Rape culture surrounds us, it’s in advertisements, on the streets, and it’s embedded in our society. Rape culture is when society normalizes sexual assault and abuse. Everyday most people experience rape culture in some form, whether it be laughing at a joke about rape, telling women to take precautions not to get raped instead of telling men not to rape, or blaming women for men getting distracted if they wear revealing clothing.  

Many people, a large majority being men, do not believe in rape culture. They believe that the term is made to shame men, or make it seem that rape is something that happens more often than it does. The term does not exist for any other reason other than to bring awareness to how we as a society think about rape.

It’s hard to talk about rape, plain and simple. It makes people uncomfortable, and it’s a touchy subject. But we need to talk about it; change, whether it’s political, personal, or with one’s own self happens when people are uncomfortable.

Rape culture can be diminished, and men can be a big part of that. Instead of being quick to spout out the words ‘not all men’, hear them out. Don’t stay silent when you hear your friends making a rape joke, stand up against victim blaming, and have respect for women.

Rape culture does not exist to shame men, or normalize rape. Rape culture exists because of how rape is thought of. The best way to bring a stop to it is to shame those who promote it. Staying silent won’t help anyone, after all, why would someone change if everyone seemingly accepts their behavior?