Rape is defined as an illegal sexual activity carried out by force or under the intimidation of hurting against a person's will or with a person who is underneath a certain age or unable of consensus because of mental illness, deficiency, intoxication, unconsciousness or trickery. Acquaintance rape is regarded as non-consensual intercourse between people who know each other in which the extent of force and manipulation was used during intercourse. Rape is considered to be one of the vilified global menace that often results in physical and psychological consequences to the victims. The World Population Review attests that 35% of women globally have experienced various forms of sexual harassment in their lives (Russell & Hand, 2017). Rape cases mostly affect women, although, men also experience sexual assault, harassment as well as rape during the daily endeavors . Globally, many counties report huge cases of rape involving youths, and understanding various issues attributing to rape will help to analyze the problem as well as determine measures to prevent this antisocial behavior.
Researchers establish that women aged between 16-24 are more susceptible to rape than sexual assaults, positioning women who attend to collages at surmountable risks of being raped (Russell & Hand, 2017). Additionally, various reports suggest that acquaintance rapes are usually occurring in learning institutions , signifying that specific leaning environments attract rape offenders to engage in rape activities. Also, features of the institution environments such as under supervised parties, stress-free intake of alcohol, and availability of commodious private rooms for students increase the chances of rape on college women. Countries like the USA, Europe, as well as third world developing countries are associated with massive cases of rape involving teenagers and youths who are v ulnerable in society (Lehmann, 2016).
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A study conducted in the US suggested that college students studying at different years found that out of 1,000 college females, 35 of them had been victims of acquaintance rape (US Department of Education, 2001). The study estimated that the propensity of rape in a woman’s life is one out of four. Also, the study attested that approximately 75% of overall rapes arise from acquaintance or date rape, where the victims have prior knowledge of their sexual partners. T he study explored se x ual harassment incidences in China , depicting that victimization in acquaintance rapes among female Chinese college students, especially in Hong Kong, was conducted by non-strangers , which proved to be similar to that in North America.
Perpetrators of acquaintance rape usually have complicated profiles, which include the use of violence when solving artless communication challenges. The relationship victims have with their offenders is usually intimate but mostly coupled with jealousy and a high degree of aggressiveness which make female not realize their partners, making them v ulnerable to be raped. Another characteristic exhibited by perpetrators of acquainted rape is evidenced by the fact that they usually rebuff space boundaries that involve coming too close as well as placing hands on the female thighs (Fedina et al., 2018). Also, perpetrators act friendly at parties and bars, trying to separate their spouses from their friends as well as demanding attention and compliance at inappropriate times, such as during classes and functions.
Researchers of acquaintance rape establish that rape most cases are usually not reported to the police for perpetrators to be charged in courts of law (Senn et al., 2017). According to Senn journal, less than 5% of college women suffer from rape aftermath as well as attempted rape, which they do not report the cases to the police. However, the researchers illustrate that about two-thirds of the victims tell their friends who act to give moral support for the victims. The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) estimate that in every 1000 acquaintance rapes conducted, only five of the perpetrators are incarcerated for the crime.
Acquaintance rape reporting is associated with barriers that mostly affect women victims. The victims claim they are desolate and feel guilty and embarrassed. The reason is that the victims are perceived to have seduced their counterparts and fail to hold the other end of the bargain (Hockett et al., 2016). Also, the victims fail to report rape cases due to the perceived consequences of reporting, which will leave the victims being scolded by society, especially when the case involves public figures such as politicians and celebrities . Additionally, financial reliance on perpetrators , together with the fear of retaliation from offenders, makes it difficult for victims to report acquaintance rape.
