Is the word "rape" offensive?

[Rednog]

I was reading an article on Mobafire, for those of you who don't know it is a site that contains guides for the MOBA game League of legends, and they had an article talking about a player 'Dyrus' making a public apology for using the word rape.
The article:

Spoiler

If you have played any online games you know that the online gaming community is not the friendliest around. Racial slurs and phrases like ?get raped? have become commonplace, but should we really just accept this? Even if someone stands up and says ?hey that?s hurtful? the typical response is that they should grow a thicker skin and put up with it because this is the internet. Is this the community we want to be a part of?

Well some people are saying ?no!? There have been several articles and discussions recently on the subject of using the word ?rape/raped? to mean an uncontested win. It is very likely that the word ?rape? will trigger a painful memory for a rape victim, similar to the sounds of bullets to a soldier with PTSD. However, what you readers might not know is that 42% of gamers are female. This study also states that the average age of a gamer is 37. Another set of numbers that may surprise you is that 1 out of 6 women and 1 out of 33 men will be a victim of attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. The same study also states that 80% of victims are under the age of 30, which is well within the age range of the average gamer.

Dyrus of Team SoloMid recently made a public apology at IPL4 for using the word ?rape? after a fan of his approached him and asked him to stop using the word. Dyrus apologized in front of thousands of people, and right after winning the tournament. I think the fact that Dyrus is willing to do this is very commendable, and I am hopeful that others will follow in his footsteps.

In my opinion, this isn?t about banning words or censorship; it is about changing the perception of the community. We have become so desensitized to words like: ?rape, ******, ******, ******? and other words that are considered quite offensive. It?s easy to forget that just because you aren?t offended by these words, that others are very likely to be. Even if a person hasn?t been raped, the target of racism, bullied by homophobes or is mentally disabled, it likely they know someone who has. In the wise words of our admin Matt, ?let's talk how we do in person, when someone can reach over the table and grab you by the collar.?

The fact that discussions like these are cropping up more frequently tells me that people do care and they do want to change the rude and crude gamer stereotype. I hope that the online gaming community will slowly learn to become more inclusive and understanding, just as the real world is doing the same.

While I am all for changing the game community throwing out insults at each other I was a bit baffled that someone could say that rape is akin to a racial slut or that the victim of rape would be distraught by hearing the word rape as a PTSD solider would be to hearing the sound of bullet being fired.
While it might be a really distasteful thing to say I don't know if I would consider it on the same level as a racial slur nor would I think that by saying it I would emotionally scar someone.
Don't get me wrong, I've never been raped and I know that it is a terrible life changing event, but does anyone buy this kind of argument?

 

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, that's commonly called "triggering". The comparison to a racial slur isn't very apt, but to a soldier hearing a bullet sounds reasonable enough.

 

[Raven's Nest]

Erm I don't think there is anything inherently offensive in the word rape but you can use it in a sentence to make it offensive.

"Get raped" and "get fucked" near enough mean to suggest the same thing. Both are equally offensive things to say..

I personally think the casual way in which the word "rape" is used these days makes me a little sad. If anything, rape is a less common occurance than it used to be (which is why they seem high profile)... We shouldn't let ourselves become desensitised to what it represents. As said in the article, a victim of rape probably feels the same (I'd say worse) being reminded of it than someone who had a racial slur said to them.

He was right to apologise for it in my opinion.

 

[dudycat1]

it's sad but the word rape has become a common expression for winning or for a general insult. Although i know why the guy did apologize i don't think there would be to much of a massive uproar if he didn't apologize.

 

[Dags90]

While it's a small sample size, the one rape victim that I do know doesn't have her PTSD triggered by words, and I think "very likely" is what Wikipedia would call "weasel words" needing citation.

To me it comes across as a hollow guilt trip that suggests making someone simply feel bad isn't reason enough, it has to be "very likely" to trigger mental illness. That's bullshit.

People should just try being less mean in general.

 

[Swyftstar]

Yeah, that's commonly called "triggering". The comparison to a racial slur isn't very apt, but to a soldier hearing a bullet sounds reasonable enough.

This. Unfortunatley rape is a lot more common than we think as a lot of women don't report it and chances are a few of the women in your life have at least been close to having it happen or been scared that it might happen if not actually having it happen. Hearing the word can make them remember, and you can imagine how remembering something like that might make a person feel. I've heard a lot of gamers, and I'm including myself, throw around the word to mean being beaten particularly badly and joke about it while not considering how someone who might be in earshot or in your very group might be affected by hearing the word. Regardless of my personal feelings about the word, as a general rule, since I don't want to make anyone feel like crap, I try to refrain from using it in social situations where it might cause distress.

 

[Petromir]

While it can produce a triggering response, whether it should be treated differently because of this isn't that clear cut. For a start I fairly sure loads of things can produce a similar response many of which aren't linked to the actual act involved (whether its ptsd from whatever cause or similar) including random objects etc usually considered benign, and until such reactions happen from a person you wont know, nor can you guarantee that they will every time.

There are also multiple meanings of the word. Apart from the sex crime, its also a plant (and a major crop at that), and ancient division of Sussex, and an act of wanton destruction or spoiling of a place.

