Elle*Bee
We're all just stories in the end.
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2013
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I often hear people use the word "rape" in the same way as RL did. I know people who are seriously into environmental issues and I can't count how many times I've heard them say "so-n-so" has "raped" or wants to "rape" some land somewhere. Personally, I'm not fond of hearing it used that way, but they don't think anything of it and I know they don't intentionally mean to be offensive using it like that.
jmo
Thank you for saying this. It's been on my mind but I couldn't find a way to articulate it. I've assisted quite a few women who have been raped over the years. Not as a counselor but as a support person (driving them to and from court, therapy appointments, etc.). Although I'm not trained as a counselor, they do often tell me things. By and large the vast majority of the rape victims I've come in contact with make two things very clear:
1) they do not mind being called 'rape survivors' versus the more ambiguous 'sexual assault survivor'. Apparently, sexual assault encompasses a number of acts, whereas, rape refers to forced (or coerced) intercourse. They don't want to he sanitized version.
2) survivors of rape are often highly sensitive to - and offended by - the appropriation of the term 'rape' to refer to non-forced, non-sexual events. Not saying all are, but the few dozen I know have expressed this.
For example, the decimation of woodlands is horrible and tragic, but does it equate with the violent, inhumane, criminal treatment of another human being? I'm probably not explaining this well, so feel free to scroll and roll.
I cringed when I heard a young woman use the term "it's like he was raping me with his eyes" referring to a guy leering at her. Terribly uncomfortable no doubt, but rising to the level of a violent assault against one's physical being?
My home was broken into and my belongings strewn all over. I felt horribly violated. But not raped. Color me over-sensitive.
Stepping off my soapbox.