History of Rape
Perhaps one of the most horrifying experience a woman can have is being raped. Sexually violated, any girl can suffer from paranoia, anxiety disorder, depression and other psychological problems just because his perpetrator is feeling horny or wants to feel power – two of the most common causes of rape.
The terror and the trauma are way beyond words can describe. There is this constant fear that “it might happen again” or questioning one’s self about morality and self-esteem. And it’s not just the victim that suffers from this. Loved-ones who get to learn about this traumatic event can suffer too, blaming themselves for not being of help during the incidence or not being an effective protector. But to make things worse, there is a little possibility that this devastating occurrence might bring into justice since countless cases of rape are not being recorded or reported. Thus, this gives more darkness to the world of the victim, and more freedom of the predator who abused the powerlessness of his prey.
A history professor of Birkbeck College in London, Joanna Bourke uses her expertise in analyzing and defining the very essence of rape, along with those who are involved with it. She writes a book entitled “Rape: A History from 1860 to Present” showing every vivid detail of the reasons, causes, and the result of what seems to be a common disaster to its victims.
Bourke gets down to who, where, when, why, what, and how it happened. She doesn’t just focused on female victims, she also mentioned male rape victims which appear like an uncommon occurrence, but actually exists, only that it is seldom discussed. She also gives attention to sexual abusers.
In order for her to define the subject, she goes back to 19th century to the present. The result of her study reveals startling matters that go beyond our perception:
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It is believed back in 19th century that women were accusing rape just to marry the management.
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Women who get pregnant tend to lie that they were being raped.
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The essence of “no means yes.”
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“The immense cultural sympathy for the sexual abuser”
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“The rapist is judged by the moral status of his victim”
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The issue of rape has been a big concern and devastation among feminists since 60’s and 70’s.
Read the entire article in:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/book-reviews/
rape-a-history-of-from-1860-to-the-present/2007/11/13/1194766660670.html?page=2
