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In the United States, we place a lot of burden and decision making on the detective and police that work criminal cases. They play a major role in deciding if a case is worth pursuing and investigating or not. Within this system, police and detective personnel lean heavily male dominated, there have been bills passed to create incentive to an equal work force and gender balance in these departments. But is this the most helpful thing to change the environment around victim centered support? A research article titled ‘Gender difference or Indifference? Detective Decision Making In Sexual Assaullt Cases’ written by Megan Alderden and Sarah Ullman, examine whether this hiring of women to support victim sexual assault cases is beneficiary or not. Specifically, the research wants to examine whether gender differences exist in detectives’ arrest decisions in sexual assault cases. Through societal attitudes it is expected that women detectives are more likely to be make arrests and be sympathetic in sexual assault cases, but the findings on this case show, “In fact, these findings support other studies showing that creation of police units investigating sexual assaults comprised of mostly women do not necessarily result in better processing outcomes (LaFree, 1989) and that some women can be more harsh to sexual assault victims than men (Weir & Wrightsman, 1990).” (Alderden, Ullman 2011) This study continues its findings stating that women are significantly less likely than male detectives to arrest suspects in sexual assault cases. Police stations in effort to be more victim orientated have begun hiring an influx of women detectives which given the research we now know may actually be unproductive and harmful to the final cause of supporting victims. This hiring pattern was formulated from the gender stereotyping that women are more empathetic and understanding than men are in this type of setting. Relying off of these stereotypes in the hiring process without actual training, does not equal a victim centered program.

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From a young age, girls are taught to not walk alone, to carry self defense weapons, to avoid groups of men; all to prevent them from being victims of sexual violence. A report from the Center of Disease Control reports that, “over half of woman have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during her lifetime.”(CDC, 2024)  within this number the CDC sites that, “More than 4 in 5 female rape survivors reported that they were first raped before age 25 and almost half were first raped as a minor (i.e., before age 18).”(CDC, 2024) With this staggering statistics and rates of sexual violence, you would think the United States would have an effective social and justice system to support survivors and take preventive measures. But even in the 21st century, victims are unjustly undermined and systematically oppressed, these statistics are just the reported incidents. Systematic oppression towards victims is not just a women issue but an all gender issue, the CDC reports that “1 in 3 men have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact in their lifetime” (CDC, 2024). In a society that normalizes sexual violence to the extent the United States, we can’t expect these statistics to decrease on their own.

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Sexual violence is sexual activity when consent is not obtained or freely given. It is a serious public health problem in the United States that profoundly impacts lifelong health, opportunity, and well-being. Sexual violence impacts every community and affects people of all genders, sexual orientations, and ages. Anyone can experience or perpetrate sexual violence. The perpetrator of sexual violence is usually someone the survivor knows, such as a friend, current or former intimate partner, coworker, neighbor, or family member. Sexual violence can occur in person, online, or through technology, such as posting or sharing sexual pictures of someone without their consent, or non-consensual sexting.

For more information about sexual violence definitions please see Sexual Violence Surveillance: Uniform Definitions and Recommended Data Elements, Version 2.0 [2.01 MB, 136 Pages, 508] .

For information about child sexual abuse, please see Preventing Child Sexual Abuse.

Sexual violence affects millions of people each year in the United States. Researchers know the numbers underestimate this problem because many cases are unreported. Survivors may be ashamed, embarrassed, or afraid to tell the police, friends, or family about the violence. Victims may also keep quiet because they have been threatened with further harm if they tell anyone or do not think anyone will help them. The data shows:

Sexual violence is common. Over half of women and almost 1 in 3 men have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetimes. One in 4 women and about 1 in 26 men have experienced completed or attempted rape. About 1 in 9 men were made to penetrate someone during his lifetime. Additionally, 1 in 3 women and about 1 in 9 men experienced sexual harassment in a public place.

Sexual violence starts early. More than 4 in 5 female rape survivors reported that they were first raped before age 25 and almost half were first raped as a minor (i.e., before age 18). Nearly 8 in 10 male rape survivors reported that they were made to penetrate someone before age 25 and about 4 in 10 were first made to penetrate as a minor.

Sexual violence disproportionately affects some groups. Women and racial and ethnic minority groups experience a higher burden of sexual violence. For example, more than 2 in 5 non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native and non-Hispanic multiracial women were raped in their lifetime.

Sexual violence is costly. Recent estimates put the lifetime cost of rape at $122,461 per survivor, including medical costs, lost productivity, criminal justice activities, and other costs.

Sexual violence consequences are physical, like bruising and genital injuries, sexually transmitted infections, and pregnancy (for women) and psychological, such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.

The consequences may be chronic. Survivors may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and experience re-occurring reproductive, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and sexual health problems.

Sexual violence is also linked to negative health behaviors. Sexual violence survivors are more likely to smoke, abuse alcohol, use drugs, and engage in risky sexual activity.

The trauma from sexual violence may impact a survivor's employment in terms of time off from work, diminished performance, job loss, or inability to work. These issues disrupt earning power and have a long-term effect on the economic well-being of survivors and their families. Coping and completing everyday tasks after victimization can be challenging. Survivors may have difficulty maintaining personal relationships, returning to work or school, and regaining a sense of normalcy.

Additionally, sexual violence is connected to other forms of violence. For example, girls who have been sexually abused are more likely to experience additional sexual violence and violence types and become victims of intimate partner violence in adulthood. Bullying perpetration in early middle school is linked to sexual harassment perpetration in high school.

