Shhh… don’t even dare say that a male can get raped too.
Don’t you want to shut me up right now for saying this?
Men are always interested in sex and sexual activities, isn’t it?
However, they get raped too. Not just raped, men are sexually exploited, assaulted and sometimes even emasculated by both male(s) as well as female(s).
But why don’t we recognise and accept the issue of male rape? Because men are considered to be masculine and strong!
Since rape involves forceful sexual intercourse, it is believed that no one can force a male, not even another male. Because of the disgrace and humiliation attached with male rape, most victims do not share the incident with their family members or friends, leave alone reporting it to the police.
When a male rape victim goes to the police to report the assault, the policemen often do not take him seriously.
Most of the reported cases are not investigated—because the rape victim can’t prove whether he gave the consent or it was a forceful act.
Also, a full erection during the sexual intercourse disqualifies the act to be considered rape.
Law is blind, but only in the case of “male rapes”.
Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) defines “rape” as follows:
“A man is said to commit rape if he has forceful sexual intercourse with a woman under the six defined descriptions.”
Yes, you read it correctly. Indian law doesn’t consider male rape as forcible intercourse. Due to this provision, most male rapes go unnoticed in India.
In several other countries, too, rape only constitutes as “sexual intercourse forcefully done with a female”.
Enjoyment Or Trauma?
“Why are you crying about being raped by a woman? You must have enjoyed her domination on you…”, a usual reaction that a male victim gets from friends and acquaintances.
Can we accept that rape is not just “sexual intercourse”? It also involves abusive exploitation, which can cause severe emotional and psychological problems. It also destroys the victim’s trust and interest in getting intimate with someone.
Rape Is Rape Don’t Make It Gender-Biased
Rape is a crime and a disgusting act, the culprit should be punished severely irrespective of the victim’s gender. Laws should be made more transparent and approachable, and sound support structures should be established for all the victims.
Time To Break This Taboo
If we don’t talk now, we won’t speak ever. It’s high time that we give our voices to the issue of male rape and work towards the welfare of victims, ensuring that appropriate punishment is rewarded to the culprits.
“The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.”
Let’s make our surroundings comfortable for the rape survivors—so they can speak freely about the pain they have suffered. Time for us to step up and talk about these taboo issues!
This article was originally published on Opined.