Social Organization and Power: Rape and Sexual Assault

1
Social Organization and Power Rape and Sexual
Assault

• Defining Rape
• Sexual penetration without the individuals
  consent, obtained by force or threat of physical
  harm, or when a victim is incapable of giving
  consent.
• Recent amendment in Illinois law ability to
  change mind about consent once sex act has begun.
• Sexual Assault
• Sexual touching and other unwanted forms of
  sexual contact. Accompanied by psychological
  pressure or physical threat.

2
Social Organization and Power Rape and Sexual
Assault

• Acquaintance Rape
• About 15 of all women will be raped by an
  acquaintance or date
• About half of all acquaintance rapes involve
  alcohol (either perpetrator, victim, or both)
• Studies suggest that men perceive sexual
  signals in womens behavior when women intend
  only simple friendship

3
Social Organization and Power Rape and Sexual
Assault

• What do we know about the extent of rape?
• Most rapes go unreported (about 2 out of 3)
• Accurate estimates are difficult. Why?
• Victim stigma and blame (victims wrongly believe
  rapists vocabulary of motive is valid)
• Offender/Victim relationship
• Concern about treatment as victim in the CJS
• Up to 70 of women forced to have sex fail to
  recognize their experience as rape
• Between 15 and 30 of U.S. women will be raped
  in their lifetime
• Approximately 15 of rapes will be reported to
  the police. Of these, only 15 to 30 end in the
  conviction of the rapist, and only half of those
  spend more than 1 year in jail

4
Social Organization and Power Rape and Sexual
Assault

• Rape on College Campuses
• 15-20 of college women have been a victim of
  raped or attempted rape in their lifetime.
• An estimated 85 of rapes on campuses are
  acquaintance or date rapes
• 90 involve alcohol
• 1 of male students who rape are prosecuted

5
Social Organization and Power Rape and Sexual
Assault

• How are male campus groups (athletic teams,
  dorms, fraternities, etc.) organized to encourage
  sexual assault and rape?
• Male organizations as (Patriarchal) contexts for
  the construction of Masculinity.
• Importance of entry into the org. implications
  for protecting members
• Commodification of women. Devaluation of the
  feminine. Examples?
• MALE ENTITLEMENT

6
Social Organization and Power Rape and Sexual
Assault

• Ch. 35 Fraternities and Rape on Campus (Martin
  and Hummer)
• Source of Data?
• How are fraternities organized to encourage
  sexual assault and rape?
• Fraternities as (Patriarchal) contexts for the
  construction of Masculinity. What are the values
  associated with masculinity?
• Importance of entry into the org. implications
  for protecting members
• Commodification of women. Examples?