The fact that all women have a 26% chance of being raped in their lifetime is appalling and unacceptable (Lips 303). Rape culture has yet to be actively addressed by society. In a sense, society actually perpetuates rape culture by maintaining the cycle of victim blaming, sexual objectification, and elective ignorance. When I say willful ignorance, I am referring to society's tendency to turn a blind eye to some forms of sexual violence, such as domestic abuse, because they are considered outside the public sphere. When sexual violence occurs in the private sphere but somehow spreads into the public sphere, social institutions and victims of the crime often try to hide the crime for fear of controls and sanctions. The perpetuation of rape culture and the social construction of sexual violence are significantly influenced by society's conceptualization of the public and private spheres. Recently, I watched a twenty-minute YouTube video that told the story of a Brown University student named Lena who was strangled and raped by a fellow student in August 2013 (YouTube.com). Lena Sclove was told her healing process would begin when she reported the rape to Brown Public Safety. Although Brown University found the rapist guilty and suspended him from school for a year, he was allowed to return to school for the fall semester of 2014. Brown rejected it when he appealed their decision to allow the offender to return to campus. . The reason I talk about this incident that happened at the renowned university is because it is one of the few where the victim actually talks about the "consequences of academic institutions' silence in the face of rape" (Lips 306).... ...half of paper ......ning. It actually makes me uncomfortable to think about why I perceive Beyoncé as “real” and Nicki Minaj as “fake.” It's not simply because I've had an image of what a “real woman” is ingrained in me since childhood, but it's also based on the fact that there are racial stereotypes and double standards at play. It's a complex conversation that requires a lot of self-reflection and thoughtful criticism that I may not be fully prepared for right now. Works CitedLips, Hilary M. "Sexual Lives and Orientations." Sex and gender: an introduction. 6th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill/Higher Education, 2008. Print.Sexual Assault at Brown University: Stand Up For Lena. YouTube.com, April 22, 2014. Web. April 22, 2014. Hard Disguise: Violence, Media, and the Crisis of Masculinity. Dir. Sut Jhally. By Jackson Katz. Perf. Jackson Katz. Media Education Foundation, 1999. Transcript.