Rape Culture Essay Example
Kate Marcia
Mr. Williams
English 3P, Period 5
12 March, 2009
Rape Culture Violence against women has become a pressing issue in modern day society, and countries have different ways of justifying this cruel act of violence. For example, in the developing country of India, rape is a part of their culture. A “good girl/bad girl” pretext is often used to mask the true horror these despicable acts bring. Their long history of abusing and mistreating women has lead them to deem rape as “normal” or “just”. Though this justification may be used, and accepted in India it is not applicable in American culture. Developing countries, such as India, do not share the same belief as Americans that women are equal to men. People in these countries, particularly men, still view women as the inferior sex and feel that they have the authority to control women. Women living in these conditions are left with no choice but to be classified as either a “good girl/bad girl”. According to India’s standards, good girls are usually the ones who opt to stay at home, rather than getting an education, to serve their husband. While the bad girls are those who go against the norm set for women to follow, and get an education. Random acts of violence by groups or individuals such as gangs, or mentally ill people in the U.S . also disprove the idea that the good girl/bad girl pretext can be accepted in America. Gangs are notorious for committing crimes and vandalizing property. One crime that is part of an initiation process to join a gang is sometimes rape, along with the selling/buying of drugs or other crimes of that nature. Mentally ill people can also sexually attack a helpless victim, be it a child or adult. Ultimately, the reason why the good girl/bad girl defense is not applicable in American culture is because rape can happen to anybody. While there may be some factors that influence whether someone may be at a higher risk for rape, there is no sure way of stating that a
Mr. Williams
English 3P, Period 5
12 March, 2009
Rape Culture Violence against women has become a pressing issue in modern day society, and countries have different ways of justifying this cruel act of violence. For example, in the developing country of India, rape is a part of their culture. A “good girl/bad girl” pretext is often used to mask the true horror these despicable acts bring. Their long history of abusing and mistreating women has lead them to deem rape as “normal” or “just”. Though this justification may be used, and accepted in India it is not applicable in American culture. Developing countries, such as India, do not share the same belief as Americans that women are equal to men. People in these countries, particularly men, still view women as the inferior sex and feel that they have the authority to control women. Women living in these conditions are left with no choice but to be classified as either a “good girl/bad girl”. According to India’s standards, good girls are usually the ones who opt to stay at home, rather than getting an education, to serve their husband. While the bad girls are those who go against the norm set for women to follow, and get an education. Random acts of violence by groups or individuals such as gangs, or mentally ill people in the U.S . also disprove the idea that the good girl/bad girl pretext can be accepted in America. Gangs are notorious for committing crimes and vandalizing property. One crime that is part of an initiation process to join a gang is sometimes rape, along with the selling/buying of drugs or other crimes of that nature. Mentally ill people can also sexually attack a helpless victim, be it a child or adult. Ultimately, the reason why the good girl/bad girl defense is not applicable in American culture is because rape can happen to anybody. While there may be some factors that influence whether someone may be at a higher risk for rape, there is no sure way of stating that a