Beginning in 2012, the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report redefined rape as: “The 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” (LeTrent, 2013). However, although this definition has become more applicable to both men and women (the previous definition from 1927-2011 was “the carnal knowledge of a female, forcibly and against her will” (LaTrent, 2013), women are much more likely to be raped. The CDC notes that women are disproportionately affected by rape: nearly 1 in 5 women (18%) and 1 in 71 men (1%) have been raped in their lifetime (CDC, 2010).
Before participating in this discussion, be sure that you have read Chapter 30, “Women of Color and the Global Sex Trade: Transnational Feminist Perspectives,” and Chapter 32, “Doing Gender and Doing Gender Inappropriately: Violence Against Women, Gay Men, and Lesbians.” Before posting your initial response, be sure that you have also read the following articles:
Reporting rape, and wishing she hadn’t
Student’s account has rape in spotlight
Making consent cool
For this discussion activity respond to the following:
How are women in particular affected by the threat of sexual assault?
Do gay or stereotypically “effeminate” men experience the same threat? Explain why or why not and justify your claims.
How does violence against women serve as a form of social control over all women?
How is harassment — against both women and men — tied to the construction of gender?