Certain factors may increase or decrease the risk for perpetrating or experiencing sexual violence. To prevent sexual violence, we must understand and address the factors that put people at risk for or protect them from violence. We must also understand how historical trauma and structural inequities impact health.

CDC developed, Sexual Violence Prevention Resource for Action [3 MB, 46 Pages] to help communities use the best available evidence to prevent sexual violence. This resource is available in English and Spanish [17MB, 48 Pages, 508] and can impact individual behaviors and relationship, family, school, community, and societal factors that influence risk and protective factors for violence.

Different violence types are connected and often share root causes. Sexual violence is linked to other violence types through shared risk and protective factors. Addressing and preventing one violence type may have an impact on preventing other violence types.

1. Basile KC, Smith SG, Breiding MJ, Black MC, & Mahendra, R. (2014). Sexual violence surveillance: uniform definitions and recommended data elements, Version 2.0. Atlanta (GA): National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

2. Basile KC, Smith SG, Kresnow M, Khatiwada S, & Leemis RW. (2022). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2016/2017 Report on Sexual Violence. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

3. Peterson C, DeGue S, Florence C, Lokey C. (2017). Lifetime Economic Burden of Rape in the United States. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 52(6): 691-701.

4. Basile KC and Smith SG. (2011). Sexual Violence Victimization of Women: Prevalence, Characteristics, and the Role of Public Health and Prevention. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine (5): 407-417.

5. Basile KC, Clayton HB, Rostad WL, & Leemis RW. (2020). Sexual violence victimization of youth and health risk behaviors. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 58(4), 570-579.

6. Preventing Multiple Forms of Violence: A Strategic Vision for Connecting the Dots. (2016). Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

7. Espelage DL, Basile KC, Hamburger ME. (2012). Bullying perpetration and subsequent sexual violence perpetration among middle school students. Journal of Adolescent Health 50(1): 60-65.

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Adolescents and adults are often unaware that teens experience dating violence

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About the author                                Rose Khan                                Rose Khan has a Masters degree in Political Science specialising in human rights and humanitarian action from Sciences Po Paris. Rose has worked on UN policy develo, et al. “Media (Mis)Representation of Conflicted-Related Sexual Violence.” Media@LSE, 23 Feb. 2022, blogs.lse.ac.uk/medialse/2022/02/23/media-misrepresentation-of-conflicted-related-sexual-violence/.

Alerden, Megan, and Sarah Ullman. “Gender Difference or Indifference? Detective Decision Making in Sexual Assault Cases.” Sage Journals, Sage Journals, 1 Aug. 2011, www.researchgate.net/publication/328039672_httpjournalssagepubcomdoiabs1011770887302X07303626.

Author links open overlay panelMichelle Davies, et al. “Male Sexual Assault Victims: A Selective Review of the Literature and Implications for Support Services.” Aggression and Violent Behavior, Pergamon, 9 Apr. 2002, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359178900000434.

Bergman, Matthew. “Social Media and Sexual Assualt.” Social Media Victims Law Center, Social Media Victims, 4 Dec. 2023, socialmediavictims.org/sexual-violence/sexual-assault/.

Commentary, Guest. “California Must Finally End the Backlog of Unprocessed Rape Kits. Here’s How.” CalMatters, 4 Sept. 2019, calmatters.org/commentary/2019/09/rape-kit-testing/.

“Fast Facts: Preventing Sexual Violence |violence Prevention|injury Center|CDC.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 22 June 2022, www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/fastfact.html.

Hodge, Samanatha, and David Canter. “Victims and Perpetrators of Male Sexual Assault.” Sage Journals, Sage Journals, Apr. 1998, journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/088626098013002004.

Jones, Emily. “Untested and Neglected .” Scholarly Common, Northwestern, 2021, scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1459&context=nulr.

Lapidus, Lenora M. “A Full Investigation Is Needed into the Sexual Assault Allegations against Brett Kavanaugh: ACLU.” American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU.org, 27 Feb. 2023, www.aclu.org/news/womens-rights/full-investigation-needed-sexual-assault-allegations.

Lee, Hannah. “Normalizing Sexual Violence through Media Fuels Rape Culture.” Normalizing Sexual Violence through Media Fuels Rape Culture – Saratoga Falcon, Saratiga Falcon, 22 Nov. 2021, saratogafalcon.org/content/normalizing-sexual-violence-through-media-fuels-rape-culture/.

Park, Sandra. “How America Systematically Fails Survivors of Sexual Violence: ACLU.” American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU.org, 27 Feb. 2023, www.aclu.org/news/womens-rights/how-america-systematically-fails-survivors-sexual-violence.

“Rape Prevention and Education Program |violence Prevention|injury Center|CDC.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2 Mar. 2023, www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/rpe/index.html.

“Recy Taylor, Rosa Parks, and the Struggle for Racial Justice.” National Museum of African American History and Culture, 10 Aug. 2020, nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/recy-taylor-rosa-parks-and-struggle-racial-justice.

“Sexualized Violence Statistics .” Supporting Survivors, Cal Poly Humboldt , supportingsurvivors.humboldt.edu/statistics. Accessed 2 May 2024.

