Rape has become a big topic within the past couple of years. Reports have gone unacknowledged by media and politicians, and in the cases that have been covered on television, the victims are told that it is their fault that they provoked their rapist. There will be examples from the fiction story, Speak, written by Laurie Halse Anderson, as well as online articles The Impacts of Sexual Assault on Women by Cameron Boyd and Effects of Sexual Assault by RAINN, Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network. What is the answer to why men, and even boys, treat girls and women the way they do, and how many rapes go unreported each year? What psychological effects does it have, as well as why do people, witnesses as well as victims, not speak out?
Rape…show more content… She was raped at a party and calls the cops but never got to tell what happened to her. Her ruining the party ruins her reputation and she loses all of her friends, withdraws from her social life, and stops trying to participate in all school activities, including class. She starts failing all her classes, except for art which she enjoys more than anything else in the school, and has only one friend who ends up dumping her for a more popular group. In art, she has to only do projects on the topic she draws. Tree. That is it. She tries many different things throughout the year, never finding exactly what she is looking for. She stops speaking to everyone except for a few times here and there. She tells no one until her former best friend starts to date the boy who raped her, but even then Rachelle doesn’t believe Melinda and continues to date the boy. Despite Rachelle insisting that she doesn't believe her, she breaks up with the boy and tells him why. He then goes after Melinda and she decides that she can no longer take any of this. She screams and lashes out, hurting herself and her rapist. Everyone found out what happened through context and they begin to talk to her and tell her they are sorry and acting like they didn't treat her like dirt for the whole year. The book ends with her in the art room with the only person who has tried to get her to talk about what had happened to her even without knowing something had actually happened. Mr. Freeman's room, her art teacher. She finishes her final draft, happy that it finally looks “alive” and needs one final thing. She draws birds and starts crying when she is finishing this, then she goes to Mr. Freeman to turn in her final tree. It ends with her finally telling someone what had