Rape has become the fastest growing, most under-reported, and least punished crime in the United States. "It is legally defined as sexual intercourse by forcible compulsion." (23) The FBI estimates that only one in ten rapes are ever reported to the police, and of those reported 50% of the rapists are arrested.
             Some people think that rape is "secretly desired," or the victim "asked for it." However, the truth is no women or man ever really asks to be raped. The nature of rape is violence, and not an act of sexual intimacy. ("Myths and Facts about Rape, pg. 1) Another widely held disbelief is that only "bad girls" (sexually active women) or young beautiful miniskirt wearing women are raped. The fact is there is no such thing as a "typical rape." Both men and women are raped by both men and women perpetrators. Victims, ages ranged from two months to ninety-seven years. Many people believe that only women can be raped, but the truth is that almost as many boys as girls are sexually abused before they reach the age of eighteen. One is six males will be sexually victimized in his lifetime. Most of the rapists who rape men are other men. Studies indicate that 98% of men are heterosexual. "The rapist attempts to demonstrate his power of masculinity by contempt for anyone he wants to consider weaker than himself. ("Myths and Facts")
             The statistics concerning rape show that its occurrence is frequently and violent. One statistic states that rape occurs approximately once every four minutes. (Jaffe 10) It is also freighting to discover that "about 67% of all rapists are known by their victims in some way, only 33% are complete strangers. (Jaffe 10) Contrary to what some might believe "93% of rapists assault women of their same race. (Jaffe11) Statistics also show that college women are at high risk. In fact statistics show that "approx...