Family ties protect rape offenders from being prosecuted due to the positions they in the family, creating barriers when the investigation of offenders commences. Acquaintance cases that ensue within the family setup disadvantage the victims as the society surrounding are biased towards sending family members to courts of law (Fedina et al., 2018). Furthermore, most families lack resources for getting help from attorneys and advocates who usually charge high costs of presentation in the litigation process. Also, greed in judicial systems, as well as distrust of the criminal justice systems, develops disbelief in getting successful prosecution, which makes victims fail to report rape cases. Similarly, miscommunication due to diversity of cultures creates language barriers in which failure to communicate efficiently affects the process of investigating the acquaintance rapes.
Many law enforcement officers cogitate that there is a high level of false rape reports by college students and the general populace of women. Investigative agencies such as the FBI stipulate that the elements of sex crimes were never met attesting that 8% of reported acquaintance rapes are usually questionable (Ullman, 2014). The reasons police gave for failing to thoroughly investigate the rape cases are ascribed to the relationship the victim had with the offender. Also, the investigating agencies establish that alcohol and drug usage instigate assaults, therefore, failing to base their investigations on alcohol and drug usage. Another reason for police failing to apprehend the offenders is based on the fact that during the rape assault, there is no physical evidence of injuries on the victim. Additionally, the victims delay unveiling their medical exams as well as attributing themselves for the rape, which hardens the investigation of rape cases.
Acquaintance rape is believed to cause tremendous pain to the victims, both physically and psychologically. Physical consequences of acquaintance rape include sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS, syphilis, and gonorrhea, which jeopardize the lives of victims and eventually leading to death if the victims fail to seek medical support (Ullman, 2014). Another physical consequence of acquaintance rape includes unsolicited pregnancy, which makes female students drop out of schools as well as procuring abortions, which threaten their lives. Bleeding and bruises usually leave a physical mark on victims of rape. Also, extreme cases of acquaintance rape make the victims experience discomfort during sex, which disrupts the marriage lives of the victims.
Victim often manifest psychological effects that includes fear, isolation, and capricious behavior. Also, they experience concentration inabilities as they feel unwanted in society. Other experiences, such as listening to songs when the event occurred as well as images of rape , elicits memories of a rape (Resendez & Hughes, 2016). Additionally, the psychological aftermath of acquaintance rape results in complications in the existing and future relationships, especially if it is not comfortable to reveal the rape event to the other person. Some victims repudiate that the rape occurred and blame themselves in which they attempt to do things that will make them feel safe such as walking and changing phone numbers.
The best way to avert acquaintance rape for females is to try their best to meet at public places unless they have prior knowledge of the person they intend to meet. During revelling events , females are advised not to leave bars, carouse parties as wells as games with people they just meet as this will increase the chances of being raped (Angelone et al., 2018). Also, both females and males should not drink access or take drugs, which might instigate the perpetrators to engage in acquaintance rape.
People should set sexual limits so as their counterparts can respect the boundaries. W hen these mutual boundaries are contravened , the victims should act immediately and try to get away as quickly as they could to avoid further damages to happen. Also, in the case of relationships, both parties should discuss their sexual attitudes and needs in a conducive environment where they will come to a compromise . Honesty in disclosing what one needs during sexual encounters preserve romance as their needs and expectations have been communicated and comprehended by both parties (Hollander, 2014). In any case, mutual agreements and setting boundaries makes it easy for a someone to read their partner’s salacious moves and pre-empt possible sexual assault.
Another way to avert instances of acquaintance rape is by educating police on ways to handle rape cases for victims. Educating the law enforcement officers ensures that they are well versant with important background context about acquaintance rapes (Lehmann et al., 2016). The education of police should advocate training that refuges research on elements of effective rape prevention programs in which police involvement assures students that acquaintance races cases are taken earnestly .
The above discussion reveals that victims of acquaintance rape have many anxieties . The distress of being accused coupled with fear of victim families, as well as friends and the general public knowing about their oppression, prevent many victims from coming forward. Avoiding secondary victimizations to acquaintance rape sufferers by the criminal justice system and society is a significant concern of the victims' rights movement. Rape criminals should be apprehended and tried in courts of law, while, victims attain justice .
References
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