(no subject)

[brambless.livejournal.com]

Tara grins broadly at the students as they enter, her good mood almost super-human.

"Hey. Only three weeks until the end of term, huh? I don't know about you, but that kind of snuck up on me! So today we've got a pretty heavy discussion topic, and I want you to remember that this is just a class. Emo Closet is there if you need it, although I hope we call all be gentle enough with one another that it won't be necessary, okay?

"Because today, folks, we're going to be talking about rape - and all I'm going to ask you folks to do is define it."

Comments

Second Hour - Rape

[brambless.livejournal.com]

"All I want you to do, drawing from your first hour, is come up with a definition of what constitutes rape. Now there are some situations which are clear cut, and I'd actually rather we didn't touch those. Let's nibble at the edges of this, okay? For example - if one partner says no, and the other continues for thirty seconds before stopping, is that rape? What about if a person contracts a prostitute, receives their services, and then walks away without paying? Can the word rape be applied to something entirely non-sexual in nature"

Re: Second Hour - Rape

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

Shane's brows furrow as she considers the question. "Maybe, in some cases, the word can be applied to something that has nothing to do with sex," she says. "Because... rape isn't about sex. It's about one person having more power over another person. Thinking about it like that... there's lots of things that fall under that. A guy sticking somebody up for their wallet. He's got a gun and they don't. He has the power there, right? Unless they try to take the gun away."

"Like, they call it 'violation'..." She purses her lips and looks down at her hand, where her thumb is fidgeting with the ring on her finger. "I don't know, though, I mean... I'm not good with... words. Maybe I'm just talkin' out of my ass. I don't know."

Re: Second Hour - Rape

[brambless.livejournal.com]

"No, this is good," Tara reassures her, her own thumb reaching down to touch the ring on her own finger.

"So you're suggesting that if rape is fundamentally a power-based violation, anything that creates those feelings of being violated counts as rape? Do the intentions of the 'rapist' play any part? Or is the definition decided solely by the victim?"

Re: Second Hour - Rape

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

Taking a deep breath, Shane sits forward, resting her elbow on the desk as she scratches her right hand through her hair, her thumb still worrying at the ring on her other hand as she considers that.

"I think... yeah, I think intention is a big part of it," she agrees, nodding. "I mean, say... someone has the ability to ... make someone forget something bad that's happened. Something bad that they had a part in. And... they... do something to make that memory go away because... they don't like the other person being upset with them. That's... that's a violation. Because they did it for a selfish reason."

"I think with the cut and dry cases, yeah, the definition can usually be decided by the victims. With the ones on the edges, though... it gets tricky."

Re: Second Hour - Rape

[brambless.livejournal.com]

"It does," Tara replies softly, a strange expression in her shining eyes. "Thank you, Shane."

Re: Second Hour - Rape

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Yes. No, that's fraud. Yes." Parker isn't happy about this, but she tries.

"Forced physical intimacy for the gratification of one person at the expense of another's physical, emotional and mental well-being."

Re: Second Hour - Rape

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Rory quietly gets up, and walks straight out of the room, one hand pressed against the still-healing wound on her neck.

She slams the door behind her.

Re: Second Hour - Rape

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Damnit." Parker shoots Tara one look, then stalks after Rory as fast as she can. "Rory! Wait up!"

The door swings shut behind her as she runs.

Re: Second Hour - Rape

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Rory stops in the hallway, clutching her neck in one hand and her looped cross in the other.

"That's...wrong," she says quietly, looking up at Parker.

Re: Second Hour - Rape

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker slows down, and puts one hand gently on Rory's arm. "What's wrong?" she asks, trying to keep her voice calm. "The topic? Something else?"

Re: Second Hour - Rape

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"The topic," Rory says coldly. "The way - how she's...how can she smile through something like that?"

Re: Second Hour - Rape

[demonbelthazor]

Belthazor raised his hand. "What's the point of this discussion?"

Re: Second Hour - Rape

[wraithbaitjohn.livejournal.com]

Going into the linguistics, it seems to me, will totally cause a loss of focus... Because the term 'rape' is used in non-sexual terms. You hear the phrase 'rape the land' or 'I feel violated' in circumstances that have nothing to do with sexual contact between people. So short answer to that one, 'yeah, you can, but it's a whole different thing.'

