Sexism when judging stagetory rape?

Question

Found this article today...

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/25793659.html

After reading it, I was kinda surprised about my initial reaction, which was "I can't believe she's getting charged for this! She's an attractive older women, and I highly doubt it took much convincing for those boys to do anything with her."

After that initial reaction, I was like oh god, they're only like Freshmen in high school. That's gross. Then I thought "What if this were a man who had s*x with two young girls? He'd be locked up immediately for much longer," and id think he deserved it.

Are people more lenient with stagetory rape when it is an older woman and younger man? Do you think the justice system is? Why?

What are your thoughts about this particular case?

Answer 1

There have been a couple of situations like this in Australia over the past couple of years, and there are the same arguments thrown about:

1.  That boys should be considered less as victims because they may have actively engaged in a sexual activity: yet when a girl who is a minor does this, she is wholly a victim and totally coerced.  The law states unequivically that despite words and actions, minors cannot consent to s*x with an adult, regardless of gender.

2.  That despite the initial desore to perform these acts, it does hurt boys both emotionally and developmentally to be abused in this way. I agree with this argument

3.  That only men are sexual predators.  No way is this true.

4.  That sexual predation by women arises from different motives than in men.  Sexual predation in men arises from a number of motives, and the ame occurs in women.  The law and society consider it illegal whatever the cause.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/teache...

The legal system is more lenient with women in these cases.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/Opinion/Se...

The teacher in the above artice, Karen Ellis, was initially given a wholly suspended sentence when she was convicted on charges similar to those in the case you mention.  There was a huge feminist backlash against har later being required to do six months in prison, because the male victim was considered, in their eyes to be complicit.  To be fair, there was also a significant faminist splinter group that avidly pushed for ms Ellis to be punished to the same degree as any man.

Good question.  As a male teacher, I am subject to greater scrutiny and proscription of action than my female colleagues, but the number of abuse perpetrators in schools where I live is equal, and has been for a long time: yet the male teachers are treated more harshly for the same crimes.  So far as I am concerned, it should be equal punishment for female abusers, and that punishments are too lenient for both genders.

EDIT:

Super Ruper, I respect your point, but as a counsellor, I can say there is no defined set of feelings for having been raped.  Boys in these situations rarely go on to form good relationships with girls/women their own age, and thus are damaged, whether the words out of their mouths say so or not.

Tracey, I don't think that men are the ones who necessarily say that the boys are lesser victims, or that men are kinder to female perpetrators: it is that sort of attitude that perpetuates this sort of thing.

Answer 2

For the most part I agree with Gadgitgirl and Tracey; I wish I would've been so lucky. So, I don't really care that much about it, sorry. But I believe that some of the respondents here need an education on the sexual mechanics of a male, Freshman teen (it's different from a woman, don't ya know). At that age your mouth can be screaming "No!" while that other part of your body is raging,"Yes, Oh yes!"

Answer 3

Yeah she needs to go to prison, and be a registered s*x offender. That's just gross, wrong, and well pretty sad.

Answer 4

Yes, there's some sexism involved. People should be treated equally. The reality is that men are usually stronger than women. Also, the way humans are designed, it's exponentially easier for a male to rape a female. I agree that this case should have been taken just as seriously. However, considering what we're currently dealing with, this is in the minority of problems.

Answer 5

Virginity is still prized in women and not in men.  Young boys want to lose their virginity, for the most part, and women want to keep theirs (at that age) for the most part.  

That is the difference between underage male v. underage female statutory rape.  The female is compromised more.  

     Also, during the s*x act the man must do the penetration.  The man must have an erection and be aroused.  With the underage girl, there is always the knowledge in the back of your mind that something was done to her.  The younger males did something to the older woman.  It is really completely different, based on the mechanics of s*x.  Although this is not always the case, and the younger girl may have been sexually active and been very active in the s*x act, it is still true that people usually envision only the missionary position for the s*x, and that makes the male the more active party.  

