What is violence?

Violence is the “intentional use of physical force against another person or against oneself, which either results in, or has a high likelihood of resulting in, injury or death.” Violence is typically categorized according to the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator, as well as the location in which it takes place.

Street Violence

In general, street violence refers to the use of physical force by individuals or groups within public spaces, the result of which may involve injury or death. This definition is quite broad and includes the forms of violence that are most often addressed by public health practitioners and researchers, particularly gang and youth violence, which often take place in the street or other open areas.

Domestic Violence

In the late twentieth century, a revived feminist movement forced Domestic Violence into public view. Previously called “wife-beating,” the newer, term reflected the understanding that many victims are not wives but girlfriends, other family members, such as parents, and very occasionally husbands or boyfriends. However, Domestic Violence is primarily violence against women.

Inasmuch as male domination appears virtually universal in human history, violence against women has probably been equally universal. In most patriarchal cultures, husbands were customarily entitled to “chastise” their wives, although women resisted what they considered unacceptable levels of violence. But until the birth of modern feminism, a woman’s defenses were limited to whatever personal resistance she could mount with the help of relatives or close friends.

RAPE

Rape is defined as: “A criminal offense defined in most states as forcible sexual relations with a person against that person’s will.”

It is well known that from a psychological viewpoint rape is a crime of violence and dominance through a sexual act.

The legal definition of rape as the commission of unlawful sexual intercourse or unlawful sexual intrusion. Rape laws in the United States have been revised over the years, and they vary from state to state.

As of the early 2000s, all states define rape without reference to the sex of the victim and the perpetrator. Though The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics (1999) estimated that 91% of U.S. rape victims are female, a woman may be convicted of raping a man, a man may be convicted of raping a man, and a woman may be convicted of raping another woman. Furthermore, a spouse may be convicted of rape if the perpetrator forces the other spouse to have nonconsensual sex. Many states do not punish the rape of a spouse as severely as the rape of a non-spouse.

In one survey of women, only 2% of respondents who stated they were sexually assaulted said that the assault was perpetrated by a stranger.

You should use whatever method you think will be appropriate. For a rapist who is fairly casual about the situation, it might be possible to talk him out of it but, in most cases, that’s not something you can count on. You should definitely have a repertoire of other things that you can do if talking is not an option.

Rape Myths

It’s Never the Victim’s Fault. Victims of sexual assault often experience an overwhelming feeling of vulnerability, violation, and powerless. Many blame themselves, reliving the experience to see how they could have changed the outcome.
Rape is never the victim’s fault. There are many other myths surrounding rape and sexual assault, according to the New York City Police Detective Bureau. Here are some of the most common Myths About Sexual Assault:
Myth: Rape is a sexual crime.
False – Sexual assault is a violent assault acted out in a sexual way.
Myth: The victims “ask for it” by their dress.
False – No one “asks” to be assaulted. In addition, when most attackers decide to assault someone, how they are dressed is of little consequence.
Myth: Sex crimes are crimes of passion or desire.
False – Sex crime is a crime of violence, anger and power not passion.
Myth: Sexual offenders commit these crimes because they never have sex.
False – Many sex offenders are married and engage in normal sexual relations with their partners. The reason they sexually assault their victims is because they get gratification from intimidating, humiliating and degrading their victims.
Myth: It’s easy to spot a sex offender. They are creepy and have shifty eyes.
False – Sex offenders come from all walks of life and ethnic backgrounds, sex, and age. Do not let your guard down on first impressions.
Myth: Women claim rape to get even with men.
False – Although it may happen on rare occasions, false rape charges are on the least reported crimes, nationwide.
Myth: The victims secretly want to be raped.
False – Fear of ones life, or disfigurement to oneself or a loved one can immobilize anyone. Always remember, the goal is to survive the attack.
Source: New York City Detective Bureau