Rep. Akin is not alone.

Rep. Todd Akin started a firestorm last week that blazed around the world.  His comments of "legitimate rape" rarely resulting in pregnancy, and if so, the female body having a way of shutting down the pregnancy have brought the ire down from both sides of the political aisle.  He has since apologized, claiming to have misspoken and tried to clarify his statement.  Many people have been shocked, disgusted, and disturbed by his comments and in disbelief that anyone could possibly think that.  In my five years of sexual violence prevention, all I had to say was "Yeah, they're out there."

 Rep. Akin's statement to me was like peeking behind the curtain of a magic show.  Behind all the glamor and flash we saw the tricks and deception and found there was no magic.  It's a belief that still clings on like dusty cobwebs as society moves forward, this idea that a "legitimate rape" is a rare occurrence; that women cry rape to cover promiscuous behavior or out of vindictive spite.  It's a hold-over way of thinking from the days when "rule of thumb," where a husband could beat his wife with a stick no wider than his thumb, could still be found on the books and that a wife could never deny her husband sex.  But much like racism, this sexist attitude still lingers.   How can something that has created such an uproar have survived to this day?  The answer is simple.

Denial.  Not denial that there is a problem.  If we have seen anything in the passed week, it is that many agree this is a problem.  No, the denial is with those who hold onto the belief.  When I speak on prevention, encouraging healthy masculinity and showing how strength isn't what you can take, but how much you can give, I've found people who will argue on "what is rape?"  They claim there's nothing wrong with giving a girl a few drinks to "loosen her up."  They don't believe a woman can change her mind on sex.  They justify their behavior by claiming "everybody does it."  They argue so strongly on these grounds because, I suspect, admitting these things are wrong would mean they've done some wrong things.

People hate rape.  There is no question about that.  You can ask anyone and you would never get the response of "Rape?  Yeah, I guess it's alright."  Everybody knows rape is bad.  That is why people will argue on the grounds of entitlement or against an act like getting a girl drunk as being rape.  The idea of "legitimate rape" has survived because there are people who are afraid they won't like what they see when they look in the mirror.  So they discredit victims, claim they are crazy, and hide behind defenders saying "they would never do something like that.  They're not that type of person."

So what do we do?  We believe victims.  We hold assailants accountable for their actions.  We don't dismiss behavior as "boys being boys."  These ideas survive because we allow them to.  They have been passed down for generations as simple comments and attitudes, things that "never crossed the line."  But if we don't do anything about it then, why are we so shocked to hear Akin's comments.

Should Sex Offenders Be Required to Show Their Status on Social Networks?

Louisiana's Gov. Bobby Jindal recently signed a law adding to the state's requirements for registered sex offenders.  This new law requires offenders to list their status as a sex offender, a notice of the crime they were convicted of, where they were convicted, a description of their physical appearance, and their address.  This law was created in response to a previous law which banned sexual predators from using the internet when it was declared unconstitutional by the courts.

Laws like these create a balancing act between the rights and safety of an individual versus the rights of the public.  The American Civil Liberties of Louisiana argued against the previous law based on it infringing on constitutional rights while proponents of the law argued for the rights of the public.

Although many social network sites, Facebook included, prohibit sex offenders from having an account, many often slip through the cracks.   States have started requiring registered offenders to release email addresses to them, but without a connecting system, social network sites cannot screen out user accounts as sex offenders on their own.  Perhaps then, Louisiana's new law is the answer.  Rather than risking the possibility of a predator slipping through the currently loose safeguards, it would essentially broadcast a warning.  It is far easier for a parole officer to verify an offender's compliance by checking their account than it is to dig through all of the accounts, over 300 million on Facebook alone.  Plus, is it really that much different from providing an offender's address on the sex offender registry?

Back in 2006, Kevin Poulsen, a writer for Wired Magazine, tested whether or not sex offenders could be identified as having a MySpace account, something MySpace denied was possible.  He wrote a computer code which compared the sex offender registry to MySpace accounts and proceeded to physically verify the data, going over pictures and information to make sure they matched up.  Not only did he find offenders with MySpace accounts, but he was also instrumental in the arrest of Andrew Lubrano, an offender that was actively preying on teen victims.

