The Department of Justice classifies rape as a violent crime and, clearly the average person believes rape is an obvious concern in America. So why does the Justice Department state 97% of rapists will never be incarcerated?

The answer is simple: society. Today’s society is the leading reason why most rapists will never be behind bars. America has adopted a rape culture, thus marginalizing the seriousness of the issue.

The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology defines rape culture as a complex set of beliefs that encourage male aggression and supports violence against women, or in other words, it is a society that normalizes sexual violence against women.

Media outlets which trivialize rape or make fun of any type of sexual assault are promoting rape culture. Comedic shows such as Family Guy, Robot Chicken, and South Park often use rape as a source of “comedy gold.” For example, the show Robot Chicken often portrays characters such as Snuggles, a teddy bear for a fabric softener, getting raped in several episodes. It might be a subtle implication, but today’s media implies that it is okay to sexually assault someone.

The society we live in often blames victims, thus intensifying the cultural acceptance of rape. Victims are often blamed because of their attire, level of intoxication, or their physical inability to fend off a rapist. This has given rise to a feminist movement commonly known as the Slut Walk. The main objective of these walks is to empower women to do whatever they want with their bodies without it being an invitation for rape.

Rape culture has also led to general ignorance of cases of sexual assault in which men are the victims. According to the Justice Department, 9% of men have been raped in America since 2011, because before 2011 male rape wasn’t legally recognized.

Our society is crying for a change. We need to stop treating rape as a common, inevitable occurrence. We need to stop distracting from the root of the issue—the rapist not the victim.

Let’s stop dancing around the bushes and cut to the chase.