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The desperation to change how we act towards sexual violence has always been present in the population, the failure to support victims has been a poision in ever function of our society and systematically destroys our justice system faith. There have been two cases in popular culture that have highlighted the need for change, Annita Hill and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford; Both women found themselves in the spotlight after being outed for their reports of sexual harrasment and assault from men who were up for nomination to the Supreme Court. Anitta Hill was forcefully put into the public eye in 1991 after allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace from Clarence Thomas, her coworker at the time, the claims came to light when Clarence was under review for nomination for the Supreme Court. Anitta Hill did not come out publicly but was instead dragged into the spotlight by the media when they released her name, this caused her to receive death threats and torn to shreds by an all white male jury who were invesigating the claims. In the end, Clarence Thomas was voted on to the supreme court and is still serving to this day, this incident is used in popular culture to show why the victim's privacy and rights is so essential in any investigations. But, the same situation was just repeated with Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Brett Kavanaugh. Dr. Ford came forward with allegations of sexual assault from Kavanaugh, the incident took place at their high school party, Ford came forward because of the nomination of Kavanaugh to the supreme court. Dr. Ford up-ended her life to tell her story and with that she was sent death threats and vicious remarks from the president of the US. Kavanaugh was still voted on to the supreme court after the evidence hearing with Ford. These victims had nothing to gain from coming forward and yet they were ridiculed to an extreme that no victim should ever face. The attitude around victims coming forward has made improvements but when cases like these are shown in the public light, we are reminded that our society will forever be against victims if we do not change at a fundamental level.

This behavior of berating and blaming victims is seen throughout history, another example of victim blaming or just not even believing victims is famously Recy Taylor. In an article titled ‘Recy Taylor, Rosa Parks and the Struggle for Racial Justice’ published by the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the story of Recy Taylor is unfolded. Recy Taylor was 24 years old and a mother when the crime occured, on September 3rd, 1944 in Abbeville, Alabama. Recy was walking home from church when she was abducted and raped by 6 white men; these men never saw an indicment for the crimes. It took until 2011, nearly 60 years after the case in which the state of Alabama issued a formal apology to Recy Taylor, who later passed on December 21, 2017. Recy Taylor was fundamental in highlighting systematic oppression of women of color with her case. The intersectionality of being a women and a person of color has the justice system stacked against you; With a deep history of sexism and racist biogtry, women of color victims are ignored and berated to keep quiet against their perpatrators, harrassed at police stations to drop charges by officers and rape kits unprocessed in storage. The United States has made the crimincal justice so anti-victim that at every stage of processing, victims are mistreated and ignored.

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How America Systematically Fails Survivors of Sexual Violence | ACLU

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The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union — beyond one person, party, or side. Our mission is to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees.

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Over the weekend, details of serious charges of sexual assault alleged to have been committed by Judge Brett Kavanaugh became public, as did the name of the woman raising these allegations. In a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein and in an interview with The Washington Post, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford described an incident in high school when she says Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party.

Judge Kavanaugh has denied the allegations. "I have never done anything like what the accuser describes - to her or to anyone," he said in a statement on Monday.

These allegations, like all allegations of sexual misconduct, deserve to be taken seriously.

Initially, Dr. Ford did not want her story to become public. She was afraid that doing so would "upend her life." This is the reality women face within a culture that too often vilifies people who come forward. Already, she has reportedly received threatening emails and is the subject of vicious online trolls, cruel tweets,and mocking Instagram posts, including one by Donald Trump Jr. But according to her lawyer, Debra Katz, "She's willing to do whatever it takes to get her story forth."

It is critical that a confirmation vote be delayed until a thorough and transparent investigation can be conducted, including a hearing at which both Ford and Kavanaugh have an opportunity to testify under oath. The Senate cannot move forward with this lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land without considering the results of a fair, non-partisan, and complete process. If Judge Kavanaugh is confirmed, he could sit on the Supreme Court for the next 40 years. This confirmation process is the only process he will ever go through. Now is the time for the allegations to be investigated and testimony to be heard.

This moment is eerily reminiscent of the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings in October 1991, in which Oklahoma law professor Anita Hill testified that Thomas had sexually harassed her when they worked together at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She, too, was reluctant to come forward with the allegations and only did so after her name was leaked to the media. As we know all too well, her life was indeed upended. During the hearings, the all-white, all-male Judiciary Committee members tore her to shreds. Sen. Arlen Specter accused her of perjury. Sen. John Danforth called her mental health into question, suggesting she might have "erotomania," a delusion that someone more powerful is in love with her. Sen. Alan Simpson remarked, "I've got statements from Tulsa saying: Watch out for this woman."

Although at times distressing to watch, the Thomas hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee played a pivotal role in awakening the public to the prevalence of sexual harassment, even at the highest echelons of power. That Hill's allegations ultimately did not stop Thomas's appointment to the court was a bitter pill to swallow, then and now. Yet, that outcome does not negate the value of her testimony.

We are at a similar crossroads now as the Senate Judiciary Committee considers how to proceed in light of Dr. Ford's allegations. We should understand more now, 27 years later, about the ways sexual assault and harassment cause lifelong harm - personally and professionally. We also are one year into the #MeToo movement, an explosion of anger and truth-telling about the ways sexual misconduct continues to shape women's lives.

Dr. Ford may have been forced into the limelight against her will, just as Anita Hill was, but the treatment she receives should be different. She must be questioned fairly, not belittled or dismissed. As Ronald Klain, counsel to the Judiciary Committee during the Thomas hearings, has suggested, it may make sense to have trained lawyers lead the questioning, rather than leaving it to the politicians. But a fair process in which both sides are fully heard is in everyone's interest - including, most importantly, the country's, given the stakes.

It's up to the Senate Judiciary Committee to get it right this time around.

