Victimology: Jadm 330 - Rape: A Violent Crime

Rape: A Violent Crime

By:  Jessica Messer

DeVry University

Professor: Gregory Morgan

Victimology – JADM 330

Date: 8/12/2015

Rape: A Violent Crime

Introduction

Rape is both physically and mentally a serious and violent crime. “Rape is any form of sexual activity that you don't agree to, ranging from touching to penetration. Rape is a crime even if you already know the person who attacked you—if the person is a family member or friend or someone you work with. It's a crime even if you didn't fight back. It's a crime even if you were drinking or if you were taking drugs or were given drugs, or if you were unconscious. Anyone can be raped—children or elderly people, wives or girlfriends, even men.”  (American, 1998).  This essay will have information about what the meaning of rape is, a few of the different types of rape, what steps one needs to take right after being raped, and the challenges rape has on a victim and their loved ones.    

Rape – The Meaning

Rape is a crime that is physical, but the mental aspect is most of the time what sticks with a victim.  “Definitions of forcible rape vary greatly—from sexual intercourse accomplished without the consent of the individual to the more encompassing definition by the National Crime Victimization Survey that describes forcible rape as forced sexual intercourse, including both psychological coercion and physical force. Forced sexual intercourse means vaginal, anal, or oral penetration by the offender(s), and this category also includes incidents where the penetration is from a foreign object, such as a bottle.” (Meadows, 2010).  

Date Rape

        Date rape is when the victim and the offender know one another.  Usually there is familiarity and trust.  This type of rape is usually done by drugging the victim so that they are incapacitated or the victim is too intoxicated to give consent.  Most date rape occurs on college campus and is reaching higher and higher numbers each year.

Marital Rape

        Marital rape also called spousal rape is where the offender is the victim’s spouse.  Even though they are married non-consensual sex is rape and anyone has the right to say no.  This type of rape was once widely condoned or ignored by law and society because of who the offender and the victim are to one another.

Gang Rape

        Gang rape is when a victim is raped by two or more offenders.  The predators participate with the rape together which usually involves only a single victim, but it can involve more than one victim especially if there are many assailants.  

Steps after Rape

        There are many things one needs to do after they are raped and the following are the most important ones:

• Make sure that you are safe and/or get to a safe place away from the rape scene.
• If you have any injuries that might cause death call 911 as soon as possible.
• Do not take a bath or get rid of any evidence from the crime.
• Go to the hospital and have the police called from there.
• Tell everything you know about the rapist to the police and give them all of the evidence that you can.

Challenges: Short and Long Term

To be forced to do such a personal and intimate act will cause many short term and long term effects to the victim.  To carry the scars of a rape victim is to have the weight of the world on one’s shoulder and most find that time does not heal the pain that it causes to both the victim and the loved ones that support the victim.  The challenges that a victim has to overcome are physical and mental and to overcome them can be difficult.  The following are challenges that one would face after being raped: