False Rape Allegations

 Leon Hoan

Mr. Roddy

IHSS
April 5, 2021

False Rape Allegations 

Now I want to start by saying that rape in today’s world is unfortunately widespread and that it is a serious topic among people of all ages. The problem I want to address is the issue of false rape allegations. These allegations are mostly coming from females, as plenty of research specify that rape affects women in more significant numbers and with the majority of people convicted being men. However, since 2012, more awareness has been given to male rape, including females raping males. Now, these fake allegations can stem from several things; revenge, clout or attention, sympathy from others, or regret following a consensual session. In some cases, all of those reasons apply. The term “unfounded” is the most common name for these types of allegations. In the past 20 years, up to 10% of rape accusations have been proven false after not enough evidence was provided or law enforcement investigations unable to reveal the truth. So while the number may be small, its effect on an individual could last for a while. Post allegations, the person’s credibility, and reputation are damaged regardless of being innocent or not. And since rape allegations garner a lot of public attention, especially if the alleged perpetrator is a celebrity of some sort, it will spotlight that person in the wrong way. It should be noted that false rape accusations very rarely lead to convictions or wrongful jail time. A research study in the 2000s showed that out of the 216 cases classified as unfounded allegations, only six of them led to an arrest. A situation that got me thinking about this particular subject is the recent and ongoing Deshaun Watson rape allegations. Deshaun Watson, who plays quarterback for the Houston Texans, was accused of 22 civil lawsuits by different masseuses since spring break, and the situation is evolving every day. Watson’s reputation before this was that he helped build homes for single mothers and was very respectful. Flash forward a month later, and it’s basically like he’s a criminal with very few still in support of him. The timing, as well as the fact that only one woman has revealed her identity with the other 21 staying anonymous, makes many wonder if it was a stunt to damage the signal caller’s reputation. It remains to be seen what the truth is, but it shows how dangerous these allegations can be.         







        

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Civil Rights Issues in Syria - Alex Gross

  Alex Gross Mr. Roddy IHSS 6 April 2021 Civil Rights in Syria Syria, the densely populated country in the Middle East which is home to over 17 million people is plagued with a plethora of different Civil Rights issues and violations. The issues in Syria range from unlawful killings and assassinations, to excessive deployment of government forces. There have also been hundreds of articles in the past few years surrounding the Syrian refugee issues, which says a lot about the status of corruption in the country. An article from the Atlantic Council that was published yesterday (April 5th, 2021) goes into detail about another aspect of the difficulties of life in Syria; the economic struggle. The citizens of Syria are forced by the government to pay ridiculous amounts of money to exit and enter the country, renew passports, and quarantine due to covid. In-turn, this causes the citizens to be less likely to leave the country, despite its many issues. This problem is exacerbated by ...
Read more

Arkansas' Anti-trans bill

  Isa Pedersen  Mr. Roddy  IHSS 9 April 2021 Arkansas’ Anti-trans bill  For centuries the trans community was discriminated against. But recently Arkansas passed a bill that highly affects trans rights and healthcare. The bill states that trans individuals are not allowed to get gender affirming surgeries. This included hormones such as testosterone and androgen, as well as puberty blockers. This is said to be one of the most detrimental bills passed against the trans community in ages. Not only this but some states have already passed bills that don't allow trans kids to take part in sports or competitions. These states include Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi. Tennessee and Alabama are already starting to get the same bill passed. Texas is on the list that is assumed to follow Arkansas and pass the bill as well. Certain cities were able to make bills that heavily discriminate against the trans community, but states have never passed bills this big before. The...
Read more

Why Do We Keep Pets?

Katie Vojvodic  David Roddy  IHSS A  9/24/20  Why Do We Have Pets?      In millions of households across the United States, a few family members stick out among the furless, bipedal creatures we call humans. Whether it be a furry floof (like a poodle dog or tabby cat), an avian entity (like a parakeet or cockatoo), or a scaly creepy-crawler (like a gecko or bearded dragon), over 65% of Americans own pets. The question is, why? How did keeping domesticated animals in our homes become the norm? Thanks to my extensive research, we might finally have the answer to that pressing question.     According to an article by animalfreedom.org , one of the main reasons that people keep pets is for companionship. Some even go as far as to use the companionship they get from pets in place of a relationship with a partner or family member. It is true that dogs have been proven to be able to detect human emotion and provide comfort, so I am not surprised....
Read more