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A Full Investigation Is Needed Into the Sexual Assault Allegations Against Brett Kavanaugh | ACLU

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Over the weekend, details of serious charges of sexual assault alleged to have been committed by Judge Brett Kavanaugh became public, as did the name of the woman raising these allegations. In a letter to Sen.

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National Museum of African American History and Culture

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Recy Taylor, a 24-year-old black mother and sharecropper, was walking home from church in Abbeville, Alabama, on Sept. 3, 1944, when she was abducted and gang-raped by six white men. The crime, which N.A.A.C.P. activist Rosa Parks investigated and which garnered extensive coverage in the black press, never saw an indictment for the accused.

In the film "The Rape of Recy Taylor," director Nancy Buirski explores Taylor's story, Rosa Parks' work on her behalf, and the history of racial violence, particularly against women, in the postwar South.

In the book "At the Dark End of the Street" Danielle L. McGuire writes, "After World War I, the Alabama Klan unleashed a wave of terror designed to return 'uppity' African Americans to their proper place in the segregated social order."

It was against that backdrop this Parks witnessed and sought justice for the victims of widespread bigotry rippling throughout the state. Alongside other activists, Parks founded the "Committee for Equal Justice for Mrs. Recy Taylor" to bring attention to the case. With the support of W.E.B. DuBois, Mary Church Terrell and Langston Hughes, among others, the case rose to prominence, however, the accused were never brought to justice.

"Whites didn't like blacks having that kind of attitude," Parks said of black soldiers returning to the South. Many soldiers expected better treatment following their military service. Southerners instead "started doing all kinds of violent things to black people to remind them that they didn't have rights."

Indeed, the problem of racial prejudice in the South was a deep-seated one - a problem founded on a longstanding history of intimidation.

"Unsubstantiated rumors of black men attacking innocent white women sparked almost 50% of all race riots in the United States between Reconstruction and World War II," says McGuire. He references the uptick in rumors of black-on-white rape "whenever African Americans asserted their humanity or challenged white supremacy."

Faced with few options for legal recourse, African American women chose to share their stories, drawing on a longstanding history of testimony and truth-telling to shed light on their pain.

"While survivors of sexualized violence rarely received justice in Southern courts," McGuire writes, "black women like Recy Taylor who were raped by white men in the 1940s used their voices as weapons against white supremacy."

It wasn't until 2011, nearly 60 years after the case, that the state of Alabama issued a formal apology to Taylor for her treatment by the state's legal system.

"[Taylor] was an American hero and an Alabama treasure who spoke up in the face of racism, hate and sexual violence," Alabama Rep. Terri A. Sewell said in a statement. "By standing up to injustice over six decades ago, Recy Taylor inspired generations of men and women to hold perpetrators of sexual violence accountable."

Taylor died in Abbeville Dec. 21, 2017, three weeks after the release of "The Rape of Recy Taylor." She was 97.

The fact that Recy, and women who suffered similar crimes, told their stories in the face of intimidation brought nationwide attention to issues of racial violence. Alhough the Recy Taylor case did not succeed in the short term, the bravery of these women helped to mobilize communities and build coalitions that would become the pillars of the civil rights movement.

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Recy Taylor, Rosa Parks, and the Struggle for Racial Justice

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Recy Taylor, a 24-year-old black mother and sharecropper, was walking home from church in Abbeville, Alabama, on Sept. 3, 1944, when she was abducted and gang-raped by six white men. The crime, which N.A.A.C.P. activist Rosa Parks investigated and which garnered extensive coverage in the black press, never saw the indictment of the accused.

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In a system that proudly boasts victim centered support, there are great disparities in every single foundational part of it. There are hundreds of thousands of rape kits unproccessed, in dusty warehouses creating a back log that will never be able to be caught up in processing. There are our own detectives with biases going against victims when trying to report and process. In the aftermath of sexual violence, victims are harassed, underheard and ignored in our general population. Changes have to be made to support every victim of sexuality, gender and origin.

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The US Justice department has reported that 91% of rape victims are female but the other 9% of victims are male. But men are so grossly underepresented when discussing victims rights, this is because men being victims of sexual assault go against the gender stereotyping that is a societal value. These stereotypes dictate that a man must be dominant, aggressive and assertive; being a victim means you can not be any of these through this lens. In a research article titled ‘Victims and Perpetrators of Male Sexual Assault’ written by Samantha Hodge and David Canter, the researchers found that the support and research for male victims are 20 years behind than female victims. The article later goes on to describe how this can be influenced by the traditional views of masculinity which were mentioned before and the rape myths towards men that “men cannot be raped”. Some experimental evidence from the article suggests that these myths are more strong when the perpetrator is female. One survey found from the article states, “7.2% of the 1480 men reported SA by female acquaintances” (Hodge and David, 1998). But ever survey taken on the issue is reported an underestimate because men are scared and discouraged from reporting any form of sexual violence.

Another reason for the lack of victim support towards men is the lack of resources that go into rape crisis centers that are focused of male victims. Rape is not just a women’s issue and with the uprising of the Me Too movement, we were able to see more male victim’s of many sexualities step into the light and have a platform to speak out about their own experiences and listening to male victims.

