The arrival of Denim Day on April 23 reminds us all of the
harmful attitudes still prevalent about sexual violence. Denim Day
was established in response to a 1999 Italian Supreme Court ruling
that overturned a rape conviction simply because the woman was
wearing jeans when she was allegedly attacked.
The court’s reasoning rested on the belief that, as jeans
are difficult to remove, it would have been impossible for the
attacker to remove them had the victim been struggling. Therefore,
the victim was seen as complicit in the attack.
Many would guess that this ruling happened much earlier than
1999. But the ignorance and prejudice that leads to blaming the
victim is still prevalent. Both female and male survivors of rape
suffer in a society that tries to justify the actions of the
attackers.
In a college setting, the issue of date rape is especially
important because people find it easier to excuse the rapist. As
the Italian case illustrates, one of the most prevalent
misconceptions is that it’s not rape if the victim
doesn’t resist. But a simple “No” is resistance.
Many times women are cowed mentally and physically by the threat of
what will happen, regardless of the amount of direct force their
attacker actually uses.
Fairly or not, fraternities are often one of the first things to
come to mind when people hear the words date rape. The use of
alcohol in a social scene removes many inhibitions and makes
determining consent more difficult. In the majority of college
rapes, either the attacker (75 percent) or the victim (57 percent)
was intoxicated during the assault, and verbal consent was not
obtained or protests were ignored.
Perhaps it isn’t intelligent for females to drink to the
point where they can’t get out of a bad situation, but bad
judgment is not an offense that merits rape. We live in a society
that, in effect, condones rape. The focus on what women should or
shouldn’t do to avoid rape makes sexual assault the
victim’s responsibility. The underlying meaning is that if a
female wears certain clothing, flirts a little too much, or goes
into a male’s room, she deserves to be raped.
Of course, everyone must take precautions. We all lock our doors
to avoid being robbed, for example. But rape is a hate crime and
results from the dominance of one-half of society over the other.
Male dominance creates the viewpoints that excuse and condone rape.
Women are taught from an early age that it’s a violent, male
world while men run free with the excuse that “boys will be
boys,” and they can’t always control their urges.
Most rapes are committed by males against females. But the
attitudes that promote rape are just as harmful to the male
community. In 80 percent of rapes, the victim knows her
attacker.
The prevalence of date rape, unfortunately, makes every male a
possible rapist. Rape confines men, making women approach
relationships with fear, which limits intimacy.
Men are raped as well. In situations where a woman rapes a man,
the very same stereotypes that justify the rape of women make it
impossible for the male victim to be taken seriously. After all, if
men are so sex-crazy that they sometimes can’t control their
urges, who would believe the male who is upset at having sex with a
willing female? The male victim is left unable to find the support
and resources he needs, forcing him to doubt his own emotions and
suffer alone.
In most cases, though, other men are the perpetrators of sexual
violence against both men and women. This fact has nothing to do
with homosexuality. Rape is about power and domination, not sexual
gratification. If they try to talk about it, many male survivors
are disbelieved or accused of being gay. And just like females,
males are blamed for their own victimization.
Days like Denim Day are important in challenging the attitudes
and behaviors that rationalize rape. Rape doesn’t just affect
half of the population; it affects us all. Nearly everyone will at
some point find out that someone close to them has been raped, and
the realization is painful. Sexual violence is completely
preventable, and only by working together can we change the
attitudes that promote it.
Bytheway is a second-year English student.