As I grow up I have been told to cover up my body, never walk alone, and even to never leave my drink alone in case someone uses the date rape drug on me. This is only part of what makes up a rape culture. Rape culture is the persistent existence and normalization of rape within a society along with the blaming of the victim as opposed to the rapist. We can see the reality of rape culture in our daily lives. From the rape jokes most high schoolers think are oh so hilarious, to the victim shaming questions asked to sexual harassment victims. Every single day we force victims to become more and more secluded from announcing their stories, all because of the society we live in.

What exactly are some examples of rape culture? Here’s a lovely list of a few:
Casual slipping in rape situations into daily conversation.
-“Dude we raped that team so hard last night at our game”
Victim shaming
-“With what she was wearing, she was asking for it.”
-“Why were you walking alone?”
-“You shouldn’t have flirted with him/her if you didn’t want to have sex”
Music/TV shows with inappropriate rape references
-“Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke
-“U.O.E.N.O.” by Rick Ross
-“Family Guy” (literally watch a season and you’ll see)
Twitter hashtags
-#itaintrape
-#notallmen