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One of the biggest systematic failures in the crinimal justice system is the back log of rape kits. A rape kit is forensic evidence, i.e. DNA, clothing, and pictures of injuries; this evidence is stored in a smaller box. A rape kit is given at a hospital after a sexual assault is reported, they can only be taken by a registered Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. In a research article about the back log of rape kits titled, ‘ Untested and Neglected: Clarifying the Comparator Requirement in Equal Protection Claims Based on Untested Rape Kits’ by Emily Jones, the article states that every 73 seconds someone is sexually assaulted in the United States and less than 0.5% of these rapes will make it through the criminal justice system and into conviction. These shocking statistics are only made worse by the backlog of 400,000 kits in warehouses. The claim that these kits can not be tested because of underfunding and space in labs is incorrect. The federal government allocates specific funds for rape kit testing and has desginated labrotories for the testing of these kits. The backlog of these kits can only be blamed on the inherent bias and prosecution towards victims. The article's research has found that, “One survey of nearly 900 police officers more than half of the officers stated that 11% to 50% of SA complaints lie about being assaulted.” When in reality false rape allegations only make up a 2 to 6% of rape allegations. These negative biases are what casue a backlog of rape kits because detectives fail to prosecute and further allow DNA testing to be done in cases.

The backlog of rape kits is not only harmful for the actual cases but for the future cases. Victims will feel discouraged from coming forward because of the mistreatment of evidence and attitudes towards victims in the process of collecting said evidence. If nothing is happening in the cases now, why would future victims feel confident in their justice system to come forward for help.

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Glamorizing acts of violence during sexual scenes negatively affects how women are treated in real life.
TW: The following content includes subjects on sexual violence, rape, and assault.

For decades, media and pop culture have consistently portrayed men and women through strict stereotypes: men dominant and powerful and women as passive and powerless objects of male sexual desires.

In pop culture, women rarely see their intelligence or other less-sexualized attributes praised.

Then there are the so-called rape myths that play a huge factor in influencing our culture: supporting the notion that women are somehow "asking for it" based on how they dress and enforcing the idea that a man who is sexually active is a source of envy. Traits such as sexual aggressiveness among men and the compliance of women have been highlighted so much - think of the James Bond franchise, for instance - that it has led society to believe that these behaviors are not just acceptable but laudable. It is time to stop glorifying assault for entertainment reasons.
It's time to stand against rape culture in film
Rape culture surrounds us in many mediums. From movies to shows to song lyrics to mainstream pornography, women are too often harmfully reduced to mere sexual entities.

Popular shows on Netflix, Hulu and more all take part in glorifying and romanticizing sexual assault and violence. One of Netflix's 2020 releases , "365 Days" has become one of the most viewed films on the platform in the U.S. despite its controversy on glamorizing kidnapping and rape.

The Polish-erotica film, which trended as No. 1 on Netflix's top 10 for weeks, follows an abusive relationship where a powerful man drugs and kidnaps a woman, justifying his cruelty with gifts. The film itself feeds into the popular subgenre of mafia boss/billionaire romance novels, which are known to romanticize abusive relationships by labeling the man as a "bad boy."

This romanticization of abusive relationships is incredibly harmful to how women view relationships as it normalizes the idea that traits like hyper aggression, recklessness and even kidnapping are sexy rather than red flags.

Similarly, the TV series "Game of Thrones" features multiple rape scenes. Characters such as Khal Drogo rape and abuse their wives regularly. Nonetheless, these characters are largely viewed as bad boys that the audience admires and swoons over, rather than what they actually are: rapists.

Even shows with the intention of being supportive of rape victims such as the "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," accidentally reaffirm damaging ideas present in the worsening rape culture today.

Certain episodes in the show follow the storylines of failed cases against the perpetrators and judges blaming victims for their assaults. Certain critics argue that these depictions, despite being realistic to the criminal justice system, could discourage real-life victims from coming forward.

This situation is catch-22 because at the same time, portraying failed cases and how they unfairly treat victims in criminal justice is important in demystifiying the myths of rape culture. Portraying the system that supports the victim no matter what can also invalidate the victims who have gone to court and had their perpetrators walk free, but nonetheless shouldn't be the basis of a show.

Even hit songs you may be harmlessly singing along to may exemplify rape culture. For instance, Robin Thicke's hit single "Blurred Lines" speaks on "blurring the lines" of consent with lyrics such as "I know you want it ... When you get them jeans on ... Swag on 'em when you dress casual, I mean, it's almost unbearable... No more pretending ... It always works for me."

The lyrics encapsulate the crux of rape culture, ultimately assuming that every woman inherently desires sexual advances and blaming female clothing for sexual assault.

Media telling victims that sexual violence is normal or sexy makes it much harder for victims to believe they will be taken seriously if they come forward, or even cause them to gaslight themselves out of the situation.

Even pornography, one of the most consumed forms of media and often viewed from an early age, usually inaccurately representing what sex can be with the abundancy of themes including violent sex acts and rape fantasies. Constant viewing of this harmful material perpetuates the romanticization of rape, an increased tolerance for rapists, a rise in sexual violence, thus lowering the value of women in society.
What it means
A recent report by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention from 2020 explored how portrayals of sexual abuse can lead to lasting, serious consequences for real-life female victims. The study found that common media depictions of sexual assault and rape tend to increase victim blaming, and often influence the way criminal systems and the public perceive female victims. It may also lead viewers to view rape as an act of sex rather than an act of violence.

This type of media sends the message that sexual violence is normal or enjoyable for victims causes both abusers to believe that mimicking this behavior is OK.
Impact of rape culture media
The best way to put a stop to the popularization of rape culture in media is by stopping harmful depictions in mainstream media as a whole. Boycotting films for sexist and degrading depictions of women or censoring certain themes of pornography could help halt the spread of glamorizing rape culture.

Media literacy, which is a person's ability to identify different types of media and understand the messages they're sending , could also help alleviate part of the issue and spread awareness of normalized sexual violence or abuse.

