The rape schedule is a concept in feminist theory that describes the restrictions or alterations to lifestyle and behaviour that are placed on women by the prevalent fear of sexual assault.
Contents
Background
Women are more likely to be raped than men: 1 in 7 women and 1 in 71 men will experience rape in their lifetime.
Privilege
Jody Miller has explained that as prostitutes cannot adhere to a rape schedule due to the fact it would leave them 'unable to work', adhering to a rape schedule could be seen to be 'born of privilege'.
Fear
There are many people in the world that have never been the victim, but yet are far from being carefree and are highly concerned with doing everything they possibly can to avoid a tragic instance, such as rape. A particular quote by Jessica Valenti in her book Full Frontal Feminism stated, "When I was in college, a teacher once said all women live by a 'rape schedule.'" This goes to show that men see women as easier targets and thus they fall victim more easily to rape and live in constant fear.
Fear of sexual assault is a fear that is commonly shared among many individuals in today's society, particularly women. This fear often forces individuals to make alterations within their everyday life, whether by compelling changes in behavior, daily routines, or even avoiding being alone as much as possible. According to Susan Griffin in 1971, "rape and the fear of rape are a daily part of every woman's consciousness. The fear of rape keeps women off the streets at night. Keeps women at home. Keeps women passive and modest for fear they be thought provocative." In addition to affecting behaviors and routines, rape schedules can affect the emotional stability of an individual. When thinking of the term "rape victim", people often assume the victim is a woman as opposed to a man. This is because in today's society, women are viewed as weaker than men, thus making them an easier target. As a result of the fear of rape, individuals then begin living by this rape schedule, which in turn, leaves woman feeling powerless and eventually woman begin to view themselves and their own self-worth somewhere between low to non-existent.
Mental health disorders
Rape also leads to mental health disorders such as PTSD. According to Dean G. Kilpatrick in The Mental Health Impact of Rape "Rape victims were 6.2 times more likely to develop PTSD than women who had never been victims of crime". Because of these severe incidents, women develop these rape schedules to help them try to avoid the possibility of rape occurring in the future.
Vulnerability
According to statistics provided by National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), one in five women will be sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime. Rape, this report argues, is one of the most unreported crimes in America. Of men surveyed in an informal survey mentioned by Mary Dickson in her article, "A Women's Worst Nightmare", many reported that they do not feel fear when walking down the street. However, in that same survey, women listed numerous things they feared. A man stated "as a man, I'm afraid of very little." Whereas when women were asked what they were afraid of, they created a list. One female responded, "I'm always afraid in a situation where there's somebody that could overpower me easily. I lock my doors, park in lighted areas, don't run in dark areas." This informal survey suggests that women feel a great deal of vulnerability as opposed to men.
Origin of concept
The term first appeared in the Dianne Herman essay "Rape Culture", where it is explained that "women live [our] lives according to a rape schedule", and was later popularised by the Jessica Valenti book Full Frontal Feminism. The concept has since been discussed by feminist academics such as criminologist Jody Miller and lawyer Catharine Mackinnon, with Mackinnon explaining that the 'dread and terror of rape and anticipation of its possibility can set limits on women’s freedom of action and access to a full life.' It has also been suggested that the fear of rape and its effect on how women live their day-to-day lives impacts on their relationships with others and may also lower their own self-worth.