Rape Culture: Understanding and tackling sexual violence by

2. Definition of Rape Culture

anil43 — 2022-12-13 17:43:49 UTC

Rape culture is made up by the components listed above; such sets of beliefs and values provide an environment conducive to rape, supporting and excusing sexual violence.

(Burt, 1980; Bourke, 2008; Johnson & Johnson, 2021; O'Connor & McMahon, 2022; Thomae & Viki, 2013)

3. Examples of Rape Culture

anil43 — 2022-12-13 17:44:19 UTC

The following section presents six examples of how rape culture "hides" in all corners of the media we consume as well as in our language and jokes. Essentially, this section explores how rape is embedded in our culture.

Presenting specific examples from media, I explain how each example reproduces (or is an effect of) rape culture.

This is only a selection of examples, there is more to be said about courts, politics, advertisements, movies, series, etc.

1. Introduction

anil43 — 2022-12-13 17:53:37 UTC

This project explores rape culture and sexual violence. Within this Padlet, I firstly provide a definition of rape culture (on the top). I then demonstrate several examples of rape culture in our everyday lives, in jokes and sayings, music, novels, social media and more (on the bottom). These examples show how rape culture is reproduced in and by our society. Additionally, I present possible ways to combat rape culture and provide further resources as well as a bibliography (all to the right).

This Padlet mostly uses very binary language. This is due to the binary gender stereotypes fabricated within rape culture, and the fact that most perpetrators and sex offenders are cisgender men. However, people of all genders can be victims of sexual assault and people of any gender can be perpetrators (Bourke, 2007, Sanders, 2016).

3.2 Pornography

anil43 — 2022-12-13 18:06:12 UTC

Dr. Gail Dines shows how pornography shapes gender roles and culture for children and young adults of all genders. Additionally, in Dines's view, it reproduces sexism and teaches violent/passive sexual scripts. She shows that pornography consumption leads to higher sexual aggression and violence by men.

(Dines, 2015; Hald, Malamuth & Lange, 2013; Malamuth, Hald & Koss)

3.6 Romance Novels – ⚠️⚠️⚠️Trigger Warning!⚠️⚠️⚠️

anil43 — 2022-12-13 18:06:26 UTC

Depicted above are screenshots of the highlander romance novel "The Bride" by Julia Garwood. Such scenes glorify rape and reproduce rape myths, lacking distinctions of enforced submission and consent by depicting the woman's resistance as a dissembling cover for actual closeted desire. Additionally, it shows that men are allowed/supposed to take what they want and know what women secretly want, "rightfully" ignoring their "nos" – all this being portrayed as sexy/hot. This book written by a woman and targets (young) women, teaching them that scenes like this are to be desired.

(Mahaseth, 2021; Philadelphoff-Puren, 2005)

3.3 Gendered Dress Codes

anil43 — 2022-12-13 18:06:44 UTC

At a high school in Geneva (Switzerland), an oversized, white T-Shirt was given to girls wearing "indecent/inappropriate" clothing to cover up. Such "shame shirts", and most dress codes in general, reproduce rape culture, like sexist notions of girls "asking for it" and of men being unable to control their sexual urges. It additionally puts all responsibility for preventing rape/sexual violence on girls (see comment section).

(Clot, 2020; Martin & Brooks, 2020)

3.1 Music

anil43 — 2022-12-13 18:06:59 UTC

With lyrics like "you're a good girl, I know you want it", Robin Thicke reproduces the idea that women are objects of (men's) pleasure and secretly wish for any sexual act done to them.

(Horeck, 2014; Phillips, 2019)

3.5 Language and Jokes/Memes

anil43 — 2022-12-13 18:07:09 UTC

The idea of the "friendzone" depicted in the meme above, shows how men expect sex from any (single) woman or are expected to want it.

Other sayings or ideas justifying, excusing, encouraging and reproducing rape (culture) can be found in the comment section of this post.

(Legacy of Rape Culture, 2020; Thomae & Viki, 2013; Weiss, 2009)

3.4 Social Media

anil43 — 2022-12-13 18:08:36 UTC

Such TikTok POVs (point-of-views) normalize and encourage possessive and aggressive behaviours by men, ideas of "stealing" women, and the belief that when women are nice to men, they encourage flirting. This all leads to the objectification of women and notions of women "belonging" to men. Moreover, the presentation of these videos implies that women do or should desire such behavior from men.