With the ability to recognize the direct impact that media romanticiation of sexual assault has on real-life rape culture, more people will be more aware as to what is considered normal or respectful, which will hopefully result in more people believing and not undermining victims.

Nonetheless, the chronic media objectification of women should trouble any member of society who values gender equality. The persistentrise of rape culture and romanticized sexual abuse in the media proves that society has a long way to go before it truly views men and women equally.

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Normalizing sexual violence through media fuels rape culture

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Glamorizing acts of violence during sexual scenes negatively affects how women are treated in real life. TW: The following content includes subjects on sexual violence, rape, and assault. For decades, media and pop culture have consistently portrayed men and women through strict stereotypes: men dominant and powerful and women as passive and powerless objects of male sexual desires.

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Rose Khan looks at how the media shapes our understanding of events, interpretations and attitudes, and addresses the media's responsibility to present a more accurate representation of the experiences of conflict-related sexual violence in order to challenge deeply entrenched gender patterns.
Media coverage of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) focuses on female victims of sexual and gender-based violence, drawing on narrow depictions and gender stereotypes to provoke empathy and horror, galvanising calls for action. However, they provide an incomplete picture of the everyday experiences of war and conflict, reinforcing the narrative that sexual violence in conflict is a crime committed by men against women. Although international organisations and the academic community are aware of the diversity of experiences of those victimised by CRSV, this has not been translated into media coverage.
Media representations and social norms
The media portrayal of conflict-related sexual violence can shape public perceptions, social norms and attitudes. In some cases it can supersede normal institutions of policy making. With this is mind, the media is essential to changing narratives, discourses and the way in which we conceptualise facts. It socially constructs reality, shaping and reproducing norms about gender and sexuality. We construct our reality based on our observations and experiences; the media presents us with many of those experiences, observations, interpretations and attitudes.

The widespread access to information disseminated by the media has the potential to impact a broad range of attitudes and behaviours. For example, a study in partnership with UNESCO conducted in Quialana, Mexico of a radio programme intervention designed to challenge gender roles, attitudes and norms around violence against women found that the social mechanism, that is information disseminated publicly via mass media or public meetings, had a stronger impact than the individual mechanism, whereby individuals are provided with new information on an individual basis, e.g. through leaflets. The social mechanism caused the individual to reject violence against women because others rejected it too. It informs individuals about what others learn and encourages coordination, by influencing perceptions of collective change.

This example shows that the media can impact public perception through the visibility and coverage given to a particular topic. Stories covered gain legitimacy and deem what is noteworthy and deserving of public attention. However, media outlets have limited space to inform, leaving the reader to complete the picture with existing knowledge. This tends to be based on gendered stereotypes about the role men, women and children play in conflict, while perpetuating familiar notions of what sexual violence is, who perpetrates it and who is victimised by it.
Media stories
The kidnapping of Nigerian students by the insurgent group Boko Haram garnered worldwide media attention. The media coverage of the kidnapping featured gendered accounts of the victims and perpetrators with a particular focus on the gendered risks that the victims faced if not released from their captors. In one such piece featured in Ms. magazine, the author emphasises the sexual victimisation of the students, assuming that because they had been kidnapped their abduction was bound to involve sexual abuse. Furthermore, in Buzzfeed World, Dr Valerie Obote, the national president of the Women's Medical Association in Nigeria was reported as saying "the first thing those men will be thinking of is sexual violence." Gendering also occurred when those kidnapped were referred to as "girls" or " school girls ", despite some of them being as old as eighteen.

The use of this framing by the media calls attention to the behaviour of Boko Haram, which is well-known for its systematic targeting of women and girls, but it also conjures up stereotypes about the age and gender of those kidnapped. The students were portrayed as the targets of violence because they were girls. They were defined as a group by their vulnerability to sexual assault and need for protection, which is associated to the idea of femininity and infantilism. Boys were also kidnapped but referred to as boy soldiers and not victims of gender-based violence.

Media outlets have limited space to inform, leaving the reader to complete the picture with existing knowledge. This tends to be based on gendered stereotypes about the role men, women and children play in conflict

An examination of media narratives of the conflict in the former Yugoslavia found that the media portrayal of sexual violence was skewed toward gender stereotypes of perpetrators and victims. On both sides of the conflict the rape of women was emphasised in the media. In some cases aligning the victimisation of women with that of the group, state and nation. Moreover, there was an excessive presence of victimised female bodies and a near invisibility of male victimised bodies. The influence of such representational practices impacts the reproduction of traditional gender roles. The over-representation of women as victims refused them agency and restricted them to the passive role of the victim, while denying men their vulnerability and reinforcing the narrative that men victimise women.

New America's Better Life Lab analysis into media representations of women in conflict zones (Iraq, Syria and South Sudan) found that across all publications studied (the Wall Street Post, the New York Times and the Wall street Journal) women are often represented as casualties of sexual violence, injury or death. Sixty per cent of the Wall Street Journal articles paired women with children.

Women are constructed as perpetual victims; individuals like children that are vulnerable to attack and should be protected at all costs. South Sudanese women were predominantly represented as victims of sexual violence. Scant attention was given to other challenges that these women encounter, such as the lack of basic services, illiteracy and land and property issues. Only 5 per cent of articles featured women as activists, protestors or politicians and none included women in peacekeeping roles. The findings concluded that despite their participation in formal and informal politics and peace efforts, conflict reporting frequently portrayed women as helpless victims of violence and conflict.
Female perpetrators and male victims
Coverage of conflict and humanitarian crises often shows women akin to children as passive, without agency and in need of protection. To view them as capable of violence would subvert the logic of gender norms that define masculinity and femininity. The idea of male victims transforms our understanding of the gendered structure of society, especially that of the militarised male. However, women and girls like men and boys are capable of committing acts of violence in times of conflict, including sexual violence against male and female victims. Several studies have identified girls and women as the perpetrators and co-perpetrators of such violence.