Because of the importance society places on sexual purity and sexual monogomy and this bass-ackwards out-dated mentality that still gets ingrained on people today, the emotional and psychological effects of rape are far different than any other kind of physical assault. A couple thousand years ago it was abhorent to beat a woman (who wasn't your wife, but don't start me on that), but if a woman was raped, then clearly she was 'putting out signals'. This led to victims of sexual assualt - rape - developing the impression that it was clearly their own fault and that they somehow 'asked for it'. So in regards to how the victim (and I used 'she' earlier, but I do understand that men/boys can also be victimized) internalizes the assault, 'rape' as a sexual violation is very different kind of assault than being beaten or restrained or some other forms of abuse. So in that more limited context, 'rape' cannot be a word to describe non-sexual assault. The sexual implications in the common use of the word define more than just what 'body parts' are involved, but the whole realm of psychological effects the victim can expect to suffer.

Re: Second Hour - Rape

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

Angel looked as though he were biting his tongue. Then he saw Rory's reaction (http://www.livejournal.com/community/fandomhigh/415708.html?thread=19497692&style=mine#t19497692) and couldn't hold back.

"Professor, let's not split hairs here. You wanna know all about rape? Great." He gestured towards himself. "Have at it. I'll tell you everything you ever wanted to know about every kind of violation that can be visited on the human body because believe you me I've done it. You want details? Hell, I'll make sketches. But as long as we're talking about violation, why don't we chat about you raising this topic without asking any of your students if it's upsetting to them? Moreover, without asking yourself what it would do to the two students in this room who you know damn well were not only violated but violated by me?

"Or maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you did ask that question and just thought it would be funny to see the looks on their faces. Don't mind me if I don't join you in the giggling."

Re: Second Hour - Rape

[brambless.livejournal.com]

"I don't need to know all about rape, Angel," Tara replies, her voice low. "I've experienced it, body and mind. And yes, I know you've attacked people here, but it's news to me that it involved that.

"This is an ethics class. This is an ethical issue. The students should all know that there are measures in place if it's upsetting - and someone finds discussion upsetting every week. Every week, Angel."

Re: Second Hour - Rape

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

"Students need to know to dive to the floor when bullets get shot at them too," Angel said. "Wanna go get the gun? And don't give me that. You're from Sunnydale and from the Powers. Or so you claim. Either you know perfectly well what an attack from me involves or you seriously forgot to do the pre-reading before you came here.

"And not that I've got the fancy teaching degree or anything, but if my course topic reduced people to trauma each and every week I might want to ask myself if there's a common denominator that could use some tweaking. I'm just saying."

Re: Second Hour - Rape

[brambless.livejournal.com]

"Yes, there's a common denominator. It's an ethics class. The subject matter, by definition, is about the things people find difficult to deal with. I don't know how to run an ethics class without touching on one of the biggest issues there are. You think there was a way I could have been more gentle? I'd like to hear it, Angel, I really would."

Re: Second Hour - Rape

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"How about making sure that those who've been recently assaulted aren't in the same damn room as the bizarro twin of their assailant when you discuss it?" Parker suddenly hissed from the back. "It's not like some people here need the damn class to understand it!"

Re: Second Hour - Rape

[sooo_cute]

Quinn's actually glaring by now. "How did you get to be an Ethics teacher, exactly?"

Re: Second Hour - Rape

[demonbelthazor]

"By studying the nature of morals and moral choices, I suppose," Bel muttered. "Difficult topics and the like."

Re: Second Hour - Rape

[sooo_cute]

"That send half a class full of high school students to the emo closet," Quinn points out. "Those who can't do, teach?"

Re: Second Hour - Rape

[demonbelthazor]

"Wow, you're just full of your little self, aren't you?" Bel said, rolling his eyes. "Welcome to the real world, kid. You think life is happiness and butterflies just because you're 16 or something? Guess again."

Re: Second Hour - Rape

[psycho-barbie.livejournal.com]

"I fail to see the point of this discussion."

Re: Second Hour - Rape

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker stalks back in several minutes after Rory leaves, and listens to Angel talk to Tara from the back of the class. She is not wearing her happy face.

Re: Second Hour - Rape

[psycho-barbie.livejournal.com]

Callisto watches Angel and Tara talk. Someone watching her might get the impression she wanted to start clapping.