By: Gianna Campos
According to Rainn, every 98 seconds there is an American who is sexually assaulted. Every 98 seconds. As you’re reading this and as I’m typing this, there is someone being sexually assaulted. We never realize what’s going on outside of our own bubble.
We don’t realize all the terrible things that are happening to victims for many reasons though. According to Rainn, only 334 sexual assaults out of every 1,000 are reported to the police. That means about 2 out of 3 cases go unreported. Out of every 1,000 rapes, 994 perpetrators will walk free. So only 6 people out of every 1,000 who are raped get their attacker put away.
Both men and women get sexually harassed, but it is much more common for women. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 1 in 71 men will get sexually harassed at some point in their life. While for women, the number is 1 in 10. In every 8 out of 10 cases, the person is sexually harassed by someone they know.
We don’t realize all the terrible things that are happening to victims for many reasons though. According to Rainn, only 334 sexual assaults out of every 1,000 are reported to the police. That means about 2 out of 3 cases go unreported. Out of every 1,000 rapes, 994 perpetrators will walk free. So only 6 people out of every 1,000 who are raped get their attacker put away.
Both men and women get sexually harassed, but it is much more common for women. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 1 in 71 men will get sexually harassed at some point in their life. While for women, the number is 1 in 10. In every 8 out of 10 cases, the person is sexually harassed by someone they know.
Personally, when I hear about rape cases I wonder, “What makes people do this? What makes them think that this is an okay thing to do?”
It turns out that 75% of serial rapists report that as children they had been sexually abused. Rape is a socially learned behavior; it correlates with history, gender roles, conditioning, and sexual violence in the media.
In an interview with a friend, I asked her if she felt that rape has been “romanticized” through social media. She said that they believe that in certain aspects it has been, but it’s not as taboo as it once was. I also asked around what age did she learn what rape was. Shockingly, it was her freshman year of high school. At her middle school, when they had sex-ed, they didn’t talk about the idea of consent; that it was really more of anatomy class.
When asked if she’s ever heard jokes about rape, her response was that: “I hear ignorant boys talk about it as if it is a joke, as if rape isn’t a serious issue.”
Now, what if you or someone you know gets sexually abused? What do you do afterwards to recover? You need to acknowledge it. Talk about it with a therapist, with a few very close friends, and most importantly go to a hospital and get a rape exam done.
Nurture yourself; be kind to yourself and do things to help you feel better. Take a lot of time for self-care. You should discover how you feel and let it out. Talk about it from different angles; maybe try telling a few more close friends if comfortable or even try writing a letter to your rapist. Not to send of course, but writing letters helps a lot with trying to sort out your feelings.
You should also learn about what other women have experienced. Try reading experiences on rape books, or even going to a support group. Don’t be afraid to lean on others. And again, always nurture yourself. Remember to not think about it daily but don’t neglect your feelings either.
Rape is a real issue, but so many cases go unreported and so many women and men don’t get their justice. As a result, many attackers go on to abuse others. It is not a joke, and should never be talked about as if it is because you don’t know what other people have experienced. If you or someone you know has been sexually abused, please don’t ever be afraid to speak up on it. You are anything but alone and what happens to you and so many others matters.
It turns out that 75% of serial rapists report that as children they had been sexually abused. Rape is a socially learned behavior; it correlates with history, gender roles, conditioning, and sexual violence in the media.
In an interview with a friend, I asked her if she felt that rape has been “romanticized” through social media. She said that they believe that in certain aspects it has been, but it’s not as taboo as it once was. I also asked around what age did she learn what rape was. Shockingly, it was her freshman year of high school. At her middle school, when they had sex-ed, they didn’t talk about the idea of consent; that it was really more of anatomy class.
When asked if she’s ever heard jokes about rape, her response was that: “I hear ignorant boys talk about it as if it is a joke, as if rape isn’t a serious issue.”
Now, what if you or someone you know gets sexually abused? What do you do afterwards to recover? You need to acknowledge it. Talk about it with a therapist, with a few very close friends, and most importantly go to a hospital and get a rape exam done.
Nurture yourself; be kind to yourself and do things to help you feel better. Take a lot of time for self-care. You should discover how you feel and let it out. Talk about it from different angles; maybe try telling a few more close friends if comfortable or even try writing a letter to your rapist. Not to send of course, but writing letters helps a lot with trying to sort out your feelings.
You should also learn about what other women have experienced. Try reading experiences on rape books, or even going to a support group. Don’t be afraid to lean on others. And again, always nurture yourself. Remember to not think about it daily but don’t neglect your feelings either.
Rape is a real issue, but so many cases go unreported and so many women and men don’t get their justice. As a result, many attackers go on to abuse others. It is not a joke, and should never be talked about as if it is because you don’t know what other people have experienced. If you or someone you know has been sexually abused, please don’t ever be afraid to speak up on it. You are anything but alone and what happens to you and so many others matters.