A Poor Deed Goes Unpunished

Gender inequality is all around us, in every part of the world. It is unfortunate, and it affects the well-being of women. A speaker, age 25, paid a visit to our chapter this previous week. He traveled from the suburbs of Chicago, where he there instructs a self-defense class for women and children who are victims of sexual assault, or rape. He not only teaches them self-defense to better prepare them if an incident like that were ever occur to them again, but also force them to re-live the situation in hope to help the victim by acting like their attacker.  A case in particular, occurring in Steubenville Ohio, sparked my interest, and such passion for gender equality. Ten boys who also played football at their high school were at a party when they came across a girl they noticed was highly intoxicated. They all agreed to convince the girl to leave that party and come with them to another party, where during the car ride two of the boys molested her in the car. They then arrived at the next party to continue serving her alcohol so she would not regain her memory of what had happened, and what was about to happen. The football players then went, along with the girl, to a party being hosted by their high school football coach. In the basement of their coach’s home, the ten boys raped the girl, videotaping it entirely, as well as making jokes about rape, referring to themselves as the "rape crew." The boys posted the video and pictures of the naked girl being raped all over social media, and after the girl had woken up, naked, grabbed her clothes and went home, saw on the internet, and that's how she found out what happened. The football coach, as well as the administration, covered it up. This was a small town, in which was centered primarily on their football team. The community, as well as the school board and its students, were 100 percent behind the boys. The girl went to the police, and after a one year trial, only two of the boys were charged with rape, the only two seen on camera carrying the girl. Because the trial lasted a year, that year counted towards their sentencing, in which one of the boys didn't have to serve any time, because his sentence was one year in prison. As for the other boy, he served roughly eight months, as did the coach who hosted the party and covered up the situation in order to protect his football team and its reputation. 

Rape, or sexual assault, when it is against a woman, is considered patriarchy, male dominance over women. Several cases of rape result in no punishment for the violator because the prosecution is easily able to pin it on the victim. "Why did she drink? She obviously drank too much." "The way she dressed gave the offender the idea that that was she wanted." "She couldn't make the right decision because she was drinking, and is under age." Case dismissed. The offender walks away with no consequences, nothing. It was interesting to hear how many court cases result in that, sad really. The cases of women being victims of sexual assault are far lower than the cases of men being victims of sexual assault. But why? Why are women looked down upon? Why are they seen as weak? Some argue that women are often targets of sexual assault because men are socialized to see women as sex objects and to feel a sense of sexual entitlement to women.

This cannot continue going on. It's a phenomenon referred to as "rape culture." Imran Siddiquee recently talked to journalism students in regards to the effects of rape culture, using the example of the Steubenville, Ohio trial that was incited by and incident in August of 2012. The trial was held after two teenage boys were accused of raping a teenage girl at a party where all attending were drunk, including the young woman. The entire incident was filmed, and the footage was clear enough evidence to make the case seem open and shut. Siddiquee pointed out that multiple major news organizations focused their stories and coverage primarily on the boys and how the situation affected them. There were mentions of how the boys were star football players and could have had promising careers. The media seemed to only be humanizing the males, while minimizing the female. It’s not natural for us to sympathize with the rapist, so why would any media outlet want to humanize a rapist, making the viewer almost feel sorry for him in this situation?

This is disturbing, the stories do not concern themselves with the impact on the female. She may have also had a promising career in her future, but because of this incident and what these boys had done to her, she may not be capable of achieving those goals. The coverage made the trial seem like an inconvenience for the boys, and that girl was a hindrance to what the boys could have accomplished. The media has so little regard for females that the concept of males facing a penalty, even jail time, for raping a female is seen as pity, for the male. Women are seen as objects, and not as equals. Gender inequality must be terminated.