This Isn't the End: Part 2 (Sensitive Material and Profanity)

It has been a bittersweet morning as I went through my normal routine of stumbling out of bed with just enough energy to get a half-a-pot of Colombian roast going while watching my son expel his first burst of energy of the day. Normally, I look forward to his nap time so I can journal and/or write my daily post, but today I was filled with sadness as I laid my little man in his crib.

But why?

Does the fact that today marks the end of Sexual Assault Awareness Month mean I have to stop talking? No.

Somebody close to me was discussing my blog and questioned my intentions for after this month, "Well now that it's out there, what now? What will you do after April is over and everyone has read your story?"

"They've read only a fraction, and I'm not going to just stop fighting!"

This isn't the end. After today, I don't care if it isn't April anymore, Sexual Assault Awareness doesn't begin on the 1st and cease to exist end of day on the 30th. It is a lifestyle. Every day I wake up and think, How can I be an advocate today?

These past 30 days haven't just been about me, they have been about all the victims who experience the shame, frustration, invalidation, rage, anguish, fear...This was about them knowing they aren't alone. How could I stop fighting when there are others who need my help?


So how will YOU help? How will YOU react to the victims that come forward?

You will listen and never doubt them. As soon as you ask questions that sound like you are blaming them, they will shut you out, never to open their mouth again. Don't let that happen.

• Don't ask them what they were wearing.
• Don't ask them if they were drinking.
• Don't ask them if they fought back.
• Don't ask them if they if they said no.
• Don't ask them if they were hurt.

Why? Because:

• It doesn't matter what they were wearing.
• It doesn't matter if they were drinking.
• Sometimes not fighting is the only way to survive.
• Sometimes you can't say no if your drugged, or drunk, or your mouth is being covered, or gagged. Cries, screams, fear in eyes...there are more ways then just saying the word no, but the only thing that means yes, is yes. 
• They were raped, of course they are hurt! There is more to rape than just physical pain.

If I could have the support system I have now while growing up, many of my behaviors may have been diminished. I might have never cut, or drank myself to sleep, or thought the only way to a man's heart was by blowing him.

Yet, if a rape victim does utilize similar coping skills, do NOT judge them. Don't ask them why the hell they would do shit like that, because that will force them to push you away and never get better. Trust me, I know.

Be patient. Recovery is an extremely long process, and once a rape victim senses a loved one is becoming exasperated with a demeanor of "she isn't getting better, I don't know how to help her anymore," she will give up. The last thing she wants to be is a burden, but you have to let her be that burden, no matter how difficult it is.

I am writing all these things as an example, but they are evidently internalized. The biggest support in my life, my husband, even has off days. Because I am so sensitive to emotions, his negative ones manifest within me, and an amazing day can quickly plummet into a pit of self-loathing and suicidal thoughts. My husband has to explain every one of his emotions to me, so I know he isn't mad at me, otherwise I feel like a weight around his neck, slowly bringing him down each day.

I am not saying every victim will be like me, I am certainly a unique case. The nature of my abuse, along with the repeated offenses, and multiple perps, had an adverse effect on my personality. There is no official stamp on my diagnosis, but it has become evident that I struggle with more than just PTSD.


There is a word for it, but unfortunately it is so widely misunderstood it is like the leper of mental illnesses. Yet, it is real, and scary.

My therapist has been pushing me since she realized my impulse to cut, drink, and suicidal thoughts were continuing to be prevalent, to enter into Dialectical Behavior Therapy. For weeks I have denied the need, until the other day when I snapped.

I did not see my mood change coming. Typically it is a slow build up throughout the day, and I can use skills to override my impulses. This experience was different. Everything hit me at once, there was no time to call anyone or distract myself. I disassociated, and came back realizing I had lost control, and given into my impulse to cut.

The result was worse than previous times, and I was frantic. I didn't feel what I was doing...I had no idea. That scared the shit out of me. I knew I had to do the DBT program, because I don't want to die, but I'm sick of feeling that way.

Last night, after an explosive argument (due to me internalizing my husbands emotions), I had to ground myself using ice so I didn't disassociate. When I finally calmed down, all the tears I had held back streamed out of my eyes with an impeccable force. I wailed to Greg, "Don't let me die! I don't want to leave Link, or you, but I just don't know what is happening...I have no control!"

