We've all heard them before. Heck, we might've even chuckled at them, engaged in them or even took part in them. It's just harmless humor, right?
Wrong.
Rape jokes promote rape culture, which has become a growing problem across the world. Rape culture is defined as a culture that is "surrounded by images, language, laws, and every other day phenomena that validate and perpetuate rape." It can be found on TV, books, media, music, the internet, etc. It is so ingrained in our culture that people begin to view rape as "just the way things are," rather than a legitimate problem that needs to be fixed.
Rape jokes are especially harmful to past victims of rape and rapists. They infer that rape is a typical thing and that they should just "get over it," and tell rapists that rape isn't a big deal, who can continue to rape women. I don't know about you, but if someone began to joke about something as psychologically and potentially physically altering as rape, I wouldn't be too happy about it either.
Rape jokes ingrain the idea into many survivors' heads that it may have been their fault, and that just because they were forced to engage in sexual activities that they didn't want to do, doesn't mean they were raped or sexually assaulted, however the literal definition of rape is engaging in sexual activities without consent.
Rape is a very serious problem, and should not be joked about or glorified in our media. 1 in 6 women will be raped in their lifetimes and that is a terrifying issue we need to face.
Bottom line: Never joke about rape.
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