      Then there is the way that society will view the boys, v. the girl.  The girl is now "damaged goods" and the boys got to have s*x with an older woman...something like a feather in their cap when it comes to bragging rights.  The boys aren't seen as being as damaged by the statutory rape as the girl.

While none of this is necessarily true, it is still very much a part of the general mindset.

Answer 6

I think that it speaks more to the emotional and mental health of the woman, than it does a legal situation....

I understand that there should be no double standard....if we are going to charge and lock up the men, then women should have the same punishment.  But as you suggest, there are very few young men who feel 'raped' when sleeping with their female teacher.  

What I think we need to consider, as well, is the young people involved.  They are not innocent victims, by and large.  They know exactly what they are doing, and are not being forced in the vast majority of these cases.  So before we cry foul at the adults - what should we be doing about these young, so-called 'victims'.  They often don't cry the victim card until mom or dad finds out.....hmmmmm...so is it, then, a victimless crime?

Answer 7

I think men are more ok with an older woman doing that than other women will ever be.

Answer 8

Every time something like this happens, I find it's the women who are harsh on the female perpetrator, and the men smile and say, "I wish I'd been so lucky."

I do NOT believe that it's women causing this double standard. I believe it's other men.

Answer 9

Personally, it makes me want to vomit.

And I agree that men are much more likely to blow this sort of thing off.

Answer 10

http://www.frcblog.com/2008/04/statutory...

I did some looking into it and I think that the reason that the courts are harder on male offenders is that 95% of statutory rapes are done by men.  That of course does not make the 5% done by women any less horrible.

I don't know if the man would be looked up immediately there is always a trial; right?

I think people are shocked and partially in denial when women do such crimes. Especially mothers because we tend to what to see them as being unable to.  The truth is both genders are capable of doing horrible things to not only each other but to themselves.

I hate to hear about this case but can't help wondering why this party was happening and how the mother whose house it was could allow it to.  I think if it is true that the women should get the full sentence for her crime.  Its sad what she has know done to not only those boys but to her own daughter having to grow up with the knowledge.

Answer 11

It's statutory rape, and it means having s*x with an unemancipated minor. I'm not talking about having s*x with a 6 year old, that's outright rape, but with someone who is near legal age yet cannot give consent because he/she is still a minor.

And I do think there is a double standard. The age of consent should be lowered for boys - what 14 year old boy is going to be traumatized by having s*x with an older woman? If she raped him with a broom handle, that would be different. But if it's just s*x as a rite of passage, it has my blessings,

But I don't think the age of consent should be lower for girls. Girls are easily led, and often feel very confused about their first sexual experience as an adult, let alone as a minor. That's my opinion.

Answer 12

Boys that age do not usually have a problem having s*x with older women, and the majority of the times when they do have a problem with it, is probably due to their parents telling them that 'it's not right'. Case in point, boys that age will *almost never* object to having s*x with an older woman because they 'truly don't want to'.

Now in the case of girls, yes, many girls at that age would have problems with having s*x with an older man.

The simple fact is men and women are different in certain ways.

Now do I believe that women should go to jail? ...Well that would depend on how the boy felt, if he was truly emotionally harmed in someway, yes, if not no (you do have to make sure though that the parents are not coaxing the boy in question to say that he feels a certain way).

I also wish I were that lucky!

Answer 13

yes, yes, and yes, but it's a macho thing with males. Even the fathers of these boys do not like the implications that their sons were raped. These same fathers would scream murder if it was their daughters.

Answer 14

It's pure hypocrisy... as usual.

I find that out of all areas of life, gender issues have the most hypocrisy.

This is because of FEMINISM and its need to group everyone together and act like they're the same brand when they're not.

There will always be unfair advantages that each gender has over the other. Because of this, "equality under the law" is impossible. You can't treat people "differently YET equally" AND you can't treat people "equally" and still treat them differently.

Men and women are not the same, so to treat them the same would not result in equality. YET, to treat them differently is "unfair".

See the dilemma?

That's why feminism is stupid and destined to FAIL.