The use of television to raise awareness about date-rape drugs- P2

1.      METHODOLOGY

As Altheide (2013) puts it, research methods must be chosen due to the nature of what is to be studied. The nature of the study is qualitative as human behaviour is to be studied so that it can be understand and described.

This research can be done through interviewing. Rape survivors and perpetrators can be interviewed about their experiences. Open-ended questions are used so that the criminal can be asked why he/she raped his/her victims and be given a chance to speak for themselves as qualitative seeks to understand why people do what they do. This type of questioning allows the researcher to get into the world of the participant. In interviews, it is important to find participants more likely to give answers that will address the research questions (Maree 2007). This method is not really feasible due to participant availability, time constrains and capital.

Another method is content analysis. This is where messages from visual media, books, documents and transcripts are collected and analysed. The aim is to find keys that will help the researcher understand data. Similarities and differences between the content is investigated (Maree 2007). This method is good as it allows the researcher to analyse media messages available to her via television and online sources such as YouTube. The method is feasible because it will not be costly to get the content as there is a library nearby. This is my method of choice for this study.

The last method that I will mention is case studies. This method allows for “intensive investigation” as it deals with one unit (Maree 2007). The unit here can be a specific channel or genre where the researcher analyses the messages about rape in the channel’s shows or the scenes in the genre of dramas. This method is limiting on many levels.

2.      LITERATURE REVIEW

Rape is sexual aggression. It happens against a person’s will or consent. The perpetrator uses force, pressure or drugs to get his/her prey. Rape is a violent, aggressive act that has very little if not none, to do with sex. The ones at most risk are young girls and women, however, there is an increase in the reporting of male rape victims. The perpetrator, in most cases, is known to the victim. A high number of incidents occur on “dates” and this leads the victims not to report the incident as they ashamed and partly responsible for what has happened to them. The perpetrators also threaten their victims not to report them (Sue et al 2013 & Brennan 2004).

Sexual violence against women and children is not knew, it dates back to Biblical times where Tamar was raped by her brother, Ammon (King James Version 2003). Women have always been looked at as weaker, as men’s property. Women, therefore have been in the struggle to regain control over their bodies for centuries. It then comes as no surprise that women live in fear (Brennan 2004). Finn cited in Brennan (2004) asserts that women are always going to be at risk simply because they are born female.

The media has played a role in creating an environment where women are the properties of men and dramas such as Soul City then came to try to correct this image of the South African woman. The media has victim-blaming scenes that made it difficult for victims to gain the courage to come forward and report the rape (Brennan 2004). There has been positive change as more strong women are seen in the media images and the rape victims are receiving support. The use of drugs to gain power over women and children so that they can be raped has also received much media attention. The use of the term “date” in date-rape drugs gives the implication that the use of such drugs for rape happens only on dates or between people in a relationship which is not true. This term also has a positive connotation but there is nothing pleasurable about rape (Brennan 2004).

The media also need to correct the image of the rapist which Generations has tried to do. Rapists are not always black males from poor education backgrounds or from poverty. Rape victims are also not only heterosexual women and children or middle class. Victims and perpetrators can be anyone! The image of women also need to be lifted higher. Women are strong and they are sexual beings just as men. When a woman says “no”, it is not a challenge to men. She means. If the man is unsure, he must ask (Brennan 2004 & Ratele et al 2013).

Perpetrators make use of easily available drugs. Government need to take the war on drugs very seriously. More health awareness campaigns need to be done at schools and communities to warn people about drugs being used for rape. Self-defence classes need to start happening at schools and communities (Jones 2002). The media also need to show that rape is not only between heterosexual people, members of the LGBT community are raped and they rape as well.

Three days before women’s day, Zakithi Khoza on Facebook 2018 said “There seems to be a rapist lurking in all/most men. Your girlfriend could be having sex with you and says ‘don’t be too rough’, ‘don’t go too deep, ‘it is painful’ and 8/10 men will do exactly what the woman is saying they shouldn’t do… Sometimes you hear a guy telling his friends how he was tearing the girl apart. He will go on about how she was screaming and crying. Maybe [there are] demonic vibes we have that make us enjoy inflicting pain even on women we profess to love”.

3.      RESEARCH ASSUMPTIONS

3.1  Media images about rape have yielded very little positive results in society.

3.2  Television texts about drugs used for rape led to an increase in drugs being used to rape victims.

3.3  Media texts do not adequately address the stereotypes associated with sexual offense.

3.4  There a link between the rape statistics and media texts.

4.      FINDINGS

It is highly likely that media texts about rape have had good results as more people have become aware and have sought ways to protect themselves such as taking self-defence classes and having pepper sprays in their bags.

The mentioning of drug names in crimes in television has resulted in an increase in the use of those drug for crimes such as rape. The perpetrators know exactly which drugs to ask for when they want to rape as a result of hearing the name of television.

Media texts have not really corrected many myths and stereotypes about rape and the use of drugs in rape. The victims are still women, mostly from the middle class. There are also very few scenes where white women are raped which is not a true reflection of reality. 

There is a relationship between media texts and sexual offences statistics. When there are many cases in the media about rape, the overall stats go up. The media report following Karabo Mokoena and other victims perhaps played a role in more people reporting the incidents as compared to 2015/2016 when looking at the SAPS report.

5.      CONCLUSION

Rape is an aggressive act that has nothing to do with sex. The media has a role to play in raising awareness about the use of drugs in rape. The media producers need to be more creative in their depicting of drug use in rape and also ensure that they portray the real picture so that people are educated about rape and the stereotypes are corrected. Government need to have tougher laws and punishment for perpetrators. 

1.      SOURCES CONCULTED

Altheide, DL. 2013. Qualitative media analysis.  Arizona: Sage

Brennan, S. 2004. “Keeping the ‘lady’ in line: A media study of the date-rape drug discourse”. Burnaby: Simon Fraser University Libraby

Jones, MK. 2002. Drug-facilitated sexual assault, “ladettes and alcohol”. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. 95:326-327

Maree, K. 2007. First steps in research. Hatfield: Van Schaik Publishers

Ratele, K. Duncan, N. Hook, D. Mkhize, N. Kiguwa, P & Collins, A. 2013. Self, community & psychology. Claremont: Juta & Co

Serisier, S. 2017. Sex crimes and the media”. https://criminology.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264079.001.0001/acrefore-9780190264079-e-118

Sue, D. Sue, DW. Sue, D. & Sue, S. 2013. “Foundations of abnormal behaviour”. 10^th edition. Wadsworth: Cengage learning

Zak Khoza. 2018. Facebook.