won but it is also a reason why forced sexual acts are committed so that men can feel a sense of “manhood.” This culture encourages girls to be submissive and it teaches them that they should keep quiet. Rape has become acceptable in our society, and very rarely is someone who is pressed with rape charges actually convicted. The fact that there are no

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