It is in this moment I finally admitted I needed to stop denying my disorder, and learn how to start living a life worth living.

So no, this isn't the end. Because I am going to start living a life worth living, no matter what it takes.

I am going to be an advocate for rape victims, and fight every day against this fucked up society that has conformed to normalizing and accepting sexual violence.

And with that, my thirty-day blogging journey through Sexual Assault Awareness Month, comes to an end.

Local Business Taking a Stance

I haven't done two blog posts in a day thus far, but I felt a visit to a local coffee shop warranted a special two-fer.

It amazes me how a simple decision by one friend to visit a new coffee shop can unfold into such a gratifying experience. A friend of mine messaged me earlier this day saying he had gone to Lantern Coffee Bar and Lounge for the first time that morning. He informed me that they were displaying some moving art pieces in accordance with Sexual Assault Awareness month.

Obviously, I quickly looked them up on Facebook, and my heart grew warm from the information I found. This coffee shop has taken a stance against sexual violence by dedicating April to represent Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This year they celebrated their one year anniversary by donating proceeds to YWCA, who helps victims of sexual and domestic violence.

Furthermore, they have moving art pieces displayed through their lounge in dedication to the fight against sexual violence. A lot of the pieces display chalkboards correcting the many rape myths that fuel rape culture. Here are a few that were my favorites:

Considering I had such a huge rant against rape culture stemming from the invalidation I received for much of my life, along with my study on video games perpetuating rape culture, I was elated to see such a powerful message in this local coffee shop.

I hope I can team up with their staff next April for another moving Sexual Assault Awareness project.
Thank you Lantern Coffee Bar and Lounge for giving victims the support they need to speak up and ultimately morph into survivors.

This Isn't the End: Part 1 (Trigger Warning. Sensitive Material and Profanity)

These last two days of posting have my heart in bind, because there are not enough words to completely describe my story. What has been revealed this month through my blogging has only scratched the surface of my memoir.

There are events that happened, specific details, explanations that I can't reveal due to implication or legal matters. In a way, it continues to silence me, which is aggravating. While I may not be able to reveal all through my blog, I do plan on publishing a full memoir. Through this I will be able to change names, and hopefully share the entirety of my narrative.

The memories of the rapist I have exposed are only about a quarter of what I experienced growing up. His actions were detrimental to my development as a fully functioning woman, but he was not the only one to harm me in this way. Revealing even just that bit of reality, is embarrassing for me, because there seems to be a waving of the hand towards rape victims who have had multiple assaults, by multiple perpetrators.

One might ask, "Why would you keep letting this happen to you?" It is a valid question, but one that falls within victim-blaming that perpetuates rape culture.

All of my assaults happened at a stage in my life where I was not able to fight back. I didn't get to choose who was around me for the first 18 years of my life. For this reason, much of my adolescence was a lie. I pleased those around me, got taken advantage of, and was ignored.

The fact I was violated by more than one man in my life, helped keep my mouth shut. I felt like I was a magnet for sexual assault. That "I'm a vessel for men to have their way with" mentality led me to sleeping with whoever in early adulthood.

Since I started therapy, much of my anguish is because of repressed memories of other assaults. I remember numerous times that I was journaling and something would flash. Once that realization sparked, my world started to fall apart. I was in constant denial. I would not admit that I was raped by these other men. No fucking way...did I let that happen...

When I started going through Resurrection After Rape, and read the clear definition of all that was classified as rape, I broke down in tears of frustration. Much of the rape myths I have addressed in this blog, I had been living behind for a majority of my life. This was due to inexperienced therapists explaining to me what actually was "real rape" versus what was an "unfortunate confusion."

When I told my therapist that I wasn't aware rape included a list of unwanted penetration, she nodded and said, "It's hard to grasp, because no one seems to think that oral sex is really sex either...but it is....rape is rape." Hearing her validate my abuse, especially since it was the first time from a therapist, made me sigh in relief. That day, I finally felt safe in that room, sitting across my therapist. She didn't look at me like I was crazy or say, "Well, that isn't what really happened."  She supported my claims and eased my fears.

She is the only therapist I have had who has not only supported me, but also challenged me. Sometimes it is infuriating, because she refuses to let me give up. She doesn't say, "It's okay, I'll hold your hand while you wallow in your depression." She reminds me that it isn't going to go away unless I face it, and calls me out on my shit, especially when I start blaming myself. She doesn't cringe, she doesn't over sympathize, she just knows.