(Johnson & Johnson, 2021; Towns, 2013)

5. Bibliography

anil43 — 2022-12-13 18:10:17 UTC

_{Achtung Liebe (2022)}_Kampagnen_{. Available at: http://achtungliebe.ch/index.php/kampagnen.html (Accessed December 15, 2022).}
_{Burgen, S. (2022) “Spain passes ‘only yes means yes’ sexual consent law.”}_{The Guardian}_{, 25 August. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/25/spain-only-yes-means-yes-sexual-consent-bill-expected-to-become-law (Accessed December 15, 2022).}
_{Burt, M. R. (1980) “Cultural myths and supports for rape”,}_{Journal of Personality & Social Psychology}_{, 38(2), pp. 217–230.}
_{Bourke, J. (2008)}_{Rape: A History from 1860 to the present day.}_{1st edn. London: Virago.}
_{Bourke, J. (2008) “Rape myths past and present”,}_{The New Statesman}_{, 11 March. Available at: https://www.newstatesman.com/long-reads/2008/03/rape-myths-women-stump-sexual (Accessed 15 December 2022).}
_{Christina, G. (2020)}_{5 Amazing Love Scenes Where Pop Culture Got Consent Exactly Right}_{. Available at: https://everydayfeminism.com/2016/10/pop-culture-got-consent-right/ (Accessed December 15, 2022).}
_{Clot, L. (2020) “Debate flares over Geneva pupil’s “shame shirts””,}_Swissinfo_{. 2 October. Available at: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/society/debate-flares-over-geneva-pupils--shame-t-shirts-/46072546 (Accessed 15 December 2020).}
_{Davis, N. (2021) “Is pornography to blame for rise in “rape culture”?”,}_{The Guardian}_{, 30 March. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/29/is-pornography-to-blame-for-rise-in-culture (Accessed 15 December 2022).}
_{Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (2021)}_{Youth programmes}_{. Available at: https://www.drcc.ie/services/education-training/youth-programmes/ (Accessed December 15, 2022).}
_{“Eetsway” (2022). Heartbreak High, Season 1, episode 3. Fremantle Australia & NewBe. Available at: Netflix (Accessed December 15, 2022).}
_{Female Pleasure (2019)}_{#Female Pleasure: Five cultures, Five women, One story.}_{Available at: https://www.femalepleasure.org (Accessed December 15, 2022).}
_{Flood, M (2011) “Involving Men in Efforts to End Violence Against Women”,}_{Men and Masculinities}_{, 14(3), pp. 358-377.}
_{Flood, M. (2019) “Sexist humour and rape jokes: Five key points”,}_{Men, Masculinities and Gender Politics}_{. Available at: https://xyonline.net/content/sexist-humour-and-rape-jokes-five-key-points (Accessed December 15 2022).}
_{Foggin, S. (2021) ““The risk you run”: Colombia’s women protesters on sexual violence.”}_{BBC News.}_{23 June. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-57553316 (Accessed December 15, 2022).}
_{Folts, E. (2022) “College men can play a crucial role in preventing sexual violence. Here’s how some are stepping up”,}_Publicsource_{, 28 November.}_{Available at: https://www.publicsource.org/red-zone-campus-sexual-violence-toxic-masculinity-point-park-cmu-pitt-university/ (Accessed December 15, 2022).}
_{galeaudios (2022) “bf roleplay audios: Possessive bf is back” [Tiktok]. 22 August. Available at: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMFsg6Da4/ (Accessed 15 December 2022).}
_{galeaudios (2022) “bf roleplay audios: Another overprotective bf video” [Tiktok]. 24 August. Available at: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMFsgDJ9w/ (Accessed 15 December 2022).}
_{Garwood, J. (2011)}_{The Bride.}_{Available at: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B004XFYWNY/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title (Downloaded: 2 September 2016).}
_{Hald, G.M., Malamuth, N.N. and Lange, T. (2013) "Pornography and Sexist Attitudes Among Heterosexuals: Pornography and Sexist Attitudes",}_{Journal of communication,}_{63(4), pp. 638-660.}
_{He for She (2022)}_{We Are The United Nations Global Solidarity Movement For Gender Equity}_{. Available at: https://www.heforshe.org/en (Accessed December 15, 2022).}
_{Hinz, T. (2020)}_{Legacy of Rape Culture}_{. [Podcast] Available at: https://open.spotify.com/show/6w2g3xTEa7GeMkoBtin3n1?si=94dddad54d744e60. (Accessed 15 December 2022).}
_{Hod, I. (2017) “Men Join #MeToo Campaign With #HowIWillChange: ‘Guys It’s Our Turn.’”,}_{The Wrap}_{, 18 October. Available at: https://www.thewrap.com/men-join-metoo-campaign-howiwillchange-guys-turn/ (Accessed December 15, 2022).}
_{Horeck, T. (2014) “#AskThicke: “Blurred Lines”, Rape Culture, and the Feminist Hashtag Takeover”, Feminist Media Studies, 14(6), pp. 1105-1107.}
_{Ibrahim Babo (2019) “HUSBAND SCHOOL IN SIERRA LEONE”,}_YouTube_{. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EArBXD4wd0 (Accessed December 15, 2022).}
_{Johnson, N.L. and Johnson, D. M. (2021) “An Empirical Exploration into the Measurement of Rape Culture”,}_{Journal of Interpersonal Violence}_{, 36(1-2), pp. NP70-NP95.}