When offenders are already required to notify neighborhoods and schools of their status, is it too much to require them to also make that information available online?  When there's a risk of them preying on new victims, the answer is no.  When it's possible for anyone to have any number of fake Facebook accounts, it's a bit comforting to know somebody else is keeping their eye out.

The Sundance Film Festival Sheds Light on Rape in the Military

A recently released report by the Defense Department has shown reported sexual assaults in military academies are on the rise.  Like many statistics on crime it's possible to interpret these findings from two different sides.  On one hand, it can be viewed that more and more rapes are occurring in the United States' military academies.  On the other, many people are seeing it as a sign that students are more willing to come forward and report the rape, demonstrating a changing attitude on sexual assault in the military.

Last week though, a documentary shown at the Sundance Film Festival displayed the hardships many victims have faced from not only the initial assault but also with trying to report it within the military.  "Invisible War" is a film detailing the epidemic of sexual assault that has been plaguing the United States Armed Forces.  With the military might of 1.5 million troops, shocking statistics are brought to light by the documentary.  1 in 5 servicewomen have been a victim of sexual assault and 1 in 100 servicemen.

Even more shocking is their path to find justice.  If a victim wishes to report their attack, they must do so to their commanding officer, who in some cases is the attacker.  If the commander chooses to investigate, regardless of the findings or how solid of a case it may be, the commander can choose not to proceed with a court martial.  This process has resulted in only 8% of sexual assaults being prosecuted in 2009.  On top of it being almost impossible for victims to have their cases even heard, many victims have also experienced further trauma by having their careers halted, even disciplinary action against them, because of reporting the assault.

The purpose of the film is not to slam the military, but show the justice process needs to be revamped.  Many critics have suggested the cases be conducted by civilian courts, rather than instituting a brand new structure that would need to be created.

What is encouraging though is the help available to the servicemen and women who are victims of sexual assault.  Organizations like the Military Rape Crisis Center help bring attention to the issue and survivors who have been victimized while in the military are just as eligible as anyone to use the free services of Child and Family Services' Sexual Assault Center.  To contact us for information and services, please call 989-790-7500 or our crisis line at 989-790-9118.

Sources:  http://militaryrapecrisiscenter.org;

FBI Updates Their Definition of Rape After Over 80 Years

For many states, the Federal government has often been looked to set the standards, especially when it comes to legal definitions of crimes.  That's why it became a big deal recently when the FBI decided to rewrite their definition of rape.  When was the last definition written?  1927.

So what changed?  For starters, the original definition defined rape only as a crime against a female.  Males have not been included in the definition since the law was written, even though 2.78 million men in the United States have been sexually assaulted or raped.  That means 1 in 33 men will experience an attempted or completed sexual assault in their life.  For many of these victims, as seen with the Jerry Sandusky allegations, the victimization occurred when they were a child or teenager, but that doesn't mean an adult male can't be the victim of rape.

The sexual assault of men is grossly under-reported for many reasons.  Men and boys are told they are supposed to be tough, strong, and able to defend themselves.  They're afraid of being seen as weak or helpless if they admit to being a victim.  Their sexuality may even become an issue or possibly questioned.  There's also a fear of whether or not they'd be taken seriously if they report.  The truth is rape is rape, regardless of a victim's gender or age.

The other significant change to the definition is the previous requirement of resistance by the victim.  Before the change, if a woman did not physically resist the assailant, it would not be considered rape.  The new update brings the definition up to speed with other sexual assault laws in understanding the role coercion plays in rape.  If a victim is threatened, drugged, or drunk they are less likely to be able to physically resist a rapist, but fear alone can be enough for a victim.  A victim may fear harm to her/himself or to someone else they care about if they resist.

By updating their definition of rape, the FBI has taken a stand for victim's rights.  They have shown a more contemporary view of sexual assault and can set a standard for other laws on sexual assault which aren't up to date.