I am writing all of this to remind myself in a few months, when I am deep in intense trauma therapy, not to give up or hate my therapist. I will be going through Prolonged Exposure Therapy, which I guarantee is going to throw me into a fit of rage and depression, but if it helps lessen the panic attacks related to frequent flashbacks, I don't care.

I'm not done fighting.

I Cannot Accept This...Will You? (Sensitive Material)

Considering this past weekend I was neck deep in research for my analytical report on Rape Culture perpetuated by video games, it is no surprise that I am burnt out. My brain is already littered with memories of my past and the invalidation of those around me, it didn't help to read about the society we live in and how it conforms to this culture.

It makes my heart ache for those victims who have felt the need to keep their mouth shut because they buy into the mythology behind rape culture. Either that or their story was ignored because they had been drinking or knew their attacker personally. A lot of the times when college women are forced to report their story to campus police it is treated as an inconvenience.

I know of so many girls, some of them who have come to me personally, and questioned their experience because they had been drinking, passed out, and woken up with a man inside them without prior consent. When they realize what is happening, fight back and say, "no," it is already too late. Or they are too drunk or drugged to do anything. They start blaming themselves saying, "I shouldn't have been drinking, or have gone to that party in the first place."

What kind of society are we living in if guys are allowed to get drunk and do what they want without consequence, yet women have to mind their "p's and q's?" That is why so many movements against acquaintance rape, especially on college campuses, say "Teach 'don't rape,' not 'don't get raped." I can already hear the noise from people arguing that there is a gray area, and they are entitled to their opinion, but they are wrong.

Look, I don't hate men, or believe that men keep women in line with the power of their penis, but people need to stop looking at rape as a women's issue. Women aren't raped, or men for that matter, because there is something wrong with them. It really is a men's issue, and before anyone wants to argue that, just know that 99.8% of rapists are men.

I'm sick of rape myths and rape jokes. I'm also sick of children being exposed to sexual content and violence through TV, movies, and video games. It personally makes me sick to my stomach when I have to sell Grand Theft Auto V to a parent who is letting their 8 year old play it. This happens even AFTER I explain the detailed scenarios in the game. One evening this happened about 10 times, and I had to remove myself from the sales floor in frustration.

People can say what they want to me, but I will never stop fighting against the people who roll their eyes when college women report rape, or do anything that perpetuates victim blaming, because as soon as I stop fighting, I am denying victims their right of transforming into survivors.

Role Playing Rape: How Video Games Perpetuate Rape Culture

Abstract

As video games continue to be a popular choice of entertainment among adolescents, the observation of content, specifically of sexually explicit nature, is crucial. With rape culture being prevalent and continuously driven through exposure to these stereotypical gender roles and sexual content, a solution to lower this propensity is needed.
Research was conducted in two ways: (1) Various psychology literature was examined as well as news articles. (2) A survey of 100 anonymous participants was conducted on the allowance of minors to play mature rated games with strong sexual content. The report addresses covers following topics: (1) what is rape culture? (2) video game's sexual violence, and gender roles, (3) effects of video games on rape tendencies, and (4) ESRB ratings vs actual knowledge. This study concludes that a direct correlation of mature content in video games and rape culture perpetuation exists.
It is suggested that further education results in lowered allowance of minors playing mature rated video games. Inclusion of synopses in video game packaging is recommended to provide extended knowledge of specific mature content in video games while lowering exposure to minors, and decreasing the rape culture perpetuation.


 

Role Playing Rape:
How Video Games Perpetuate
Rape Culture

 

Introduction

 
Video games continue to grow as a major entertainment source, with children an average age of 14 playing typically 9 hours a week (Stermer & Burkley, 2012). It is crucial to observe the content of video games and the effects on social, primarily sexual, behaviors.

Purpose of the Study

    The purpose of this report is to examine the sexual content in video games, how it plays a role in rape culture, and implementing further ESRB education to avoid unwarranted exposure. The answers to the following questions will be provided:

• What is rape culture?
• How strong is the sexual content in video games?
• How do video games mature content effect rape tendencies?
• How informed are people on ESRB descriptors vs. actual content?

