Sexual assault, harassment, and rape are criminal acts that no one should have to endure. Unfortunately, cultural notions related to gender roles and sexual scripts, like token resistance (Chapter 3), often make these crimes seem like a natural part of life or the “price of doing business” in a sexualized world—it is not.
To frame our course lectures and discussion this week, it is important that we enter the week with a shared lexicon regarding different criminal sexual acts. Before we talk about different forms of criminal sexual acts, it’s important to understand the broader cultural context that intersects with sexual assault and rape.
Additionally, if you or someone you know if a survivor of sexual assault please utilize these available resources or reach out and I will help connect you to support.
Sexual Assault Resources
Rape Culture
Rape culture refers to a culture or environment that normalizes, justifies, and even glorifies sexual coercion and violence. The idea that “boys will be boys” or that women are “asking for it” based on what they are wearing are examples of rape culture. Or, as we viewed in The Mask You Live In encouraging sexual aggression by boys and the violent language we encourage boys to use to describe sex are further examples of rape culture.
Two other elements of rape culture are victim blaming and slut shaming. Victim blaming occurs when the victim rather than the perpetrator is responsible for sexual assault, rape, or harassment. Victim-blaming suggests that the victim did something to deserve or provoke the sexual violence through their actions, words, or the way they dressed.
Relatedly, slut shaming contributes to victim blaming and rape culture by chastising women for having sex or being sexual beings. For instance, a woman with multiple sexual partners is a “whore” whereas a man with multiple partners is a “stud.”
Together, these notions normalize criminal sexual acts and often place a heavy burden on the victim. It is important to remember that the only person who is responsible for sexual assault, rape, or harassment is the perpetrator.
Criminal Sexual Acts
Although we hear the terms rape and sexual assault used interchangeably, there are important distinctions among definitions of criminal sexual behaviors.
Often times, people use the word sexual assault when discussing any criminal sexual act, but it has a specific definition. That is, sexual assault refers to a range of criminal acts that are sexual in nature, from unwanted touching and kissing, to rubbing, groping or forcing the victim to touch the perpetrator in sexual ways. Whereas rape, according to the 2012 FBI definition, is defined as “penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.” Although rape undoubtedly includes elements of sexual assault, by nature, it is distinct in that for a sexual act to be defined as rape, it must include penetration.
Sexual Assault Stats in the U.S.
- One in five women and one in 71 men will be raped at some point in their lives
- In the U.S., one in three women and one in six men experienced some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetime
- 51.1% of female victims of rape reported being raped by an intimate partner and 40.8% by an acquaintance
- 52.4% of male victims report being raped by an acquaintance and 15.1% by a stranger
- Almost half (49.5%) of multiracial women and over 45% of American Indian/Alaska Native women were subjected to some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetime
- 91% of victims of rape and sexual assault are female, and nine percent are male
- In eight out of 10 cases of rape, the victim knew the perpetrator
- Eight percent of rapes occur while the victim is at work
—National Sexual Violence Resource Center
Another term that you may be familiar with is sexual harassment, which refers to a range of behaviors including: (1) sexual coercion (quid pro quo), for instance, sex in exchange for a raise or promotion; (2) unwanted sexual attention, especially attention that is severe and pervasive and includes touching, hugging, repeatedly asking for a date or sex, but can also include sexual assault and rape), and (3) gender harassment, disparaging a gender, but with no sexual interest, this can be in sexual terms or imagery, such as watching pornography at work in plain sight of co-workers.
Some newer concepts of criminal sexual behavior include the broader concept of sexual violence which includes sustained sexual pressure, abusive comment or reputational threats to coerce sex acts and includes things like sending unsolicited “dick pics” or posting “revenge porn.”
A final sexual act that may soon become a criminal sex act in California is stealthing or the nonconsensual removal of a condom during sex.
The Potential Criminalization of Stealthing
Please read the New Yorker article by Helen Rosner about California’s soon-to-be law on stealthing.
Questions to reflect on after reading:
- Do you believe that nonconsensual removal of a condom during sex, otherwise known as stealthing, is an act worth punishable by law? Why?
- If more states pass bills to make “stealthing” illegal, what might this do for victims and laws regarding sexual assault and rape in general?
- Why is it important to shed light and give names to these types of experiences?
- If acts that are sexual in nature, from unwanted touching and kissing, to rubbing, groping, or forcing the victim to touch the perpetrator in sexual ways, also known as sexual assault, can be considered a criminal act, why shouldn’t stealthing be considered a criminal act?
- Why might civil law be a better place for survivors to receive justice than in criminal law?
The Hunting Ground
Although you may have seen it before, this week we are going to watch The Hunting Ground to unpack more about sexual assault and rape. The documentary can be triggering for survivors of sexual assault, therefore, feel free to watch the documentary on your own here if you do not feel comfortable watching in class. Additionally, if viewing the documentary is too triggering simply contact me and we’ll come up with an alternate assignment.
We’ve created a “watch guide” for you to help link the documentary to our readings and lecture. We will use these questions during discussion section this week.
The Hunting Ground Watch Guide
Please consider these questions as you watch the documentary:
- Before watching the film, were you aware of the prevalence of sexual violence on college campuses? Did it surprise you? Why or why not?
- What would it take for an academic institution to transform itself from being a hunting ground to providing a safe and supportive environment for all its students?
- What percent of women raped on campus do not report the rape?
- What stereotypes exist about sexual violence perpetrators?
- What examples of victim blaming did you see throughout the movie?
- What percent of rape claims are true? What percent are false?
- How can telling women (and other targets of sexual violence) to avoid drinking serve as an example of victim blaming? Can you identify other elements of college party culture that women (and other targets of sexual violence) are often told to avoid?
- What is Title IX? How can it be used to protect women on campus?
- Rape and sexual assault have been stereotypically portrayed as crimes that involve heterosexuals. In reality, sexual assault happens to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. What are some of the additional concerns faced by these survivors?
- How is sexual violence awareness and prevention addressed, if at all, in your community? Is there adequate support offered to survivors?
