Posted on 09/24/2008 11:40:17 AM PDT by PercivalWalks
Feminists have a bad habit of conflating voluntary sexual relations with rape, and here we go again. The Family Violence Prevention Fund's new youth rape study claims that "Nearly One in Five Young Women Have Experienced Forced Intercourse."
Sounds terrible, right? Except that much of what they call "forced intercourse" (i.e. rape) is not forced. According to Child Trends, who conducted the study for the FVPF, the "Types of Force Used" include:
1) "verbal pressure"
2) "being given alcohol or drugs"
3) "being told the relationship would end as a means of forcing intercourse."
I certainly don't believe that verbally pressuring a woman to have sex, giving her alcohol to loosen her up, or threatening to break up with her if she doesn't have sex with you are admirable behaviors, but they're a long, long way from rape.
The FVPF study also recorded genuine rape/violence, and I've no doubt that youth sexual violence is a legitimate problem. However, feminists exaggerate the problem and vilify and stigmatize young men.
The full study, which was conducted by Emily Holcombe, B.A., Jennifer Manlove, Ph.D., and Erum Ikramullah, B.A./B.S. and released last month, can be found here. The FVPF's press release can be seen here.
The FVPF is one of America's most prominent domestic violence organizations, and was instrumental in creating Violence Against Women Act in 1994. To learn more about VAWA, see my recent co-authored column Biden Selection is Bad News for America's Fathers (San Jose Mercury-News, 9/2/08).
Thanks to Tim, a reader, for sending me the original press release.
Jennifer did not choose to carry this name. It was forced upon her.
The way to fight problems like this is with good, specific information. And, with good, specific law enforcement and punishment, not a bunch of specious studies.
My old college used to tout the statistic that 1 in 4 women were assaulted every year on campus. It was a 4 year school....do the math.
Big difference between “pressured” and “forced”
Tell that to some young perp who gets stuck in general population and some big dude named “Bubba” is “pressuring” him. It is the same if you do it when you didn’t really want to.
Can’t be true. But that many girls might have been stupid enough to say ‘yes’ because they wanted to be liked.
I agree with you. Actually, this formula you have written is a good way to fight most problems. Let's define the problem accurately and then propose a solution. Of course, then we would not be able to so easily spread the liberal gospel that depends on misinformation to get public buy-in.
I suppose you could call me Captain Obvious for making that statement. :-)
The pressure you get in prison is a threat, not a suggestion. And the guards know it goes on and permit it.
If my wife threatens to be "grumpy" if I don't agree to her buying something, would you classify that as robbery?
Violent rape was traditionally considered a serious crime because it is accomplished with the implicit or explicit threat of death or serious physical injury. In your example, "Bubba" is implying serious harm if he doesn't get his way.
A specious analogy.
Dear Captain Obvious:
There are so many people that want to deal with emotions instead of facts, that we end up with unsolved problems. These people that deal with emotions in a public forum are called democrats and liberals. We conservatives try not to get emotional in public, but then again, our solutions stick! Don't appologize for articulating a process that works!
Sincerely, Dr. Still NeedtoHear
There's a big difference between someone implicitly or explicitly threatening you with violence and someone saying "if you love me, you'll sleep with me."
The former is a crime, the latter is simply boorish and slimy behavior.
Would you change it to "Goodlove"?
Or how about "Womanlover"..?
I knew a guy with the last name...."Whitekiller"...
I always wondered if I had the last name, "Blackkiller"..or "Brownkiller"...would that be less or more racist?
PC is so....stupid.
1 in 5, and that’s just by Bill Clinton.
Only #2 can be assumed to fall into the "rape" category. By this logic I get robbed every time a bum wants a dollar or a Dhimocrat says I hate the poor if I don't pony up 50% of my income.
Wrong. Being held down, beaten and raped is a far cry form not having the ability to say "No."
Send all of your money to FreeRepublic or I won't be your friend! Are you now scrambling for your checkbook?
The fact that some people lack the courage to tell other people "No!" is a problem. And admittedly, people trying to guilt other people into doing something is also a problem. However, it is a far cry from force and a very far cry from rape.
All of life is making concessions. Is it rape if you go to eat at a restaurant you’d rather not? See a movie you’d rather not? Dance to a song you’d rather not?
Bubba “raped” women when he used the power of his office as govenor to bring women who worked for him up to his hotel room where he dropped trousers and demanded they “kiss it”.
Feminists defended that man. Even when there were allegations of physical rape and evidence that he lied to a college intern to get her to go along with the relationship (didn’t he say he’d leave Hillary?).
Try again.
It only falls into this category if the drinks are 'slipped' to them.
However, these people are including the far, far larger category of the willful and voluntary consumption of ANY alcohol. The rational is that the women can only consent to sex if they are not under the influence (drunk).
So if two young adults go to a bar, get drunk and sleep with each other, they would classify that as a 'rape'.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.