Scope of the Study

    This study was limited by a time span of 12 weeks, limited monetary resources to provide a larger survey sample with a longer questionnaire, and the specific nature of the topic. Information was gathered mostly through psychology databases. Survey participants were limited to 100 anonymous individuals composed through social networking.

Methods and Procedures

    Secondary research was primarily utilized through customary research of journals, books, and website articles. A survey was issued in April of 2014, through social networking of 100 anonymous participants. The survey consisted of 73 females and 27 males. Participants were asked questions regarding mature-rated video games, their knowledge of ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board), and their allowance of children under 17 playing these games (See Appendix for questions).

Findings

What is Rape Culture?

    Rape culture is defined as "an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture" (Rape Culture, n.d.). It has been a topic of discussion since the 1970's, and pushed to notice through literature including Emilie Buchwald's Transforming a Rape Culture (What is Rape Culture?, n.d.).
    Rape culture is propagated through a multitude of behaviors, but some examples are (Rape Culture, n.d.):

• Minimizing sexual assault
• Victim blaming
• "Misogynistic language"
• "Glamorization of sexual violence"
• "Gratuitous gendered violence in movies and television"

    In 1975, Susan Brownmiller released Against Our Will Men, Women, and Rape, a detailed account of rape throughout history along with her education on a culture that has accepted rape. Consistently throughout the book, rape is portrayed as a way of life through historical accounts. Brownmiller speaks of the myths behind males by calling them "distorted proverbs that govern female sexuality…they are the beliefs that most men hold, and the nature of male power is such that they have managed to convince many women. For to make a woman a willing participant in her own defeat is half the battle" (Brownmiller, 1975).
These myths she spoke of were:

• "All women want to be raped"
• "No woman can be raped against her will"
• "She was asking for it"
• "If you're going to be raped, you might as well relax and enjoy it"

In relating to rape culture, these myths fall in-in line with victim blaming and misogynistic language.
    Brownmiller also discusses how the idea of rape is nearly ingrained into our minds from early on. "Rape seeps into our childhood consciousness by imperceptible degrees. Even before we learn to read we have become indoctrinated into a victim mentality. Fairy tales are full of a vague dread, a catastrophe that seems to befall only little girls" (Brownmiller, 1975, p. 309). Even nearly 40 years later, society has not changed. It is still in the business of a thriving rape culture.
    Matt Atkinson, a therapist specializing in rape trauma, wrote a book called Resurrection after Rape, to aid victims of sexual assault through the many stages of recovery. Part of the book focuses on self-blame, and how a society focused on victim blaming plays a part in it. This culture is widespread and represented through ads for clothing, social media memes, and even toys. An example he used is of this t-shirt that really exists (Atkinson, 2010):

Figure 1
Rape Culture on Clothing

Atkinson also lists more specific examples including the video game series Grand Theft Auto that will "award points for raping and beating bystander women" (Atkinson, 2010).
    The view of this particular game, although not the only one, lending itself to rape culture is widespread. When discussing gender inequality and rape culture Kaity Bergquist states,

One of the worst examples is the video game Grand Theft Auto (italics mine). The male characters in the game are rewarded for the rape or murder of women in the game. If men are being taught that doing this is okay in a game, it's logical that they will think it's okay in real life. Most men won't go out and rape someone just because of a video game, but the seeds have been planted (Bergquist, 2013).

 

Video Games, Sexual Violence, and Gender Roles

    A number of studies have observed video games and the gender roles portrayed by them. In 1998, Tracy L. Dietz provided an analysis of 33 popular video games and their themes. Through her research it was concluded that nearly 30% women were objectified and over 20% included violence towards women. (Dietz, 1998).
    Sexual Violence. Specific examples of sexual violence, specifically objectifying women, from video games are offered through other studies. The Grand Theft Auto series is noted for its use of women as prostitutes and men as brutes. "A male can have sex with a prostitute, then kill her and take his money back…Female prostitutes, when hit by a male character, are programmed to respond, 'I like it rough'" (Dill & Thill, 2007, p. 853). In, Duke Nukem Forever released in 2011, players have to retrieve a women dressed in school attire that speaks only in a sexual manner. "When the woman is uncooperative, the player must spank her to 'put her in her place'" (Stermer & Burkley, 2012, p. 2). An even more recent and disturbing depiction of sexual violence is in Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Heroes where, "a female character is sexually assaulted by male characters; while there is no visual depiction, sounds of ripped clothing and struggle can be heard. The words "f**k" and "sh*t" are heard in the dialogue" (ESRB, n.d.)
    Gender Roles. Dietz discusses in her observations that video games and their negative portrayals of women may have an adverse effect on gender identity. Girls learn to be "needy" and focus on beauty and sex appeal, while boys learn to "protect and defend" and possess women through violence (Dietz, 1998). It is hard to ignore the portrayal of these roles even in early games. The Adventures of Bayou Billy (1989), a man holds a knife to a woman with large breasts, wearing a low cut dress. Double Dragon (1985)
which depicts a woman in a mini-skirt also with large breasts getting hit by man on the street who then kidnaps her (Dietz, 1998).
Another study observed gender roles through video game characters with over 80% of male characters depicted as aggressive and over 60% of female characters are sexualized. Within this same research, a survey was conducted amongst 49 college freshmen (20 male, 29 female) to characterize male and female video game characters. The table below shows descriptors commonly used to illustrate these characters (Dill & Thill, 2007):

