Would You Report?

Written By Lexi Barrick

Before questioning a woman on why she didn’t report her sexual assault, or questioning her about it at all for that matter, here are a few things to think about. Odds are it isn’t your place anyways.  

Untested Sexual Assault Kits     

In Pennsylvania 94 backlogged rap kits were reported in the Department of Health’s 2020 Untested Sexual Assault Kits and Backlogged Evidence Report. According to RAINN the rape kit backlog is unanalyzed sexual assault forensic exam evidence and is caused by two main sources: evidence was never sent to the crime lab and evidence arrived at crime lab but was never tested. This number is an impressive decrease from the past, but you can’t help but wonder why almost 100 kits were backlogged when legally, once the survivor consents, kits must be sent to a forensic crime lab for testing within 15 days.   

Uncertainty

Many women do not realize they experienced sexual violence or harassment until somebody points it out. With the normalization of men and their mistreatment of women many acts of harassment or forms of sexual violence can be misinterpreted. Sexual coercion is often ignored and seen as consensual. After saying “no” to somebody initiating sex pressure might be placed in some form to turn “no” into a “yes.” Sexual coercion can come in many forms: being consistently badgered, emotionally manipulated, pressured into doing substances that decrease inhibitions, etc. Sometimes “yes” does not really mean yes.    

Rape Culture

The Me Too Movement website defines rape culture as the systems, beliefs, and behaviors rooted in patriarchy that allow for its prevalence in society. The website goes on to say that rape culture is more than acts of sexual assault—it is the subtle ways of thinking in our society that determine how consent and views on female autonomy are influenced. Starting at a young age, women are taught how to avoid being raped and are hypersexualized. In school, girls are told to cover up their bodies in order to not distract the boys. They may be sent home if they break the dress code, taking away a day of education for the girl while the boys stay and learn. Rules like these are what push victim blaming and the ideas “she was asking for it” and “boys will be boys.” Instead of teaching girls how to avoid being raped we must implement rules that teach boys not to rape instead. 

Victim-Blaming

Rape culture and the normalization of sexual harassment and assault creates the idea that some sexual assault survivors are at fault for what happened to them. Feelings of disbelief or blame are painful to a survivor and can impact them to not report in order to have some form of control. Accusing victims of lying and the over inflation of false rape accusation statistics, which according to Harvard Law School’s HALT organization is only 2%-10% of reports, is just as much victim-blaming as assumptions being made that a survivor did something to deserve her assault due her actions, appearance, past behavior or words. It is important to remember that nobody asks to be raped and there is only one thing that causes it—rapists.

Society and misogynistic ideas hold a heavy influence over a woman’s decision to report her sexual assault. Dismantling the patriarchal world ideals will result in a safer place for women and less sexual violence. Online there are many resources on how you can take steps to help create a world where women feel safe.

Lexi Barrick