Rape Culture

A conversation must be had. Rape culture is dictionary defined as “a subset of values, beliefs, and behaviors in a society that trivializes or normalizes sexual violence, including rape." High school is a prominent environment for rape culture. We must normalize the conversation before making any progress. With an astonishing amount of help from whom I was lucky enough to interview, Emma Gonzalez, Senior Prevention Educator for Our Reliance, an independent, not-for-profit organization that works with survivors of sexual violence, “addresses the entire spectrum of sexual violence, including harassment, abuse, and prevention, with an additional focus on public education and institutional advocacy." What follows is a bias on rape culture in high school.

Emma Gonzalez, Senior Prevention Educator

Rape culture is often a manifestation of sexual violence. Emma simplifies rape culture as, ”how we normalize violence...It's all very interconnected and it's not about ranking forms of harm but it's showing that it all… connects with one another and feeds off of each other… and that's what keeps us in this culture of violence...and harm." This ranges anywhere from locker room talk to sexual assault. But how do those even coincide? Emma references the ‘rape culture pyramid’ (to the right) that shows how the tolerance of behaviors at the bottom supports or excuses those higher up.

Moving up the rape culture pyramid, the non-consensual saving, taking, or sharing of explicit photo/videos is unfortunately common amongst young people and is deleterious to our society, naturally, ”violating consent and boundaries… tak[ing] power and autonomy away from the person that's sending it." Emma followed her statement by mentioning slut shaming playing a role in this as well and how people often focus on, “Well don't send the photos...but is that really how we should have relationships, that we shouldn't trust people we're dating or being intimate with."

One in every four girls and one in every six males have experienced sexual violence. Many acts of violence happen within relationships, where consent is assumed with the pressure of sexual intimacy placed on teenagers. This is where conversation becomes crucial. Emma says, "It's stressful on all ends, with being so young and doing things for the first time." Emma gives examples where she has, “talked to a lot of young girls where [they'll] say oh I always say no and then he has to convince me and it...becomes this game… and that's where we [start] creating that misunderstanding...and that culture of harm [that’s] not based on good communication...that can lead to[situations] where someone can experience harm or violence.” Emma also hears, “Oh well if I love my partner I should do this," but Emma believes, "that's a big thing to compromise on...and it can have a lot of consequences if you're not ready." Thus lies the question, how can partners be intimate with each other while respecting boundaries? Emma recommends, “having that conversation, understanding boundaries can change over time or we can soften [them] once we trust someone or get to know them a little bit better… its a lot of just being vulnerable, having that trust, being honest when something feels good or doesn't feel good... and [knowing] you will find someone that will respect and will be willing to have a conversation with you."