The Media and the Rape Culture
The Rape Culture
Rape culture is a widely held belief that rape is a natural tendency of men. Then begins with the hypothesis that human sensual characteristics exist. Although sex is a biological necessity, it is a manifestation of cultural influences. In cross-cultural communities, we can address rape incidences, relevance, and purpose. There are two dominant theories. The occurrence of rape varies among cultures, and the increased frequency of abuse is in distinctively different customary arrangements other than a reduced incidence of rape. Violence is a component of social methods such as male supremacy, interpersonal disputes, and sexual separations. Therefore, rape is a sexual expression of these factors, concord amid males and their surroundings harshly disrupted.
Unfortunately, we live in a world where rape incidents and sexual ferocity towards females normalized and averted from media, becoming a common belief in the last decade. Rape culture spread via sexist linguistics, the exploitation of female bodies, and the glamorization of sexual violence. It results in a community that devalues feminine rights and security.
We can say that every woman is susceptible to rape culture. As a result, the rape of a single girl humiliates, scares, and confines all females. Most women limit their personalities due to the existence of rape. Several females feel anxious due to rape anxiety. While men do not, it shows the functions of rape as a necessary means by which the whole feminine population sees it as a submissive condition towards the male population. Although it is rare, men can be rape victims too, but it is dominant towards females.
It might be because we live in a predominantly patriarchal culture in which hegemonic masculinity has gained root and domination. Hegemonic masculinity legitimizes how males practice domination in the community towards females. Hegemonic masculinity is a philosophical explanation for why and how men maintain dominance in social duties over females and various gender types. The adverse effect of these cultural philosophies is that some males can be biased towards it, and it is the only means to validity masculinity.
The dread cycle is the rape culture's legacy. As previously mentioned, patriarchy may be the cause for the rising rape incidents publicized in the media. Patriarchy is a school of thought that contends that in a male-dominated culture, which traced back to Israelites and Africa. Some males misinterpreted it as an appropriate reason to mistreat women. The link between patriarchy and women's violence implies that we can't generalize all men who abuse women even several cases are links to men. In our current society, everyone can be a victim of rape, can be men, women, or LGBT.
Characteristics of the Rape Culture
Some abusers would imply that they have the victim's permission to do so. The offender coerces the majority of rape victims into the act. Sexual coercion is an undesired sexual act that occurs under duress, trick, treat, and is forced in a non-physical manner. These constraints cause people to think that they owe others sex. It may be from someone higher, such as a landlord, teacher, or boss. Such unjust treatment leads to oppression and a protracted brutal exercise of authority or harsh treatment.
Rape is oppression because rape is an oppressive act that dehumanizes a person at that moment. When talking or speaking out about the incident, a news anchor can capture her testimony, or a writer who interviewed her can write about it. Some victims decide to publish a book about their rape encounters, which they tell about the experience they went through and the agony they endured. There are some pitfalls in telling the rape victim stories. Some media are likely to indicate sexual relationships between the accused and the victim. For example, the case of a student and a teacher inside a school involved. This storytelling would likely divert the story that abusers have permission due to their relationships.
We can always see and hear that the rape culture language is full of blames and accusations. Some account that it was the victims' fault to have these or that. Some rape stories blamed the victims, particularly those that put a lot of doubt on the victim's mental state. Some people argue that it may be the victims' fault because she was on a drinking spur at the party. These are practices of interrogating what a victim could have done differently to prevent a crime from occurring, implying that the responsibility of wrongdoing resides with the victim rather than the suspect. A person considers what the victim of the crime may have done better to avoid the incident. It completely disregards the victim's rights. It is the essence of victim-blaming.
Rape coverages typically empathize with the accused by employing light-hearted language that does not depict the accused as the primary suspects. For example, the news writes material that might show sympathy for the alleged perpetrator by utilizing terminology associated with games or sports such as team, football, and player. Such reports will not cast the accused in the viewpoint of a suspect. As a result, the victim's credibility is in question. The victim can be the subject of humiliating ordeals such as internalized shame.
Internalized shame is an unfavorable self-conscious sensation, which is naturally related to a negative assessment of personal withdrawal inspirations and feelings such as fear, distrust, worthlessness, exposure, and impotence following sexual harassment activities. Rape culture guarantees that we divert our question to the victims, which aids in highlighting the victim's events justifications primarily during court processes based on actual evidence.
Role of Mass Media in Propagating Rape Culture
Since the inception of social media, reporters and news broadcasters have never been the only ones who post or display rape information. Nowadays, anybody who is asked or invited to speak about rape can raise public awareness. Publishing content on social media platforms and unrestricted media freedom may result in rude and obscene pieces of information in the broadcast. As they see the abuse, perpetrators may take full advantage of this. Scopophilia is the sexual pleasure derived from watching pornographic films or seeing other people naked while performing a sexual act. It leads to sexual attacks in both men and women since they are sexually excited and want to satisfy their desire. As a result, rape may be the only way to satisfy their desires.