A study on the patterns of sexual violence in post-conflict Liberia found that 32.6 per cent of male former combatants and 42.3 per cent of female former combatants experienced sexual violence, by both male and female perpetrators, during the conflict. In a study involving 593 women and 405 men in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, researchers reported that 41.1 per cent of female survivors and 10 per cent of male survivors of sexual violence stated that the perpetrator was female. In Sierra Leone around 20 per cent of all fighters were female. In becoming combatants, women and girls often became perpetrators of extreme violence and atrocities. In the former Yugoslavia, a female commander of a women's detention camp forced female prisoners to the front line for soldiers to rape them.

Coverage of conflict and humanitarian crises often shows women akin to children as passive, without agency and in need of protection. To view them as capable of violence would subvert the logic of gender norms that define masculinity and femininity.

The prisoner abuse scandal in Abu Ghraib prison drew widespread public attention and created a media crisis for the U.S. military. Media outlets broadcast photographs of Iraqi prisoners being sexually assaulted by US soldiers, including female soldiers. At the forefront of the scandal was Lynndie England. Media constructions framed her as the main perpetrator of the mistreatment and torture of prisoners, deflecting attention away from the U.S. military.

She was placed at the centre of the controversy, captured standing in front of a pyramid of naked prisoners, holding a naked prisoner on a leash, and pointing to the penis of a man forced to masturbate. In media publications her behaviour was characterised as deviant, or many were incredulous that she willingly participated in the abuse. Media discourse and imagery of England either vilified her as a monster and cast her as dishonourable and sexually deviant. Her perceived apathy only intensifying the media fascination with her, while yet other pieces unable to accept her as the perpetrator of such crimes regarded her as a psychological abnormality unable to tell the difference between right and wrong.

Others focused on the exploitation of England by her male military superiors reinforcing her femininity and subsequent incapacity to commit such violence. She was consistently depicted as "petite," "small," "waif-like," and infantilised as "young girl," "poster child," and " poster girl." The story was significant because it featured a female protagonist of sexual violence within a male profession and called into question the role of women in the U.S. military.

Although these accounts affirm a higher proportion of female victims when compared to men and boys, they contradict widespread media reporting that conflict-related sexual violence is something men do to women. Sexual violence is often framed in such a way that it is discursively impossible to encounter stories about male victims or female perpetrators. When it does occur they are often portrayed as an unusual or exceptional phenomenon.

The pervasive use of feminine and masculine gender stereotypes comes to represent and shape how readers perceive conflict and humanitarian disaster more generally. These stereotypes feed into and perpetuate deeply entrenched gender narratives of global politics. Within this climate, the idea of female perpetrators and male victims of sexual violence becomes difficult to imagine, as they are inconsistent with the overarching gender narrative of war and conflict.

The media has a responsibility in presenting a more accurate representation of the experiences of conflict-related sexual violence and challenging deeply entrenched gender patterns. By reframing its narrative, it could disrupt the dominant discourse and encourage a more nuanced and conflict-specific approach into the global problem of conflict-related sexual violence, to become an effective tool in building relationships, fostering greater understanding between differing groups and be a space for the voices of those marginalised.
This post was originally published on the LSE Women, Peace and Security blog and is reposted with thanks. This article gives the views of the author and does not represent the position of the Media@LSE blog, the LSE Women, Peace and Security blog, nor of the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Featured image: Photo by Utsav Srestha on Unsplash

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Posted In: Media representation

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Rose Khan looks at how the media shapes our understanding of events, interpretations and attitudes, and addresses the media's responsibility to present a more accurate representation of the experie...

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Social Media and Sexual Assualt | Social Media Victims Law Center

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Social Media and Sexual Assault Social media use is a huge part of everyday life for most teens today. A Pew Research Center survey on U.S. teens, social media, and technology revealed that 97% of kids aged 13-17 use a social media platform.

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What is CDC's Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) program?

The RPE program works to prevent sexual violence by providing funding to state and territorial health departments in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and state, territorial, and tribal sexual assault coalitions. The RPE program recipients work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders including educational institutions, rape crisis centers, community organizations, and other state agency partners to guide the implementation and evaluation of their state sexual violence prevention efforts.

CDC supports this work by providing tools, training, and technical assistance to RPE programs to promote the implementation and evaluation of programs, practices, and policies based on the best available evidence to prevent sexual violence.

The RPE program is authorized through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), passed by Congress in 1994, and most recently reauthorized in 2022. In 2016, CDC received additional funding to support program evaluation research on programs implemented through RPE. Descriptions of these programs are available on CDC's Funded Research page under the "2016" section.

CDC/ATSDR will host a virtual tribal consultation with American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Federally Recognized Tribes on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, from 2-3:30 pm EST. The consultation session will be held to hear from tribes on their public health priorities and concerns related to the RPE program and how CDC/ATSDR can better support tribes and tribal communities moving forward to inform sexual violence prevention. The virtual session will be open to the public. Register here.

What guides the work of the RPE program?

