Knock Knock, Not a Rape Joke
No, you shouldn’t make a rape joke. Why? The short answer is joking about assault simply is not funny. The long answer involves more nuance, so let’s dig into it.
Rape Culture
According to the National Sexual Violence Research Center, approximately 81% of women and 43% of men experience some form of sexual harassment or assault in their lifetime. The actual numbers are likely much higher as sexual violence in our society goes unreported (not to mention the fact that these statistics are only for two specific genders). Given these high numbers, it is quite likely that a survivor is present any time a joke about assault is made- and it’s possible that the comment could bring up that trauma for them.
Rape jokes are also part of creating a rape culture — a culture of normalizing sexual violence within society. A gaming streamer talking about “getting raped” in a game trivializes the impact of sexual assault, making light of something so serious. A comedian can joke about rape in a casual way that may make a perpetrator feel as though their behavior is acceptable, even encouraged. Over time, continuously downplaying the severity of sexual assault contributes to downplaying the experiences of survivors, resulting in survivors not being believed, not receiving the necessary support, and even prioritizing the experience of the perpetrator over the survivor in a court of law.
Intervening as a Bystander
So, don’t make the jokes, but that’s just the bare minimum. As a bystander when someone jokes about assault and you feel comfortable doing so, you can speak up.
Consider:
- “You know, you could be saying that in front of a survivor, be more considerate.”
- “That’s not funny and a lazy joke.”
- “We don’t joke about that here.”
As always, don’t forget to take care of yourself first. If the topic is triggering for you or you’re concerned for your safety, you don’t need to speak up.
Jokes about assault and rape are awful and have real-life, dangerous consequences. Don’t make them, and don’t support those who do.
Uplift is dedicated to combatting sexual violence in online fandom spaces through education and advocacy. Find more at uplifttogether.org
