What is the Cost of Rebranding Rape?
Language matters in sexual violence. When rape is rebranded (and diluted) as “sexual assault,” it changes how we understand the crime—and if perps are held accountable.
Rape vs Sexual Assault. Call It by Its Name
It’s called Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Not Rape Awareness Month. So… civil. So, sanitizing. And this ‘civility’ is all over the headlines, blurring the actuality of what has happened. It starts at the institutional level of the media, before a single headline is written. It’s also notable that even the campaigns designed to confront this crime can’t bring themselves to call it by its name.
Sexual Assault: The Myth That Leaves Women Most Exposed
Sexual assault is more common than most people think. But what gets said less often — and what may matter most — is that we’ve been training women for the wrong scenario entirely. The danger rarely looks like a stranger in a dark alley. And the myth that says it does isn’t just wrong. It’s leaving women exposed.