Early this week in class we watched a short video clip describing the tragic story of Brandon Teena, a victim of a hate crime in the United States. During the video we learn that Brandon lived and loved as a man and for that he paid with his life.…
Shari Davies was once a carefree, optimistic young woman. This all changed one night twenty years ago, giving way to an unexpected course of injury, pain, fear, and anger. On November 5, 1986, Shari was abducted, raped, and almost killed (Davies, 1997, pp. 3-4). Rape is a very horrible crime that affects its victims both physically and psychologically, and these affects can last for years (Cooper, 2004). Shari even admits in the book that she still experiences grief, pain and confusion and shares that elements of these emotions will never leave her and her family (Davies, 1997, p 3). How family, friends, and authorities react to a victim has a major impact on how she will deal with the pain and heal. Rape victims who feel ignored or treated negatively may encounter what is known as secondary victimization. When police and other legal and medical providers put the needs of their agencies in front of the needs and psychological boundaries of the victim, victims often feel violated. The disregard of victims' needs by providers can so closely mimic victims' experiences at the hands of their assailants that secondary victimization is sometimes referred to as "the second rape" or the "second assault" (Schultz, 1999). Two sources of frustration and pain to Shari and her family were the police and the media. In this paper I will share how I interpreted Shari to be treated by these entities during her recovery process and the possible implications of such treatment. I will also delve into the issue of the scarcity of resources that Shari and her family encountered and how this has changed both in Australia and the United States.…
The story of Olivia Tamayo who worked for Harris Farms for approximately six years is only one example of cases featured in the documentary. Her supervisor Rene Rodriquez raped Olivia Tamayo three times at gunpoint. Her voice was shaky in the interview when she recalled her ordeal, “He said I was his, and that he would never leave me in peace.” She tried to defend herself from her boss. She remained silent until she reported her case to a Rape Crisis Center. Human Services workers reported the abuse to the EEOC. Then the EEOC contacted the law firm of Smith and Johnson who took the case of Ms. Tamayo. Attorney Willie Smith was successful in winning a lawsuit that awarded her a damage settlement. However, the CEO Mr. John Harris sides with his Supervisor and denied the rape occurred. It took teamwork from the report by the Rape Crisis Center and working within a network of other services to bring a small amount of justice to her unjust treatment.…
Pozzulo, J. D., Dempsey, J., Maeder, E., & Allen, L. (2010). The effects of victim gender,…
The purpose of this literature review is to explore the impact of victim statements in the…
“Surely you aren’t going home alone at night? Someone should walk you home.” These phrases are probably often heard when planning to go home in the dark, at least when you’re a woman. Girls are constantly told by their parents or social environment that it’s not save at night for them. Walking alone is thought to be out of question. But doesn’t it seem strange that women should adapt themselves to the behavior of men? Women are way too often blamed or partially blamed when being victim of rape or other sexual assaults. This is an example of victim blaming, a psychological phenomenon were the victim is held responsible for the crime that was committed against them. So why does our society blame our victims? It is an ethical phenomenon where gender roles are related.…
In four short years, Missoula, a college town in the state of Montana, experienced a leap in the number of campus rapes and sexual assaults reported to the police. Very few victims and accusers were taken seriously by the local police department or the university. The prevalence of this epidemic is appalling and apparent in not only college towns, but the entire country. The only way to curb this problem is to bring light to the issue. By requiring college students to read and discuss Missoula in school, students and teachers will be more inclined to come forward and report their abuse while simultaneously giving other victims a voice. Meanwhile, people that have raped or will rape in the future will become aware of their actions and the punishment.…
Meadows, R. J. (2014). Understanding Violence and Victimization (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Center Publishing.…
It is shown all over the world and sometimes we don’t even realize it. It is not at all uncommon to hear things like “that test just raped me” on campus. Because of my past experiences, I do not use phrase like that, but I cant say I speak up when they are used. It is difficult to speak up when someone uses the word out of context because it is so common to hear, and I know the people saying these phrases do not actually mean to offend anyone. I believe the reason rape gets thrown around like it is nothing is because society has made this image of it not being that big of a deal. For example, the video talks about how 3 of 100 rapists will ever go to prison; it is this kind of leniency that makes rape culture increase. In most cases, victim blaming occurs. The video explains victim blaming as the act of blaming the victim by what they are wearing or how much they drank. After covering this topic and reading the chapter, I believe a huge part of my best friends story had to do with victim blaming. She was so criticized for putting herself in that situation that the rape occurring did not seem to matter, as if the boy had the right to do so just because she was out number and hanging with older boys. It sickens me that society has allowed rape culture to even become a topic, and it has come this far. The occurrence of rape taking place on college campus is scary, and the statistics…
I know since I am in America, I have rights and no man can’t tell me what to do. Sometimes it’s hard to read the stories in the newspaper of women being hurt in Haiti. When I was living in Haiti before 2011, I used to have a neighbor and her husband used to beat her. She was ashamed, and her other neighbors talked behind her back. She stayed inside until the scars on her face were all gone. Sometimes I talked to her, but I didn’t want to ask any questions because I didn’t want her to feel sad. I did not want to make her feel more ashamed, and I wasn’t sure whether I could talk to her about it. Talking about other topics is a good idea. When a person is going to this kind of problem try to make them feel comfortable. Tell them their life is worth a lot more they can ever imagine and to try to stand up for…
1.Summarize one (1) theory of victimization that Dr. Carla O’Donnell discussed within the related scenario. Support the chosen theory with one (1) real-world example.…
Sexual assault is very common. For a bad act as this, it is surprising how frequently assault occurs. Sexual assault is the most pressing issue faced by a younger generation that is not being addressed adequately, and while plenty of research is being done, not so much action is being taken. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) “National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS), nearly 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men in the United States have been raped at some time in their lives, and nearly 1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men have experienced other forms of sexual violence victimization in their lifetime" (CDC). The problem of sexual assault is terrifying because rather than declining, it has become rampant. However, if people are taught about how horrific sexual assault is at a young and impressionable age, the high rates of sexual assault would decrease significantly. When the Association of American Universities conducted research on sexual assault in universities, the results were shocking. 11% of female…
The woman had made allegations against one of the perpetrators as a child but agencies decided her mother could protect her. When her mother died, he was allowed to become her carer, making her sleep on a carpet in the hall at his home. He began taking the woman’s benefit money, deprived her of food and liquid and made her sit in the dark for long periods. Together with two friends he forced her to strip, shaved her head, sexually assaulted her and repeatedly stamped on her face and body. They also threw the woman over a fence, handcuffed her to a door and set fire to her clothing.…
When the topic of rape and sexual assault comes up in conversation, many people truly feel a strong sense of empathy for the victim, yet many others criminalize the victim for how they themselves got into the assault. Why does our society continue to persecute a victim? For the only ones who should be questioning in this fashion, are those investigating the crime in of itself. Rape culture has become a natural part of our society and the largest part of this “culture,” is victim blaming. Yes, there are two sides to this issue, but whether the victim was truly raped or not, it does not matter for there needs to be a better balance for this issue. Whether it is to stop blaming the victim or how the victim can avoid becoming one in the first place.…
GRACA, S. (2008). Handbook of Victims and Victimology by S. Walklate (Ed.). Howard Journal Of Criminal Justice, 47(4), 443-444. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2311.2008.00534_2.x…