Media includes magazines, online journals, television, and radio can perpetuate rape culture. We knew that media in any form is vital for businesses and organizations to promote their brands and reach their target market. Some used media to deliberately change information to favor their agendas. In rape culture, media alludes to society to justify victim-blaming. In some cases, media indulge men that women are sexual objects and just for pleasure. It encourages men to exploit women in whatever way that would satisfy their urges. Hence, media can rationalize sexual assault or rape. It helps rape culture to grow.
The media has a significant impact on the education of teenagers and even youngsters. It contributes to how society views gender roles in the socialization process. Gender role socialization refers to educating youngsters on what society expects of them and their role in society. It can promote the division of boys and girls into gender roles, which ultimately perpetuates patriarchy. Gender expression is the method through which a person expresses their gender personality. It is how we present ourselves through our clothes, conduct, and appearance in society. In a rape culture, it hinders women from speaking out due to their personality or looks.
The media's portrayal of rape crimes and sexual assaults can have a considerable impact on people's perspectives, personalities, attitudes, and knowledge of the rape culture problem. Furthermore, attitudes and concepts support sexual assaults and influence the growth of rape culture and the community's response to the problem. As a result, the media is critical in rape prevention.
Role of Media in Stopping Rape
Avoiding sexual violence and abuses such as rape acts involving societal customs is critical. The press plays a vital role in altering these norms or traditions by educating communities and vulnerable groups. Activities aiming at changing societal attitudes that enable sexual violence or attacks are for rape prevention. The press can only end rape culture by reporting the facts and not excluding rape coverage. Hence the media is the primary source of information for the public on sexual assaults and crime; they will aid in establishing a better understanding of the meaning of sexual assault and why it is unacceptably violent. It can foster a public perception that we should not tolerate rape and sexual assault.
With so much information on sexual violence available, it can be difficult to tell the difference between fact and myth. As a result, the media must convey facts that are objective and goal-oriented. Rape culture is a pressing issue that is difficult to tackle. The media should be sensitive in reporting so that it can't fuel the rape culture. The media helps by delivering featured stories on the primary reasons, people, and social concerns linked with sexual crimes; the media thus aids the public in gaining a more positive picture of the rape culture. As a result, the general public views sexual assault as a societal issue rather than a virtuously private one. When the media addresses rape culture, it can encourage victims to speak up.
Conclusion
Rape culture is a widely held belief that rape is a natural tendency of men. The rape of a single girl humiliates, scares, and confines all females. Most women limit their personalities due to the existence of rape. Some males misinterpret rape as an appropriate reason to mistreat women due to patriarchal philosophies. Rape is oppression because rape is an oppressive act that dehumanizes a person at that moment. Some media are likely to indicate sexual relationships between the accused and the victim. Rape culture language is full of blames and accusations, saying it was the victims' fault to have these or that.
Rape culture guarantees that we divert our questions to the victims, which aids discounts the victims' cry. Since the inception of social media, reporters and news broadcasters have never been the only ones who post or display rape information. Media includes magazines, online journals, television, and radio can perpetuate rape culture. In a rape culture, it hinders women from speaking out due to their personality or looks.
Again, the press plays a vital role in altering these norms or traditions by educating communities and vulnerable groups. We viewed sexual assault as a societal issue rather than a virtuously private one by the general population. Rape culture is a pressing issue that is difficult to tackle, but we need to media to make or break the rape culture.
Readings
Amanda Taub, Rape culture isn’t a myth. It’s real, and it’s dangerous.
Claire R. Gravelin, Monica Biernat, and Caroline E. Bucher, Blaming the Victim of Acquaintance Rape: Individual, Situational, and Sociocultural Factors
Gurvinder Kalra and Dinesh Bhugra, Sexual violence against women: Understanding cross-cultural intersections
UN Women, When it comes to consent, there are no blurred lines.
Gerald Walton, What rape culture says about masculinity
Zaida Orth, Michelle Andipatin, and Brian van Wyk These Women are Making a Statement Against Rape and yet the only Thing Y'All can Focus on is ‘Eww They're Naked’”: Exploring Rape Culture on Facebook in South Africa
Katherine E. Layman, The Representation of Rape and Sexual Assault Within News Media
Samantha Kolb, Social media is only reinforcing rape culture. Millions serve as bystanders.
Meg Dalton, Is the news media complicit in spreading rape culture?
Darya Foroohar, The Feedback Loop of Rape Culture in Media
Maro Enriquez, o Enriquez, Rape in the Philippines: police station’s social media post sparks local version of MeToo movement
Photo Credit: Sonia Kretschmar, Jhinuk Barman, Ethan Clewell, and Billboard. (The arrangement of credit is based from the order of photos or illustration appearing in the blog.)
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