Rape Culture

Although its use and definition vary across fields, rape culture is a term broadly used to describe the normalization and pervasiveness of rape-supportive attitudes and sexual violence in a society. Rape culture is shaped by cultural practices that overtly and/or implicitly condone, excuse, or tolerate rape and sexual violence. Initially, the notion of rape culture was developed within feminist theory and was tied to misogyny and the sexual objectification of women. However, the term is also used more broadly to describe the normalization and lack of public effort in addressing the high rates of sexual violence (e.g., police reluctance to handle rape cases), and the high prevalence of rapes occurring in prisons. Cultural influences often tied to maintaining rape culture include the media (e.g., how ...