Figure 2
Characterizations and Frequency

Male			Female
Characterization	Rank	Frequency	Characterization	Rank	Frequency
Muscular/Strong/Built	1	35	Skimpy clothes/ Naked/ Tight Clothes	1	18
Violent/Deadly	2	21	Big boobs/ Voluptuous	2	15
Mean/Cocky/Arrogant/ Belligerent	3	18	Skinny	3	13
Athletic/Sports	4	8	Slutty/Sexy/Hooker	4	11
Gangster	5	5	Violent	5	7

 
These portrayals underpin a view that "men are aggressive and powerful" while women are unhealthy, sexually objectified, and "second-class" (Dill & Thill, 2007). The sexism shown isn't meant to represent actuality, but mythology, and as stated by Dill & Thill "those myths construct the social realities that real people believe in and act on" (Dill & Thill, 2007, p. 854).

Effects of Video Games on Rape Tendencies

    Rape tendencies include a predisposition to rape and the myths behind it. Personality plays in this role through hyper-masculinity, which "emphasizes power, control, and macho characteristics" (Dill K. E., 2009, p. 133)

Rape Mythology and Video Games. Studies have shown a correlation of stereotype portrayals with acceptance of rape myths. Two main female stereotypes are present named the virgin and the vamp. The virgin is sweet, innocent, and needs man's protection while the vamp is sexualized through inviting men to use her. Depending on how a stereotype is construed, affects the acceptance of rape myths (Fox & Bailenson, 2009). Fox and Bailenson's study showed a higher rape myth acceptance when subjects "encountered a highly stereotypical character."

Another study discovered that men who regularly play "violent sexualized video games were higher in rape proclivity and rape myth acceptance" and "men who played a sexualized video game later judged a rape victim more negatively" (Stermer & Burkley, 2012). In Dill's study in 2009, there was a direct correlation of video game violence exposure and rape myth acceptance. Some of the myths these participants were likely to believe post exposure were (Dill K. E., 2009):

• Women want to be raped
• Women ask for and deserve rape
• Women cry rape for attention
• "Rape victims are promiscuous"
• Drunk women are "fair game" for men even if they refuse sex    

 
Rape Proclivity. Children absorb roles through childhood play, which can be accomplished through video games. We have shown how video games can have an adverse effect on gender identity (Dietz, 1998), yet how does this relate to rape and the culture supporting it?
In February of 2014, children at a British Co-Ed school were found "simulating rape and intercourse," amongst other mature behavior, on the playground. When teachers confronted the children about where they had seen these actions, the answer was Grand Theft Auto V. In response to this discovery, the headmaster sent a letter to all the parents, warning them that this behavior would not be tolerated. Excerpts from the letter are below (Harris, 2014):

Figure 3
Behavior Portrayed from Grand Theft Auto

Figure 4
Warning to Parents

What can be seen through this disturbing example of video games effects on rape tendencies, is that knowledge of specific content and scenarios within video games is crucial to minimize the exposure of inappropriate content to minors.

