What is the differece between raping a child and raping an adult woman

[Trotsky]

.....raping a child and raping say an adult woman? Both in my mind are aborrent acts that disgust me, and if I had my way would be punished by a long drop tied to a short rope, yet say for example a man rapes a 22 year old woman and gets a 20 year prison sentence to serve a minimum of 12 and the mob say the sentence is a bit leniant. Yet a man rapes say a 7 yr old girl and gets the same sentence and the mob are screaming and shouting like the world is about to end.

For me, both should get life, never see the light of day again, yet the rape of a child is seen as worse somehow. Maybe I'm just a tad cold and just looking at things differently, but I don't understand how people can get so upset about one, and not the other?

[greeneyedgirl]

Both are horrible crimes, but I think raping a child is worse. An adult woman can at least fight back against her attacker and she has the mental maturity to work through the subsequent negative emotions. A child on the other hand, is usually innocent in thought and spirit and can not comprehend what has happened to them. They may be told by their rapist (esp. if it is a family member) that if they tell anyone, something horrible is going to happen to them or their family. I think children who get raped have a bit of a harder time with the rest of their life too. A raped woman might have issues with intimacy or nightmares or whatever, but she is still going to basically live her life in the same fashion she did prior to the rape. When a child is raped, it throws the childs course of life off.

[underbear1]

I would agree the raping of a child is the more vile act. Raping an adult (male or female) which is a violent violation, is at least done to someone with adult coping skills, who knows what sex act entails, and may be able to hurt the attacker, or protect themselves, young children have none of these skills.

[Trotsky]

See this is where I disagree, I don't think anybody, regardless of age or sex, is equiped to deal with such violence against and violation of their person, I know I can't even begin to comphrehend the experience.

[Strange Dreamer]

Quote by: Trotsky See this is where I disagree, I don't think anybody, regardless of age or sex, is equiped to deal with such violence against and violation of their person, I know I can't even begin to comphrehend the experience.

You have a valid point of view, but it is a matter of degree in ability to grasp the situation and deal with it. Agreed, having such a horrificly violent act committed against you as an individual would be a grievous emotional injury, but the fact remains that an adult would have more experience and emotional strength to work through the pain and humiliation without simply internalizing it. A child on the other hand would be dealing with much more limited resources, and more likely to internalize the pain and blame themselves through twisted logic. Frankly I feel that children should be allowed to enjoy their childhood free of the complications that sex brings into life, especially when that influence is forced upon them by molestation or rape.

[Trotsky]

Quote by: Strange Dreamer You have a valid point of view, but it is a matter of degree in ability to grasp the situation and deal with it. Agreed, having such a horrificly violent act committed against you as an individual would be a grievous emotional injury, but the fact remains that an adult would have more experience and emotional strength to work through the pain and humiliation without simply internalizing it. A child on the other hand would be dealing with much more limited resources, and more likely to internalize the pain and blame themselves through twisted logic. Frankly I feel that children should be allowed to enjoy their childhood free of the complications that sex brings into life, especially when that influence is forced upon them by molestation or rape.

Fair points, I agree with you on children and childhood, they grow up far too early these days and just seem to lack something as a result......which is why I think an age of legal consent is a good thing.
I still think though that the response to adult rape etc in this world is wrong, children (deservedly so) are seen as innocent victims of evil predators, yet say with an adult woman, there's always a lot of people who have the idea in the back of their heads that perhaps "She asked for it" or perhaps "She changed her mind after the event".
I know its a cold view, but I feel that for all victims of sexual assault to get justice, we should start treating a rape as a rape, nothing more, nothing less.

[Nono]

(...) aborrent acts that disgust me, and if I had my way would be punished by a long drop tied to a short rope (...)

Trots, methinks thou dost protest too much.

I agree with Strange Dreamer. The argument applicable here is the same one applicable to messing sexually with children in any way. Sex is more than a lot of adults can handle healthily. Introducing a child to it (and yes, I know that rape isn't really about sex in any sensual sense) means thrusting the kid into a whole world it isn't equipped to handle, and for which it will probably (though not necessarily) suffer later.

That said, everything having to do with child sex is Western society's currently most fashionable source of hysteria (with "terrism" running second at the moment).

Rape of any kind should, like child- and wife-beating, make us think long and hard about what a miserable job so many parents do.

[underbear1]

The other fact that makes child rape so horrific, it can be repeated by some sick relative, or priest for YEARS!

[Trotsky]

Quote by: Nono Trots, methinks thou dost protest too much.

Nono, I find you funny and informative most of the time, that however is way out of line and I would like an apology. I have good mind to refer this to Matt or Sean.

[Sonart]

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.....raping a child and raping say an adult woman?

Raping a child. A child is much weaker, physically and emotionally, than an adult.



.

[Nono]

Quote by: Trots I have good mind to refer this to Matt or Sean.

Jeez, then do so. Obviously I don't know you personally, so how could I possibly have an opinion one way or another? And I don't.