_{Joko & Klaas (2020) “Männerwelten - Belästigung von Frauen | Joko & Klaas 15 Minuten Live”,}_YouTube_{. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc0P2k7zIb4 (Accessed: December 15, 2022).}
_{Jozkowski, K.N. (2022) " Sexual consent and the prevention of sexual aggression", in Orchowski, L.M. & Berkowitz, A. (ed.)}_{Engaging Boys and Men in Sexual Assault Prevention: Theory, Research and Practice}_{, San Diego: Elsevier Science and Technology, pp. 211-236.}
_{Mahaseth H. (2021) “The Misogynistic Tropes of Rape Delineating the Boundray of Romance in Popular Fiction”, Linguistica Antverpinensia, 3, pp. 1436-1446.}
_{Malamuth, N.M., Hald, G.M. and Koss, M. (2012) "Pornography, Individual Differences in Risk and Men’s Acceptance of Violence Against Women in a Representative Sample",}_{Sex roles,}_{66(7-8), pp. 427-439.}
_{Martin J.L. and Brooks J.N. (2020) “Loc’d and Faded, Yoga Pants, and Spaghetti Straps: Discriminiation in Dress Codes and School Pushout”,}_{International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership}_{, 16(29), pp. 1-19.}
_{O’Connor, J. & McMahon, S. (2022) " The role of rape myths in contributing to sexual aggression: Theory, research, and implications for prevention", in Orchowski, L.M. & Berkowitz, A. (ed.)}_{Engaging Boys and Men in Sexual Assault Prevention: Theory, Research and Practice}_{, San Diego: Elsevier Science and Technology, pp. 97-123.}
_{O’Farrell, L. [@vulgadrawings] (2022) “The Struggle 💀💀💀🙃,” [Instagram]. 10 February. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/CZznaSRIL8I/ (Accessed December 15, 2022).}
_{Peterson, C. (2022) “Intimate Justice Provides Answers About the “Gray Areas” Rape Culture Doesn’t Seem to Answer For”,}_{Teen Vogue}_{, 25 November. Available at: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/intimate-justice-gray-areas-rape-culture (Accessed December 15, 2022).}
_{PettyJohn, M.E. et al. (2018) « #HowIWillChange: Engaging Men and Boys in the #MeToo Movement”,}_{Psychology of Men and Masculinities}_{, 30(4), pp. 612.622.}
_{Piñon, N. (2021) “How to parent without perpetuating gender stereotypes”,}_Mashable_{, 8 October. Available at: https://mashable.com/article/how-to-parent-without-gender-stereotypes (Accessed December 15, 2022).}
_{Rape Crisis Network Ireland (2022)}_{Rape Crisis Network Ireland}_{. Available at: https://www.rcni.ie (Accessed December 15, 2022).}
_{Reidy, D.E. et al. (2022) "The culture of masculinity and sexual violence: Raising boys to be nonviolent men", in Orchowski, L.M. & Berkowitz, A. (ed.)}_{Engaging Boys and Men in Sexual Assault Prevention: Theory, Research and Practice}_{, San Diego: Elsevier Science and Technology, pp. 125-148.}
_{Philadelphoff-Purenn N. (2005) “Contextualising consent: the problem of rape and romance”, Australian Feminist Studies, 20(46), pp. 31-42.}
_{Phillips, N. D. (2019)}_{Beyond Blurred Lines: Rape Culture in Popular Media}_{, Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.}
_{Sanders, T. (2016)}_{The Oxford Handbook of Sex Offences and Sex Offenders.}_{1st edn. New York; Oxford: Oxford University Press.}
_{TEDx Talks (2015) “Growing Up in a Pornified Culture | Gail Dines TEDxNavesink”,}_YouTube_{. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YpHNImNsx8 (Accessed December 15, 2022).}
_{The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (2022) “Men, Intimacy & The ‘Right to Sex’ - Between The Scenes | The Daily Show”,}_YouTube_{. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYmFyjy2EmQ (Accessed December 15, 2022).}
_{Thicke, R., T.I. and Williams, P. (2013) “Blurred Lines”,}_{Blurred Lines}_{. Available at: Spotify (Accessed 15 December 2022).}
_{Thomae, M. and Viki, G.T. (2013) “Why Did the Woman Cross the Coad? The Effect of Sexist Humor on Men’s Rape Proclivity”,}_{Journal of Social, Evolutionary, and Cultural Psychology}_{, 7(3), pp. 250-269.}
_{Times Music (2016) “PINK Official Trailer | Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, Angad Bedi | Shoojit Sircar”,}_YouTube_{. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL2TShb6fFs (Accessed December 15, 2022).}
_{Towns, A. (2013) ““I couldn’t even dress the way I wanted..” Young women talk of “ownership” by boyfriends: An opportunity for the prevention of domestic violence?”,}_{Feminism & Psychology}_{, 23(4), pp. 536-555. Available at: https://doi-org.ucd.idm.oclc.org/10.1177/0959353513481955 (Accessed 15 December 2022).}
_{Uncovering Rape Culture, Zara McDermott}_{(2021) Directed by Angela Byrne. BBC. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0b23rrf (Accessed December 15, 2022).}
_{Weiss, K. G. (2009) ““Boys will Be Boys” and Other Gendered Accounts: An Exploration of Victims’ Excuses and Justifications for Unwanted Sexual Contact and Coercion”,}_{Violence Against Women}_{, 15(7), pp. 810-834.}

