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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UPR chapter.

Even though rape is defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as the “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”, it’s a lot more than that. Rape is not about sex, it is about the power the rapist holds over the victim. Rape has been used for centuries as a weapon of war, as a means to take away someone’s dignity and violate their most basic human rights. Of course, it’s a crime. 

There are many misconceptions surrounding rape, but to sum it up, if there is ever any doubt: no consent = rape.

Some examples of rape include the following:

  • Using bribery to get a person to participate in a sexual act. 

  • A person manipulating their spouse or their partner into having sex in order to ‘keep the peace’ or to ‘prove their love’. This also applies to anyone to who claims they are entitled to sex because they’re in a relationship and it is their partner’s “duty”. 

  • A person pressuring another person into having sex when the latter is not ready. 

  • An individual has sex with another when they are too drunk or high to give or refuse consent.

It may seem obvious to most readers that all of the previously mentioned situations are unacceptable, but why is it that we live in 2015 and are still having trouble defining the word “rape” or are just now coming around to discussing it as a serious and ongoing problem? The answer is rape culture.  The theoretical concept of rape culture was introduced in the 70s by a group of American feminists to demonstrate the ways in which society allows, normalizes, and promotes that kind of harmful behavior, and even goes so far as to excuse the perpetrator for their actions. We see this very often in rape jokes, inappropriate remarks, the way women, who statistically make up the majority of rape victims, are portrayed in television, etc. 

It is rape culture that leads us to victim-blaming, where a victim of sexual assault is believed to have some responsibility or culpability in their sexual assault. This can condemn the way the victim was dressed, was acting, even going so far as to whether or not they had been drinking that night. 

2014 was a big year for rape awareness causes: movements have been created in the United States, President Barack Obama created his “It’s on Us” campaign, emphasizing the spectator’s role in rape and sexual assault prevention. A Columbia University student carried her mattress around campus as a way of protesting because her rapist wasn’t expelled, leading to an even larger discussion about the way sexual assaults were investigated on college campuses. Last semester, HerCampus UPR ran an article written by one of its very own writers about her personal experience with sexual assault, leading to an overwhelmingly strong and positive response that assured the victim that her voice was heard. 

If one girl can make a difference, what would happen if everyone decided to pitch in? A new Facebook group, “Naked Mile UPR-Rp“, run by students from our very own school, is seeking support in order to fund and host an on-campus even that plans to run on the track for rape awareness. The NNM goal is to raise funds and donate their entirety to an entity that deals with sexual victims here in Puerto Rico.

References: 

http://www.brissc.org.au/brissc/about.html

www.itsonus.org

http://www.wavaw.ca/what-is-rape-culture/

 
Nahir Robles was a former member of the Her Campus at UPR chapter from 2013 until 2018. She graduated with a Bachelor's in Integrative Biology. Some of her interests include writing, modeling, and wrestling. She is currently a Her Campus Mentor and works as a Pathology Assistant.
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