Masters Thesis

The United States of rape: a theory of rape culture in American public policy

Rape is a crime in the United States. But it is also one of the most underreported crimes in America, has very low prosecution and conviction rates compared to other violent crimes, and the level of social disdain attached to rape is rarely reflected in the formal punishments enacted for its perpetration. "Rape Culture" has become a popular term in rape prevention education and advocacy; it refers to a society that contains within it practices and ideologies that minimize the negative impacts of victimization, while condoning and perpetuating the perpetration of acts of sexual violence. This paper outlines some of the characteristics of a so-called "rape culture" and explores how these characteristics are manifested in law and policy at the federal level in the United States through the examination of marital rape laws, sexuality education policy and welfare policy.

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