Primary prevention-stopping sexual violence before it begins-is the focus of the RPE program. Program activities are guided by a set of principles that include:

Preventing the first-time occurrence of sexual violence

Reducing risk factors and enhancing protective factors linked to sexual violence perpetration and victimization

Using the best available evidence when planning, implementing, and evaluating prevention programs

Implementing comprehensive strategies that address individual, relationship, community, and societal factors

Analyzing state and community data, such as health and safety data, to inform program decisions and monitor trends

Evaluating prevention efforts and using the results to improve future program plans

The RPE program encourages the development of comprehensive prevention strategies using as guiding frameworks, the public health approach, and the social-ecological model (SEM). These frameworks guide the recipients to implement a range of activities to address the ways individual, relationship, community, and societal factors impact sexual violence.

This approach is more likely to prevent sexual violence across a lifetime than any single intervention and is also more likely to benefit the largest number of people and reduce sexual violence.

What are the current activities of the RPE program?

CDC's current project, Rape Prevention and Education: Using the Best Available Evidence for Sexual Violence Prevention, requires RPE program recipients to work with partners to plan, implement, and evaluate sexual violence prevention strategies in alignment with the Sexual Violence Prevention Resource for Action [3 MB, 46 Pages] , formerly known as, "technical package."

This project places an increased emphasis on implementing community and societal-level strategies that create protective environments and provide opportunities to empower and support girls and women. RPE program recipients are required to implement at least half of their strategies at the community or societal levels. Ten RPE program recipients were awarded additional funding to implement 75% of their strategies at the community and societal levels.

Evidence-based examples of community and societal level strategies include:

Conducting hot-spot mapping and improving safety and monitoring in schools

Establishing and consistently applying school and workplace policies

Working with communities to improve safety and health in the built environment

Ensuring women have adequate work supports such as safe and affordable childcare and paid family leave policies

Improving educational and leadership opportunities for girls and women

Which state sexual assault coalitions are eligible for RPE funding?

The term state sexual assault coalition, sometimes referred to as a state sexual violence coalition, is defined by VAWA as "a program determined by the Center for Injury Prevention and Control of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the Public Health Service Act." In order to be eligible for RPE funds, CDC must approve or certify the state sexual assault coalition. Below is the 2023 list of approved state sexual assault coalitions. The 2023 list remains substantially the same as the 2022 list, but some minor edits were made to reflect name changes. The fiscal year 2024 list will be updated in October 2023.

Alabama Coalition Against Rape

Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence

Arkansas Coalition Against Sexual Assault

CAWS North Dakota

Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence

Day One Rhode Island

Delaware Alliance Against Sexual Violence

DC Rape Crisis Center (DC Coalition to End Sexual Violence)

Florida Council Against Sexual Violence

Georgia Network to End Sexual Assault

Hawaii Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence

Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking

Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence

Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs, Inc.

Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault

Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault

The Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, Jane Doe Inc.

Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence

Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Mississippi Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence

Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence

Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence

Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence

New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence

New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault

New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, Inc.

New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault

North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault

North Dakota Council on Abused Women's Services / Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence

Oklahoma Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence

Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape

South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

South Dakota Coalition Ending Domestic and Sexual Violence

Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence

Texas Association Against Sexual Assault

Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault

ValorUS

Vermont Network Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance

Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs

West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information and Services

Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

See Sexual Violence Resources for articles, publications, and data sources for sexual violence.

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Rape Prevention and Education Program |Violence Prevention|Injury Center|CDC

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The RPE program works to prevent sexual violence by providing funding to state and territorial health departments in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and state, territorial, and tribal sexual assault coalitions. The RPE program recipients work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders including educational institutions, rape crisis centers, community organizations, and other state agency partners to guide the implementation and evaluation of their state sexual violence prevention efforts.

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The media plays a huge role in popular culture and the zygyst, media influences our daily lives, experiences and perceptions. Media also plays an important role in dictating rape culture fueled by gender stereotyping which seeps into our criminal justice system. Harmful gender stereotypes like women being submissive, passive and hysterical created a culture of victim blaming. Victim blmaing can be seen as asking what a women was wearing when raped, how much she was drinnking and in overall terms blaming the victim for her own rape. We also see rape culture being portrayed as casual and normal in relationships, with shows like Game and Thrones and in general porn culture normalizing rough unconsenual sex. Another example of rape culture in popular culture is the song “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke which is literally about mixed signals and going after a women either way. A CDC study has found that common media showing of rape tend to increase victim blaming and how the public perceive female victims. Another issue in the media surrounding is just the misrepresentation of rape, this can be seen as only showing clear victims as females, no portrayal of male victims in the media is shown or as clear cut as it is for women. Another misrepresentation is that women will always be perpetual victims and that they should act a certain way when violated. This can be harmful towards investigations and lead to bias in detectives when questioning victims.

Social media has linked the world together, creating a supportive space for victims but also creating a wider reach of sexual harassment. A survey reported in the article ‘Social Media and Sexual Assault’ written by Matthew Bergman states that “33% of women under 35 say they have experienced sexual assault online and 11% of men under 35 have a repeated the same experience” Online harassment and assault has normalized this type of behavior for the general public and numbed us to how harmful this can be.

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There are a multitude of ways to prevent sexual violence, but the main start is to spread anti-rape education and fund education that provides tools and resources around these situations. The CDC has specific programing called the Rape Prevention and Education Program (RPE), the goals of this program are preventing first-time occurence of sexual violence and enhancing protective factors linked to victimization, they also improve future program plan’s and help spread resources through crisis centers. There is not one solution to helping stop sexual violence, but the main ones to reduce it are education and supporting victims after said incidents happen.