What is rape culture?
Rape culture is a term used to describe an environment in which rape is legitimized and allowed to keep on occurring. Societal factors leading to rape culture include misogynistic values being broadcast in the media and dispersed amongst the population, gender biased legislation, and accepted customs that perpetuate gender inequality. Men are granted privileges that allow them to validate the mistreatment and violation of women. For them, rape fetishized and therefore legitimized because many men still see it as a fantasy rather than a serious crime. Rape is especially fetishized in manga given the objectification of female characters and the different standards at which men and women are held.
Rape In Japan
In Japan, rape and other forms of sexual assault pose enormous problems that have yet to be resolved. In 2001, the number of reported rapes increased by 40% since 1997 to 2,228 cases and sexual harassment charges increased threefold. In 2003, the number of reported rapes increased again to 2,472. According to research by the Justice Ministry Research Group, only 11% of rapes are reported, meaning that for every reported case, there can be as many as 10 to 20 that are unreported.
Victim Blaming and Cultural Stigmas
Rape in Japan is still highly stigmatized, largely due to the fact that it is seen as something that is the arises from the victims’ behavior, rather than the actions of the actual rapists. Women are accused of dressing too provocatively and inviting the attacks upon themselves or even, worse still, being too weak to fight their attackers off. In a 2006 study by Japan’s Gender Equality Bureau, 114 out of 1,578 female survey takers said that they had been raped at least once. Forty percent of that 114 did not go to the police or seek professional help because they were ashamed of being raped. In a way, a portion of the victims blamed themselves for their attackers’ crimes. Moreover, the police are unhelpful and unsympathetic towards rape victims because the force is 98.1% male and is mostly composed of middle class men. Female police officers make up less than 2% of the total force and are limited to jobs involving traffic directioning, giving cars tickets, and other more menial tasks. When law enforcement officials harbor the same misogynistic attitudes that are responsible for allowing rape to occur, it is no wonder that more than 1 in 10 rapes go unreported. Victims are violently discriminated against and there is nowhere to turn for help.
Sexual Harassment (Sekuhara) In the Workplace
Sexual harassment is one of the most common female complaints in the workplace and is featured in a humorous light in many manga, trivializing this issue. In 2008, 8,140 of the total 12,782 (a terrifying 64%) complaints from women to their regional equal employment opportunity offices were about sexual harassment.
Rape Culture In Manga
Many common tropes in manga attribute to the perpetuation of rape culture, some of which include sexual objectification of females and double standards in terms of female and male sexuality. In addition, the concept that it is a female character’s responsibility, and at times sole function, to change the flawed male character for the better reflects the servility expected of females. Female characters are constantly depicted as tolerant and are endlessly loyal to male characters, regardless of how badly they are treated. This concept is horrifically detrimental to women because it substantiates the idea that they can be treated any which way, and that men have the right to do so. Moreover, it excuses men from their actions because it assumes that they are unable to help themselves. This “boys will be boys” attitude is what allows for domestic abuse, abusive relationships, sexual assault, and rape to continue to exist.
See A Gender of Obedience for manga examples of rape culture and analysis.
See A Gender of Obedience for manga examples of rape culture and analysis.