4. Tackling Rape Culture and Further Resources

anil43 — 2022-12-13 18:43:27 UTC

As many of the beliefs that make up rape culture are learned at a young age, education and parenting play a crucial role in tackling rape culture. Sex education syllabuses must be rewritten to address consent, pornography and much more, and parents should refrain from enforcing/encouraging traditional gender stereotypes that fabricate sexism and rape culture. Furthermore, it is important to involve and engage men. This can be done through personal discussions with friends and family members, by engaging and mobilizing communities, educating providers and with online or physical campaigns. Additionally, laws and policies must be rewritten to support healthy and violence-free norms. Moreover, setting good examples in (social) media is another way to "fight off" rape culture. Some examples of how to combat rape culture and further resources are displayed below.

(Flood, 2011; Jozkowski, 2022; O'Connor & McMahon, 2022; PettyJohn, 2018, Reidy et al., 2022)

Youth Programmes Dublin RCC

anil43 — 2022-12-14 11:07:56 UTC

Parenting

anil43 — 2022-12-14 11:25:10 UTC

Men, intimacy & the "Right to Sex"

anil43 — 2022-12-14 11:26:11 UTC

Men Stepping up

anil43 — 2022-12-14 11:27:20 UTC

Rape Crisis Network

anil43 — 2022-12-14 11:29:47 UTC

Consent in Film

anil43 — 2022-12-14 11:31:41 UTC

Men's Worlds (see comment)

anil43 — 2022-12-14 11:33:53 UTC

Uncovering Rape Culture

anil43 — 2022-12-14 11:50:34 UTC

Indian Cinema Addresses Rape Culture

anil43 — 2022-12-14 11:59:17 UTC

Intimate Justice

anil43 — 2022-12-14 12:01:43 UTC

#HowWillIChange

anil43 — 2022-12-14 13:05:56 UTC

Podcast on Rape Culture

anil43 — 2022-12-14 13:08:40 UTC

Movie on Female Pleasure, Sexual Violence, Feminism and More

anil43 — 2022-12-14 13:16:43 UTC

Protests

anil43 — 2022-12-14 13:21:21 UTC

"He for She" Campaign by UN

anil43 — 2022-12-14 13:24:38 UTC

Addressing Sexism and Rape Culture on Social Media

anil43 — 2022-12-14 22:34:48 UTC

Swiss Sex Education Campaign (see comment)

anil43 — 2022-12-14 22:35:32 UTC

Consent in Netflix Series (see comment)

anil43 — 2022-12-14 22:41:47 UTC

"Yes means Yes"

anil43 — 2022-12-14 22:43:41 UTC

Sierra Leone: Campaign Targeting Men

anil43 — 2022-12-14 22:44:41 UTC

Index

anil43 — 2022-12-14 23:22:43 UTC

1. Introduction
2. Definition
3. Examples
4. Possible solutions
5. Bibliography

⚠️Content Warning⚠️

anil43 — 2022-12-15 12:58:39 UTC

This Padlet discusses rape and sexual violence and the culture around it, partly in very explicit terms. Especially Example 3.6 contains explicit descriptions of nonconsensual sexual actions (rape/sexual assault).

Copyright

ernestovasquezdelaguila — 2023-04-11 11:40:01 UTC

Email: anika.lunsmann@icloud.com

To cite:

Lünsmann, A. 2023. "Rape Culture: Understanding and tackling sexual violence", SEXTANT: Masculinities, Sexualities & Decolonialities, Padlet. Vol 1, Issue 1: 21.

SEXTANT: Masculinities, Sexualities &, Decolonialities

ISSN 2990-8124

University College Dublin, Ireland

https://sextantnotes.com