Clearly in this sort of context (ie that of gaming insults etc) only the sexual act and the violent destruction of country side make any sense at all. And given the large preoccupation with sexual matters in many gamers and the reasonable prevalence of other sexual terms in said context its difficult to assign it the latter meaning especially if used to refer to another person.

Its clearly intended to be offensive in some way, much of its peers also are, the question is is there a line in what is acceptably offensive and if there is where should it be drawn.

 

[JaceArveduin]

Yeah, that's commonly called "triggering". The comparison to a racial slur isn't very apt, but to a soldier hearing a bullet sounds reasonable enough.

This. Unfortunatley rape is a lot more common than we think as a lot of women don't report it and chances are a few of the women in your life have at least been close to having it happen or been scared that it might happen if not actually having it happen. Hearing the word can make them remember, and you can imagine how remembering something like that might make a person feel. I've heard a lot of gamers, and I'm including myself, throw around the word to mean being beaten particularly badly and joke about it while not considering how someone who might be in earshot or in your very group might be affected by hearing the word. Regardless of my personal feelings about the word, as a general rule, since I don't want to make anyone feel like crap, I try to refrain from using it in social situations where it might cause distress.

Oh, and guys practically never report it or speak of it again, because a lot of the times it's done by other guys! Heh, what would you know, a little nugget of info from one of the staff at college did come in use here.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Oh, and guys practically never report it or speak of it again, because a lot of the times it's done by other guys! Heh, what would you know, a little nugget of info from one of the staff at college did come in use here.

The vast majority of male rapes are done by other males, though I don't know if males are more likely to report being raped by a woman.

 

[JaceArveduin]

Oh, and guys practically never report it or speak of it again, because a lot of the times it's done by other guys! Heh, what would you know, a little nugget of info from one of the staff at college did come in use here.

The vast majority of male rapes are done by other males, though I don't know if males are more likely to report being raped by a woman.

Dat pride thing, sometimes it really isn't good for your health, even when you don't have to worry about The Gods smiting you for it.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Oh, and guys practically never report it or speak of it again, because a lot of the times it's done by other guys! Heh, what would you know, a little nugget of info from one of the staff at college did come in use here.

The vast majority of male rapes are done by other males, though I don't know if males are more likely to report being raped by a woman.

Dat pride thing, sometimes it really isn't good for your health, even when you don't have to worry about The Gods smiting you for it.

Well, even if you don't have to worry about deities, you live in a society in which you're strongly encouraged not to say you've been raped, especially if you're a man. I can't blame people for choosing not to report it.

 

[danodanz]

I use the word out of context (As a lot of folk do, in fairness).

Usually relating it to mundane things, such as....

"I Hate Twilight, it rapes my sanity"


Yeaaaaaaah I can see how that would offend to be fair.

 

[Jonluw]

As with all things, it's all about context.

No words are inherently offensive. It's the message/idea you're attempting to convey that is offensive.

"Woo! You just got raped, *****!"
Offensive

"A young woman was raped in the outskirts of town last night."
Not offensive

 

[Suicidejim]

Hang on, 'get raped?' Not as in 'I hope you get raped' but an actual command? An imperative? How is that meant to work? How do you deliberately go about having non-consensual sex, when it is you whose consent may not be given? Is this even possible, to consent to not give consent?

I'm starting to think that this is not so much about sexual abuse as it is placing the recipient into a metaphysical conundrum from which there is no escape . . .

 

[DoPo]

Hang on, 'get raped?' Not as in 'I hope you get raped' but an actual command? An imperative? How is that meant to work? How do you deliberately go about having non-consensual sex, when it is you whose consent may not be given? Is this even possible, to consent to not give consent?

I'm starting to think that this is not so much about sexual abuse as it is placing the recipient into a metaphysical conundrum from which there is no escape . . .

I laughed quite hard. Which is bad, as I'm also eating at the moment. So good job there trying to kill me. This sentence is a lie.

Take that!

 

[Reiper]

Not really sure why rape is so taboo.

If I said "I am going to murder you" right before a match in some game nobody would bat a lash. Though people get their noses out of joint if I say "I am going to rape you!"

last I check, murder was worse than rape as well...

 

[LetalisK]

While it's a small sample size, the one rape victim that I do know doesn't have her PTSD triggered by words, and I think "very likely" is what Wikipedia would call a "weasel words" needing citation.

To me it comes across as a hollow guilt trip that suggests making someone simply feel bad isn't reason enough, it has to be "very likely" to trigger mental illness. That's bullshit.

People should just try being less mean in general.

*signs on to this sentiment*

I also take issue with the soldier with PTSD comparison. Not only does it imply that PTSD is harder to trigger in a soldier than a rape victim(the trigger being actual events taking place vs uttering a word), but it also implies rape victims are incredibly fragile that crumble at the utterance of a word, which is bullshit.

As above, people should just try being less mean in general.

 

[Beautiful Tragedy]

Yes, the word rape is offensive, VERY offensive. Nothing positive can be extrapolated from it.

 

[Mr. Omega]

I'm a firm believer of the idea that it's context that determines whether or not something is offensive. That being said, almost every single context where "rape" is commonly used is meant to be offensive.