Pevelance and Effects of Rape - 1064 Words

The Prevalence and Effects of Rape The prevalence of rape is a major social problem that plagues America and other countries around the world daily. Victims of rape are psychologically, and sometimes physically damaged from being sexually assaulted. Although it would seem that it is a sexually motivated crime, rape â€Å"is actually an act of violence in which sex is used as a weapon against a powerless victim† (Kendall 197). Neither rapists, nor rape victims are concentrated to one specific class or race. However, â€Å"American women aged 16–24 are considered to be at the greatest risk of sexual assault† (Aronowitz, Lambert, and Davidoff 173). The majority of rapists are age twenty-five and younger. Almost all rape cases have female victims with male offenders. Men account for only 10% of all rape victims, and in some cases their rapist is also male. In regards to statistics, rape appears rare because of victims’ fears that they will not be believed, or have stigmas about rape now attache d to them(Egan and Wilson 345). According to Wolitzk-Taylor et al., â€Å"approximately 1 in 7 US women have been raped in their lifetimes. Estimates from the 1990s and 2000s indicate that only 16% to 20% of forcible rape victims report the rape to law enforcement† (Wolitzky-Taylor et al. 582). The reason for the disproportion of rape victims to rape reports is likely the vast acceptance of rape myths in society. Rape myths are â€Å"stereotyped, or false beliefs about rape, rape victims, and rapists†(Egan