We are fooled to think rape in the modern day is a social malfunction.
As humans, our psychology aligns with recorded forms of data to understand complex situations. Recorded data liberates us from the dependency on “time”. Therefore, let us first get an overview of the theoretical approach to rape and some basic psychology of society surrounding it.
On searching for the definition of “rape” on Google, the most accessible tool, it says,
“The crime, typically committed by a man, of forcing another person to have sexual intercourse with the offender against their will”
This small definition is enough to start with. To me, it screams “problematic.”
The world’s biggest search engine simply explains a complex “social” issue that is not inclusive, practical, and fair, to be specific.
Rape is, in simple words, A forceful invasion of a person’s privacy to a catastrophic level irrespective of the gender, age, racial recognition, OR economic and social status.
So, calling rape a crime committed typically by a socially recognized man simply explains that man is immediately being less aware and cannot be excused in the modern era.
This speaks volumes about our so-called “progressive” society. Our understanding of rape from a basic perspective automatically excludes acts of sexual violence against men, people from the LGBTQ community, and people belonging to minor ethnicities.
It excludes incidents where there haven’t been typical signs of “intercourse”, where the victim cannot prove the occurrence of rape because there were no medical signs of insemination.
This automatically means that if a woman or a person incapable of insemination assaults someone, it won’t be considered rape, as there obviously won’t be any physical signs of sexual intercourse. This understanding is unfeasible and obsolete.
This social theory of rape in a world that has easy access to education and the internet is unacceptable and can prove to be lethal. It is a cortege of homophobia, transphobia, racism, and bigger social issues.
Now it’s time to address the elephant in the room.
What if I say that we are gaslighted to think that rape is a social and humanitarian kaput?
Well, if I had said it a few decades back, I wouldn’t have received a single benefit of the doubt. But standing here in 2022, nothing is more obvious than what I have just said. Let me explain it to you.
Read about what Azadeh Aalai, PhD, an Associate Professor with a PhD in Psychology at Queensborough Community College in New York (CUNY), has to say about politics and rape combined: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-first-impression/201610/when-politics-and-rape-culture-collide
Political tyrants have weaponized rape. Some men and women in politics are using it to suppress democracy or as a way to pick on the opposition.
Every second rape case suddenly becomes a series of comment exchanges between two or more political consecutive where the whole point of the vulnerability of the victim is diminished to filthy beef between political biggies and goons.
Sometimes it is a long lecture on “racial discrimination of minorities” and sometimes “negligence of the judiciary and the police under a certain government” rather than the person being molested being given justice on humanitarian grounds before anything else.
Every cross-border war or civil war includes rape without fail. Fascist rulers of the 21st century tend to include it in their testimony while they prepare for another genocide, whether obvious or indirect.
The other side of the political aspect of rape is politically influential people using their power to breach the judiciary. Politicians reluctantly escape charges by manipulation, blackmailing, or bribery.
All of this distracts attention from the crime against the victim and delays justice, leaving room for rapists to flee and creating a way for more such crimes.
Who can we hold hostage for this?
Is it the governing bodies or society?
In my opinion, it is the narrative!
A simple shift in the narrative of rape can have a huge impact on how it is treated. All we need to do is be more self-aware and let our conscience be led freely by empathy towards a human being as a human being rather than the ridiculous social stigma that keeps on prevailing.
