Ultimately, she’s describing rape culture — the term for a set of attitudes that assume rape is inevitable, consent is invisible, and victims are to blame for the crimes perpetrated against them because they “asked for it.” Thanks to high-profile rape cases like Steubenville and Maryville, rape culture is becoming a more mainstream concept. But it’s still constantly reinforced, particularly through the media. “After being raped, I felt completely worthless. I didn’t even feel like I was human anymore,” Smart told NPR in an interview earlier this week. “And it is just so important to let these survivors know that they are not any less of a person. You don’t love them any less. And that to pretend like it never happened, or to pretend like rape doesn’t exist or that it only happens in the wrong parts of town — you’re doing that survivor a disservice.”
Posted on: Mon, 21 Oct 2013 02:19:02 +0000