User:SmallTowne12/sandbox

COMPLETE DRAFT

The Rape Schedule is something many woman follow to make themselves feel safer. Some women do not realize they are following the rape schedule, because it has become second nature. The Rape Schedule does not prevent rape, but only reduces risk. Womans' self defense classes are an example how the risk of rape can be reduced. These classes are applicable to the rape schedule because they are a way to make woman feel safer and suppress their fear of being attacked. Kea Angel notes that "the last few years there has been a steady increase of self defense programs, which indicated how deeply embedded the rape schedule has become." Activists pushing for awareness of the rape schedule ask why woman find themselves following the rape schedule as a part of their daily routine and not men. One theory is that the language of rape "solicits woman to position [themselves] as engaged, violable, fearful, and invites to men to position themselves as legitimately violent and entitles to woman's sexual service."

Sexual assault is common on college campuses. The US department of Justice argues that "woman ages 16-24 [have] the greatest risk of being raped, and in between 20-25% likely to experience sexual assault while in college." Rape Prevention seminars are now common at colleges to inform woman how to follow the Rape Schedule. For example, the seminars will teach female students not to walk alone on campus at night, and to lock their door. However, it is uncommon for these seminars to teach survivors of sexual assault how to report it. Universities focus solely on teaching woman to follow the rape schedule when instead, the Arizona Daily Wildcat states "universities should launch a campaign aimed at teaching young men not to rape.”

Dr. Glunk, from Highland Ridge Hospital, studied the effects of rape and found that "one of the most common psychological consequences of rape is self blame." Many people, including families and friends, place the blame on the victim after being sexually assaulted; asking them what they did wrong according to the rape schedule to put themselves in that position. Rhissa Briones, a graduate school student at the University of South Florida, acknowledges in her thesis that "guilt and blame is felt by victims from [people] questioning choices the victim made" after they reported the incident. For example, a victim's parents might blame her for the rape because she got too drunk or wore revealing clothing, making the victim herself feel guilty. The University of Texas at Austin reported, that "91 percent of sexual assaults go unreported to police" in Texas. Victims are not reporting sexual assault because they feel it was their fault. To avoid the continuation of the blame being put on the victim, "rather than teaching girls what not to wear and scare them, telling them that they're going to get raped by coming home at night, we should be teaching boys from a young age not to be so sexually aggressive." There are ways woman can avoid sexual assault by following the rules of the rape schedule, "but the only person who can prevent rape is the rapist himself."