Table of contentsAnalysis of the Brock Turner case: an example of sexual assault on college campusesExplanation and consequences of the Brock Turner caseAlcohol as a promoter of Rape Culture ConclusionReferencesSexual assault has become a pressing and concerning problem on college campuses across the United States. In recent years, an increase in the number of reports and discussions surrounding incidents of sexual violence has brought this critical issue to the forefront of national attention. The prevalence of sexual assault at American universities has sparked deep discussion. In this essay, we will explore the rise of the problem of sexual assault on American college campuses and examine the case of Brocj Turner as well as the possible factors behind the rise of rape culture. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayBrock Turner Case Analysis: An Example of Sexual Assault on College CampusesIn January 2015, a 22-year-old woman who recently graduated from college attended a fraternity party at Stanford University. She attended the party with her younger sister, an undergraduate at Stanford. Later that night, two international graduate students on bicycles found the unconscious 22-year-old woman being raped behind a dumpster by Brock Turner, who was a student at Stanford at the time of the attack. When Turner noticed the bikers, he attempted to escape by running away. The bikers chased, tackled and held Turner long enough for police to arrive and arrest him. At the scene of the sexual assault, the woman remained unconscious and only regained consciousness later, while she was in hospital. Many people have heard about the Brock Turner case because it made national headlines and sparked controversy, but it certainly wasn't an isolated event. Across the world, sexual violence remains a major problem. In the United States, debate continues over sexual violence, particularly on college campuses. Unfortunately, rape and sexual assault are far too common in the United States and are even more likely to occur on a college campus. To understand the magnitude of the problem, consider the following statistics: “Every two minutes in the United States, someone is raped, and the odds of being a victim are four times greater for a college student than for any other group of age. ". A number of elements of society and culture on American college campuses made the events of the January 2015 evening possible. This case of sexual violence is a popular example of rape culture. “Rape culture” is a sociological term that exists in societies where “rape and other forms of sexual violence are common and pervasive, when they are normalized and seen as inevitable, and when they are trivialized by authority figures, media and cultural products. and by the majority of members of society. Rape culture can exist throughout society, but it is especially prevalent on college campuses. Many factors combine to create and perpetuate rape culture. However, for the purposes of this case study analysis, I will primarily focus on how the vibrancy of rape culture can be attributed to the light legal treatment of cases of sexual violence and the role of myths about alcohol, masculinity and college rape. campus.Explanation and consequencesof the case of Brock TurnerThere are a few possible explanations that can lead to an understanding of the legal treatment of the case. Justice has been somewhat served in Turner's case, as he served time in prison and faces consequences that will follow him for the rest of his life. In fact, it attracted worldwide attention and his name and face made headlines. However, many would say that justice has not been sufficiently served. After the events of the evening in January 2015, the charges against Turner included several crimes, including the rape of a drunk and unconscious woman. He was originally scheduled to spend several years behind bars. Ultimately, Turner was only convicted of three of those sexual assault counts, sentenced to six months in prison and three years of probation. After serving three months in prison, he was released and had to register as a sex offender for life. Despite all the physical and psychological pain he caused his victim, many would consider his punishment extremely lenient. Although countless attackers have received similar, light sentences, Turner's punishment (or lack thereof) is one aspect that has drawn so much attention to the case. Turner's background and common treatment of rape cases may help to understand how he was able to get away with it so easily. According to Oliver, “There are very few consequences for perpetrators of sexual assault, especially if they are well-respected fraternity brothers or college athletes. » It can be said that his status as an athlete at a prestigious university gave him a privilege for his defense. Due to his previous achievements as a swimmer and the fact that he did not necessarily "look like a rapist", the idea that Turner had a "bright future" was used as an argument in his favor. Turner's crimes have implications for his and Turner's future. the future of his victim. A significant factor in rape culture is that judges are often more concerned about the future of "high profile" attackers like Turner than the future of the victim. Oliver says: "The popular sentiment has too often been that men are the ones harmed by rape accusations, that they have the most to lose, which assumes, of course, that their future matters more than that of their victim. " In a letter he read aloud in court, Turner's father said: "His life will never be the one he dreamed of and worked so hard for. “That’s a high price to pay for 20 minutes of action over 20 years of life.” Comparing violent crime to just “20 minutes of action” greatly minimizes the seriousness of the situation and almost completely ignores the victim. Regarding his light sentence, the judge in Turner's case said "he believed spending more time in prison would have a 'severe impact' on the life and future of Turner, who once had Olympic aspirations." This rhetoric is problematic because it functions as a broader assertion that as long as men have no criminal history and have prior achievements, they can easily escape sexual assault. Alcohol as a Promoter of Rape Culture Party culture and alcohol may be linked. to the prevalence of rape and sexual assault on college campuses. While defending himself in court, Turner denied responsibility for his crimes, saying they were caused by "alcohol and the party culture on today's college campuses." Alcohol played a role in the events, as “both parties were intoxicated at the time of the attack – theThe woman's blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit and Turner's blood alcohol level was twice the limit. Like other elements of this case, Turner's attempt to excuse his actions because of alcohol does not exist in isolation; there are many cases in which alcohol use has been a central aspect of sexual violence cases. Scully notes that "in societies like ours that display belief and behavior associated with disinhibition [caused by alcohol], men may use drunkenness as an excuse for sexually violent behavior to deny deviance." Turner took advantage of this view in his case because he used drunkenness to justify his harmful actions. Because of alcohol's effects on memory, it can be used to blame victims for what happens to them. While alcohol is beneficial to perpetrators of sexual assault because it makes them "less responsible for their behavior, it is used to discredit victims and make them more responsible for the actions." These advantages for perpetrators and disadvantages for victims contribute to rape culture because they not only encourage victim blaming, but they also decrease the likelihood that victims will report an assault. In addition to using alcohol consumption as a means of justifying sexually violent actions, masculinity and broader societal views of what it means to “be a man” also perpetuate rape culture. Cultural cues, including messages from media, films, and other media, impose the idea that masculinity can (and should) be acquired through sexual relations with women. This view is arguably even more prevalent on college campuses. Research shows that "college athletics and fraternity culture perpetuate a classic double standard in which men who have sex, even forced sex, are 'studs,' while women who have sex are bitches.” From my personal experience at my university in America, I have undoubtedly witnessed this double standard and I argue that it exists just as widely outside of sports and fraternities. There have been countless instances where I have been around men who were praised for the number of girls they had slept with. At the same time, I know girls who have been humiliated by others for having sex with the same number of people. This double standard has become so normalized – particularly in academic contexts – that until very recent reflection, I had not considered the fact that it was a double standard. I realize this is just from my personal perspective and may not be true for everyone. However, I find it difficult to dispute the idea that these cultural ideas about masculinity exist largely because of how ingrained they are in society. Within rape culture, there is a widely held set of ideas that perpetuate rape culture, also known as "rape." myths. » Rape myths can be defined as “harmful, stereotypical, or false beliefs about rape, rape survivors, or rapists.” Some examples of rape myths are that rape only happens between strangers, that alcohol causes rape, that women who dress scantily are asking to be raped, and that "no" actually means " Yes ". These beliefs may be shared by many, but that does not mean they are objectively true. In addition to the fact that sexual assault and rape are more likely on college campuses than in, 30(4), 580-600.