Orlando Trauma Therapist Explains Rape Culture
Orlando Trauma Therapist Explains Rape Culture
Written by: Trissa Dodson, LMHC
Your heart is pounding. You might be thinking, “What did that person just say to me?” “What did they mean by that?” You’re left feeling icky or uncomfortable. You try to brush off their comments, but you can’t shake that irritated, nervous feeling that something is off. You question whether or not to say something back, but decide it’s not worth the confrontation and try to ignore it.
My name is Trissa Dodson LMHC, and I’m a sexual violence trauma therapist in Orlando.
In order to heal from sexual trauma, we need to talk about how sexual violence permeates the larger society we’re all a part of. We need to talk about the word no one seems to want to say, the dreaded R-word: Rape. More specifically, Rape Culture.
What is Rape Culture?
Rape Culture describes a culture in which rape is pervasive, normalized, excused, and even celebrated. It’s cultivated through attitudes and beliefs about gender, sexuality, and violence within our society. It shapes how we see and treat victims of interpersonal violence and how we see our own victimization. It also influences how we define who is a “legitimate” victim and who isn’t. Negative sexual beliefs, traditional gender roles, and the acceptance of interpersonal violence are foundational concepts of rape culture.
Victim Blaming
Rape culture breeds an environment of shame and blames towards people who have been harmed, and it excuses or protects the perpetrators. Rape culture distorts our understanding of what constitutes consent, which contributes to Victim Blaming. Victim Blaming is a dismissive or devaluing act where the victim is often held responsible for the crime, abuse, or mistreatment they have endured. It can imply that a victim wanted or even deserved the harm that happened to them. Victim blaming can manifest as negative social reactions from the media, relatives, friends, or other acquaintances, as well as from professionals in the fields of law, medicine, and even mental health.
Victim Blaming sounds like:
“But you got really drunk that night, right?”
“Did you tell them to stop?”
“Weren’t you flirting all night though?”
“I thought you said that person was cute?”
“You must have wanted it if you dressed like that.”
Victim Blaming also takes the form of asking the victim "why" in a way that implies blame or shame. This might sound like:
“Why didn’t you run?”
“Why did you stay out so late?”
“Why didn’t you call for help?”
“Why did you even go there to begin with?”
Rape Culture Protects The Perpetrator
Rape Culture often depicts violence towards women and often protects the perpetrator. These messages can be couched in humor, silliness, or promises that “it’s just a joke.” Casually talking about doing harm to others teaches us to minimize the effects of violence. It wrongly communicates to us that “it’s not that serious” when harm is inflicted–but if it becomes serious–the responsibility unfairly falls onto the victim for “allowing” it to happen.
Rape Culture can sound like:
“Boys will be boys.”
“It could have been worse.” “It wasn’t that bad.”
“He didn’t know what he was doing.” “He didn’t mean it.”
“How was he supposed to know she didn’t want that?”
Catcalling or Sexual Harassment
Demanding an unwanted physical touch (even something as simple as a hug)
Learning how harm is inflicted and how to respond both appropriately and justly allows interpersonal healing to thrive. Because of this, so much of our healing can start by analyzing and changing our own relationships to Rape Culture. Learn more about how you can prevent Rape Culture in Part Two next week! In the meantime, check out RAINN to learn more about sexual violence and view the resources provided.
Interested in Trauma Therapy Orlando?
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Not Quite Ready for Trauma Therapy Orlando?
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Additional Trauma Therapy Orlando Resources
Orlando Trauma Therapist Explains Rape Culture Part 2
EMDR Therapy Orlando for a Recent Trauma
Orlando Therapist Shares All About Art Therapy
Other Therapy Services Offered at Mindful Living Counseling in Orlando, FL
At Mindful Living Counseling, our anxiety therapists acknowledge that trauma is just one of the difficulties you may face. We recognize that there may be additional challenges as well. This is why we offer a variety of therapy services. Our therapy services include Toxic Relationship Therapy, EMDR Therapy, Eating Disorder Therapy, Teen Therapy, and Anxiety Therapy.
In addition to our services, we proudly offer Guided Meditations. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or concerns. We are always happy to assist you.