Safety Rituals: How Women Cope with the Fear of Sexual Violence

Introduction Women's fear of sexual violence received much attention from researchers in the 1970s and 1980s (Gordon & Riger, 1989; Holgate, 1989; Riger & Gordon, 1981; Valentine, 1989). Women's fear of sexual assault has been deemed widespread and limiting and it has been defined as "women's fear of rape [that keeps them] always on guard, vigilant and alert; a feeling that causes a woman to tighten with anxiety if someone is walking too closely behind her, especially at night. It is a fear that calls up admonitions that women have heard from childhood through adolescence and into maturity" (Gordon & Riger, p. 2). The term "female fear" has been coined to describe not only the prevalence of the fear of sexual violence among women, but also to bring attention to the fact this fear seems to affect only women (Gordon & Riger), indicating an underlying power imbalance between the genders. Fear of sexual assault serves to enforce social control of women, since they will restrict themselves because of it, leaving the public sphere, especially at night, to the free use of men (Day, 1994). The present study is rooted in the feminist tradition; the purpose of which is to address and, ultimately, correct the devaluing or neglect of women's experience and "spheres of life" (Jaggar, 1991, p. 85). One of the main goals of feminism is to have women become part of the standard in our society--a role that has historically been attributed to men (Jaggar). Furthermore, the feminist movement is rooted in the fundamental belief in the equality of women and men and in the notion that women's status in society must be improved (Jaggar). This belief and ultimate goal necessitates an in-depth understanding of the social forces and dynamics--like the dynamics of sexual violence--that serve to subjugate women. Understanding how rape has been conceptualized in feminist theory helps one understand the role of sexual violence in society. Rape is a symptom of societies in which patriarchal ideology is predominant (Sanday, 1998). Society's ambivalence toward rape, the generally upheld belief that rape is an unfortunate practice that cannot be eradicated, and a general acceptance of it as "normal" or a "fact of life" makes rape "an act and a social institution which perpetuate patriarchal domination" (Humm, 1995, p. 185). Whereas Brownmiller (1975) was the first to propose that rape is used as a means of social control of women, feminists presently view rape as "a political act of terror against an oppressed group," which serves as a constant reminder of women's vulnerable condition (Humm, p. 185). In this study we investigate the effect of women's fear of sexual assault on their everyday lives and their views on sexual violence, which for many of them, is an undeniable reality because it occurs frequently. It is estimated that an American person is sexually assaulted every 2 1/2 minutes, and 1 in 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network [RAINN] 2006). Fear is also understandable since assaults often come from someone close. Two thirds of sexual assaults are perpetrated by someone known to the victim: 38% of reported sexual assaults are perpetrated by a friend or acquaintance, 28% are perpetrated by an intimate partner, and 6% are perpetrated by other relatives (RAINN). Sexual assault by a stranger only accounts for 26% of cases (RAINN). Of course, since sexual assault is an underreported crime, these statistics are only a blurry snapshot of what is probably occurring everyday (RAINN). The high prevalence of sexual assault in our society makes it a real concern for many women. We start from the assumption that the reality of sexual violence has real consequences for women and how they live their everyday lives. The purpose of this research is to better understand how the fear of sexual assault restricts women, how women cope with this fear, and how the concept of rituals can be applied to women's precautionary behaviors. …