Q: Why does rape occur; that is what causes men to rape? How does society's views on rape encourage the institution of rape; that is how do they blame women for being raped?

A: These are all very difficult questions. We are by no means experts on these subjects, but we will do our best to answer these questions. Why does rape occur? There are many reasons a man may commit a rape, however, there is no all-encompassing reason. There are many different types of rape that we, as college students, must be aware of. These range from the stranger rape, to the less talked about, but more common, acquaintance rape. As for society's views on rape encouraging it by blaming women, this is a very touchy issue. Many women still feel as though a rape is somehow their fault, and society has not done much (though it has done more in the past few years) to change this perception. One thing that society could do to help women protect themselves is to emphasize that rape is NOT sexual, it is an issue of power or control. Therefore, women are never "asking for it", the man who commits the rape is specifically looking for a women who fits the description of someone he "needs" to rape in order to make himself feel powerful or in control of some aspect of his life. If more people come to know this and accept it, society's views on women's role in rape may be able to change.

Q: If a woman was confronted with a weapon and consented to intercourse at the time because she didn't know what else to do, is it still rape? If it is can you provide the laws that prove it?

A: Even if a woman consents to sex because she feels her life is in danger, it is still rape. According to Louisiana criminal code (which is on our website at www.tulane.edu/~tmar/whatisrape.html) under aggravated rape and forcible rape, some of the first items; any time threat of bodily harm occurs or the offender is armed with a dangerous weapon it is rape. Forcible rape goes on to say that it is rape if a victim consents due due to being prevented from resisting the act because the offender is armed with a dangerous weapon. Basically, any threat to the victim nullifies any consent that she might give because her decision is based on fear. This is all under Louisiana code, but I would encourage you to consult your local criminal code or local authorities for the exact definition of rape. Most places have laws similar to these although they might be worded slightly different, etc. I don't know of any other state where the use of force is not taken into account when determining if a woman that said yes was raped. In most cases, any time a woman feels in danger she cannot give legal consent.