Blaming Rape Victims in the United States Essay - 1162 Words

Victim blaming occurs when a victim of a crime is held responsible, partly if not entirely, for the wrongful act committed against them. In the United States, victim blaming is most prevalent in circumstances of rape and other sexual assaults towards women. This stems from being a society that views women as lesser beings, as evidenced by unequal pay, under representation in the media, and an inadequate presence in government. When women are viewed as lesser beings and are not respected, violence against women prevails. The trend of blaming victimized women for the crimes committed against them exemplifies the broad issue of hatred towards the female gender in the United States. It is important to understand the root of the problem before†¦show more content†¦Later the Dean told one of the women to trust in God for justice and delete all email, texts, and calls between her and her rapist. (Dvorak). It is these accounts and so many more that exemplify the cruel world women live in, where stepping forward and admitting that they have been raped is one of the most ostracising things they can do. Far too often nobody constructively comes to the aid of a victimized woman. For example, recently a student of the University of Missouri named Sasha Menu Courey told a nurse, a rape crisis counselor, a therapist, two doctors, and a school administrator that she had been raped but nobody did anything about her abuse. She took her own life shortly after the attack (Dvorak). Additionally, Montana Judge G. Todd Baugh charged 47 year old teacher Stacey Dean Rambold with only 31 days in prison for his rape of a 14 year old student. Judge Baugh defended his sentence by saying that the student â€Å"was probably in as much control of the situation as the defendant†. Student Cherise Morales committed suicide six months after the prosecution (Lah). These trusted adults and members of the justice system have set a precedence for a dangerous idea: your rape does not matter and you are the problem. These women killed themselves because they were made to feel ashamed. They were ignored and blamed for actions of others, and what’s worse is that they were blamed for actions that causedShow MoreRelatedThe Issues Posed by Blaming Victims of Rape Essay1292 Words   |  6 Pagescontemporary North America, if one were to ask almost any member of society what were the most heinous crimes a human being could commit, almost assuredly rape would be listed amongst every top five. Maybe it would even be competing for the number one spot. It is highly unlikely, absurd even, to think that any reasonable being would not find rape (or the broader term of sexual assault used in Canada) to be an abhorrent act becoming of no real human being. 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