by Dawn Hawkins

Created on: January 09, 2011

The N.O.W. website statistics regarding rape committed against women in the United States is approximately 4.8 million incidents in domestic rapes alone. This statistic is staggering. What is more staggering is that many of these rapes go unreported.   This leads many to question why women don't always report a rape. There are several reasons attributed to this phenomenon.

Why women do not always report rape

Blame

According to a report by MailOnline, many women believe they are at least partially to blame for the rape. According to "the wake up to rape" report, 50% of women interviewed believed that their actions caused the assault. Myths regarding who is to blame for a rape are dangerous for women in general. Women are taught that men have the right to violate her body because she "asked for it".  

Common myths that lead a woman to believe she is responsible for a rape: clothing (short skirts, low cut tops, tight jeans), flirting, allowing some contact (kissing, hugging), leading on (considered having sex but changed mind), dancing too close or provocatively and venturing out alone. Rape victims who believe this type of myth are much less likely to seek help in prosecuting the perpetrator of the crime.

Fear

The U.S. Department of Justice Bureau released its findings on rape in 1994. Two thirds of rape victims reported knowing the assailant. Eighteen percent of women raped by those they knew did not report the crime. Three percent of those raped by strangers did not report the rape. The reason given for failure to report the crime is that the victim was in fear that the rapist would seek reprisal. Unfortunately, this is a real possibility. Men who rape women are likely to be abusers as well. Fear should not stop a woman from reporting the crime. When a rapist, whether known or not, gets away with the crime once, it is likely to continue and the results could get worse with time.

Shame

Even though rape is not the fault of the victim, many victims do not report it out of shame. This feeling is associated with the above feeling of blame. The woman feels as though she has done something shameful. Rape makes a person feel dirty and violated. Sharing that information with others is like pouring salt on the open wound. Some women do not report rape because she would prefer that the entire situation be over. Reporting the rape means a continued battering of her character. She becomes ashamed of the violence that was perpetrated on her because that is what women are taught to react.

Rape is a serious issue. When so many women are accused of causing the violence perpetrated against them, it deters them from contacting police. This is much like the case of Julian Assange, WikiLeaks founder. He is currently under house arrest pending possible extradition to Sweden for questioning regarding rape allegations from two women. The media, along with Assange supporters have treated the issue as though there was nothing wrong in his actions. Instead, blame is placed on the women. Women do not feel comfortable in coming forward with this type of information because they are on trial rather than the assailant. Addressing these issues is important, not only in the United States, but also around the world.

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