Fact remains: You went far out of your way to make sure nobody could even come close to having the merest hint of a suspicion that you ... well, you know what I mean.
By the way, I too am tempted to take such precautions, even on an anonymous message board, so I know where you're coming from. But I resist that temptation because it honours the whole witchhunt/hysteria flavour that the entire subject has taken on.

Child rape is wrong, no kidding. So are a lot of other goddamn things that we don't seem to feel the same need to distance ourselves from personally.

[underbear1]

Just because we find raping children as the worse offense doesn't mean we view rape of adults as aceptable, or that they can blame the victim. Both are abhorant acts of violence, but you phrased the debate with the question which is WORSE, so don't make the question flawed, and blame those who answer, for an answer you don't like.

Had you asked," is rape evil?"
I'm sure the unanimous answer would be YES. OK there may have been some DUHS? thrown in, just because it's a no brainer.

[Trotsky]

Sorry, I'll explain where this has come from, last month in Ireland, a man was convicted of rape and GBH against a 22 year old woman. She required facial reconstruction because he kicked her face in and as far as I remember she had a hysterectomy (sic?). He receieved a 20 year sentence for the rape conviction to serve a minimum of 12 and he got 15 for the GBH conviction, to serve 7, with the sentences running concurrently. Yet a man who drugged his daughters 12 year old friend and systematically raped and buggered her got 20 years to serve a min of 12 and there was public outcry. Yet the first case got little or no coverage. I only heard about it cause my sister is a barrister and she was reading the court pages in one of the national newspapers. I just find it strange that one act of violence can provoke such utter outrage, yet an equally cruel and vile act barely gets a mention.

[Nono]

Yes. The reason, as I say, is that pedophilia is the Boogeyman of modern society, as witchcraft once was (or Communism in the US). It would take a pretty brave judge to show leniency in any circumstances, what with the public baying for blood. And you really have to wonder, as I say, whether they aren't "protesting too much", eh?

Yet our consumer society is continually bathed in near-pornographic advertising, much of it pitched at kids as well as adults. Great example of double-think.

Another Boogeyman at the moment, of course, is "terrorism". If someone dares to even suggest that the US is not a perfectly innocent victim, he has to lavishly preface his remarks by saying something like "Now mind you, obviously nothing could ever justify the 911 atrocity, which was a sickening act of mass murder blablabla".

People do this out of a realistic fear of being branded "pedophile" or "terrist!".
The media love it by the way.

[Plasma Snake[D]]

how the hell is the subject of this thread not something that goes without saying?

[Trotsky]

Quote by: Nono Yes. The reason, as I say, is that pedophilia is the Boogeyman of modern society, as witchcraft once was (or Communism in the US). It would take a pretty brave judge to show leniency in any circumstances, what with the public baying for blood. And you really have to wonder, as I say, whether they aren't "protesting too much", eh? Yet our consumer society is continually bathed in near-pornographic advertising, much of it pitched at kids as well as adults. Great example of double-think. Another Boogeyman at the moment, of course, is "terrorism". If someone dares to even suggest that the US is not a perfectly innocent victim, he has to lavishly preface his remarks by saying something like "Now mind you, obviously nothing could ever justify the 911 atrocity, which was a sickening act of mass murder blablabla". People do this out of a realistic fear of being branded "pedophile" or "terrist!". The media love it by the way.

You misinterpret me, I think. My issue is not with the baying of blood over the paedo case, its the lack of a response over the other case. Both cases were in my opinion too leniant, yet only one caused uproar.

[Nono]

But my point is the baying for blood. It pressures the judiciary to play to the peanut gallery.

[tman_ndsu08]

Quote by: Trotsky See this is where I disagree, I don't think anybody, regardless of age or sex, is equiped to deal with such violence against and violation of their person, I know I can't even begin to comphrehend the experience.

Simply wrong.

An adult woman first of all knows what is going on. A child might not even realize what is happening. She might think she is at fault or something stupid like that.

Then, an adult woman has the capacity to fight back. A child does not.

Raping a child should be a life sentence with no parole.

Raping a woman should be a long sentence.

[Trotsky]

Quote by: Nono But my point is the baying for blood. It pressures the judiciary to play to the peanut gallery.

Yeah, I get your point. Valid one too.

[Trotsky]

Quote by: tman_ndsu08 Simply wrong. An adult woman first of all knows what is going on. A child might not even realize what is happening. She might think she is at fault or something stupid like that.

See, I think you are simply wrong regarding the adult here, just because one knows its a sexual act doesn't equip one to deal with the fact any better. Most rape victims feel in some way that they are responsible for the attack, hence in the western world its estimated that only 1 in every 11 sexual assaults is reported (courtesy of the Irish rape counciling service).

Quote by: tman_ndsu08 Then, an adult woman has the capacity to fight back. A child does not. Raping a child should be a life sentence with no parole. Raping a woman should be a long sentence.

And again I disagree with this, the sentence should be the same, regardless of the age of the victim. Its the same as saying that somebody who kills a 14 yr old should get the chair and somebody who kills a 24 yr old should get a long prison sentence. If we are to have fair legal systems, compassion needs to be removed from the equation.