Over the past several years, it has become clear that rape is an increasing issue in the United States, and throughout the world. Rape and sexual assault affect not only the victim, but also his or her family, friends, school, work, neighborhood, and society. I know that personally, I fear of being alone late at night due to the high prevalence of sexual violence. I should not have to live my life in fear, but most females in today’s world find themselves doing so. Now the ultimate question remains whether rape is biologically ubiquitous in men, or if it is something that is socialized.

Since rape is “insufficiently understood, [it cannot] be effectively prevented.” What is so hard to understand about rape and sexual violence? They seem like such simple topics when in reality they go far beyond the surface. Let’s start with the basic definitions of each. According to the FBI, rape is “penetration, no matter how slight… with any body part or object without the consent of the victim.” Similarly, sexual assault or violence includes “any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient.” There are countless theories about why men rape women, but the leading one appears to be in biology. Based on research completed by Harvard, “theorists continue to put forth accounts of describing men as suffering from irresistible forces that compel them to rape, despite efforts by feminists to reject biological theory and portray rape as a crime of socially constructed domination.” If this biological theory is true, why don’t all men rape?

Studies suggest that during their life span, “one in four women are victims of rape, or attempted rape.” Next time you are in a room full of people, take a look around. Chances are, multiple women surrounding you have been victims of sexual assault. While feminists receive a lot of criticisms for their work, I find myself sharing the same viewpoints as them, especially when it comes to rape. Feminists “argue that rape is usually something that men do to women in societies characterized by a patriarchal order.” It is no secret that men run America: look at all of our past presidents, heads of large companies, and individuals in congress. In my opinion, this encourages men to believe that they are superior to women, which gives them the incentive to rape. If you take a look at other cultures where women are dominate, the rape statistics are significantly lower. Therefore, rape “is constructed through discourse. Both women and men become positioned in relation to these practical ideologies, and rape myths (such as ‘women who wear short skirts and tight tops are asking for trouble…) serve to sustain gendered relations of power.” It seems as though the first question a victim is asked when she reports a rape is “what were you wearing?” A majority of the time, you will find that women were wearing clothing such as sweatpants or sweatshirts; opposite to what you would assume.

There are thousands and thousands of articles regarding whether rape is a biological or social construct. It is extremely hard to give proof one way or the other, and therefore I think that opposing groups of individuals will never agree on what truly causes rape. While everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, I personally believe that the biological theory is spurious. If it were true, why aren’t all men raping women? Why wouldn’t rape be acceptable in our culture? The questions are endless. Regardless of what causes rape, we as a society must take preventative action in order to insure the safety and well being of others, including ourselves.