The "R" Word

The word “rape- is almost as ugly as the word “AIDS- in many people’s eyes. Most feel that if it is unspoken, it will not affect us. Yet, there is an attack on young women, as the numbers are increasingly alarming at the brazen assault on women globally, and even in our own neighborhoods. This article is inspired by the new definition of rape. Previously, rape was defined as “”the carnal knowledge of a female, forcibly and against her will-. The new definition revamps the archaic definition that defines only penile penetration from a man to a woman as “rape-. The new law encompasses “any kind of nonconsensual penetration, no matter the gender of the attacker or victim, will constitute rape — meaning that attacks on men will be counted.- (CNN.com, 6 Jan). Who knew that the definition of rape was so limited to females, or penile penetration? It makes us ponder what other archaic laws are still active when it comes to sexual contact and/or assault. The state of Massachusetts had archaic laws stating that oral sex was punishable for up to 20 years, that dated back to the Puritan era of the 1600s. We still have statutory rape laws that lock up someone who is 18 for having sex with a 17-year old. Many state laws require that rape victims fight to the upmost to have an offender prosecuted or find it necessary that a victim’s sexual history be examined in a courtroom. Yet, with staggering statistics, sexual violence can come as close to home for men and women from any socio-economic background.

This new law includes “”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.- What it now includes that the old law didn’t is:

• forced oral or anal penetration
• penetration with objects or other body part
• male or female homosexual rape
• nonconsensual sex that is not necessarily forced sex, i.e. when the victim is drugged, unconscious, incapacitated
• sex with someone younger than the age of statutory consent that varies state to state.

What does this mean for you?

• It means that when you have too many sips of wine on your first date with your sexy new boy toy, and he drives you home because you’re inebriated, if he takes advantage of you, that is now considered rape.
• If you’re at a club and a man buys you a drink and drugs it and sexually assaults you while you’re unconscious, although you didn’t fight back, that is now considered rape.
• If you’re a male or female and have to do a bid in prison and you’re sexually assaulted by a person of the same sex, that is now considered rape.
• When CBS News’ Lara Logan was sexually assaulted by penetration from fingers, that is now considered rape.
• The alleged forced anal penetration on a 10-year old boy by former assistant football coach at Pennsylvania State University, Jerry Sandusky, will now be considered rape.

Also did you know…

About Victims

• 44% of victims are under age 18
• 80% are under age 30

Sexual Assault Numbers

• Every 2 minutes, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted
• There is an average of 207,754 victims (age 12 or older) of sexual assault each year

Reporting to Police

• 60% of sexual assaults are not reported to the police
• 15 of 16 rapists will never spend a day in jail

About Rapists

• Approximately 2/3 of assaults are committed by someone known to the victim
• 38% of rapists are a friend or acquaintance

Rape used for control, weapons of war, torture, depravity or dominance can only be abolished when the law recognizes it as the atrocity it is without patriarchal, homophobic, or prejudiced notions of chastity and consent. We just took another step on the long road ahead for justice.

*Statistics courtesy of rainn.org.