ESRB Ratings vs. Actual Knowledge

The ESRB is responsible for attaching age appropriate ratings to video games. On the front of the box there is a symbol to represent the rating and on the back there are content descriptors to provide a meaning behind the rating (Kutner & Olson, 2008). While the ratings and content descriptors are meant to protect minors from suggestive content, parents aren't always aware what they really mean.
In order to show the correlation between ratings vs. actual knowledge of content, specifically sexual content, a survey was conducted of 100 candidates (73 female, 27 male), questioning about ESRB and allowance of M-Rated game-play by minors. It was predicted frequency of adults who would allow a child to play an M-Rated game, would drop once reading a synopsis of the sexual content (Questionnaire can be found in Appendix A).
Since Grand Theft Auto is one of the most controversial M-Rated series, it is no surprise that there was a greater response to the content portrayed throughout one of the titles. Out of the parents that would allow their children to play Grand Theft Auto games, almost 70% changed their mind after reading a synopsis.
Gender played a big role on allowance of minors to play Grand Theft Auto. Shown in the following figure, men were at a higher propensity to allow a minor to play this series, even after reading the detailed synopsis.

 

Figure 5
Gender Role on Allowance
of Minors Playing Grand Theft Auto

What is even more troubling is that almost 50% of these men are current parents of a child under 17. Furthermore, nearly 90% of men were familiar with the ESRB while almost 50% of women were not. Regardless of the skewed acceptance of minors playing Grand Theft Auto by men, there was still a drop in percentage post synopsis reading. Other games that saw a decrease post synopsis, although not as significant, were South Park: The Stick of Truth and the Saints Row series.

Analysis

Consideration of primary and secondary research of how video games perpetuate a rape culture and allowance of minors to play such games, has led to the following analysis.

Summary

It has been shown through multitudes of studies that video games and their mature content have a direct correlation to the absorption of gender roles and acceptance of rape myths. Furthermore, specific ties to rape proclivity has been represented through research and real life examples of children acting out rape scenes. Considering these findings, it can be reduced that video games feed into the rape culture that is widespread.
A survey of 100 participants revealed that post synopsis reading, the likelihood of allowing a minor to play sexually explicit games such as Grand Theft Auto dropped significantly. Additionally, it was shown that men had a higher propensity to allow minors to play this specific game series.

Conclusions

    Based on the research provided the following conclusions were drawn:

• Rape culture is supported by the belief of rape myths.
• Rape myth and acceptance is ingrained in society through multiple outlets including video games.
• Video games portray gender in stereotypical roles that support rape myths.
• Rape tendencies including a predisposition to rape and the myths behind it can increase through exposure to mature video games.
• ESRB ratings and content descriptors are not representative of actual scenarios within a video game.
• Allowance of minors to play games such as Grand Theft Auto drops post synopsis reading.

Recommendations

Through these findings it is suggested that further education of ESRB ratings and content is needed. While synopses are available online through ESRB's website, parents cannot read this on the back of a game box. Greater enforcement of policies regarding M-Rated video game sales, as well as full synopsis inclusion on video game packaging, would aid in the reduction of minors exposure to inappropriate content.
    With video games continuing to grow as a favorite pass-time for adolescents, it can be said that this reduction in exposure would only help to establish a more supportive society that fights against, rather than accepts, rape.

References

 

Atkinson, M. (2010). Resurrection after Rape: A Guide for Transforming from Victim to Survivor. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: RAR Publishing.

Bergquist, K. (2013, April 22). Gender Inequality: Rape Culture in America. Retrieved April 25, 201, from the telescope: http://www2.palomar.edu/telescope/2013/04/22/gender-inequality-rape-culture-in-america/

Brownmiller, S. (1975). Against Our Will Men, Women, and Rape. New York, New York: Simon and Schuster.

Dietz, T. L. (1998, March). An Examination of Violence and Gender Role Portrayals in Video Games: Implications for Gender Socialization and Aggressive Behavior. Sex Roles, 38.

Dill, K. E. (2009). Violent video games, rape myth acceptance, and negative attitudes toward Women. Violence against women in families and relationships, 133,.

Dill, K. E., & Thill, K. P. (2007, October 17). Video Game Characters and the Socialization of Gender Roles: Young People's Perceptions Mirror Sexist Media Depictions. Sex Roles, 852, 853,854.

ESRB. (n.d.). Rating Information: Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Heroes. Retrieved April 23, 2014, from Entertainment Software Rating Board: http://www.esrb.org/ratings/synopsis.jsp?Certificate=33278

Fox, J., & Bailenson, J. N. (2009, June 12). Virtual Virgins and Vamps: The Effects of Exposure to Female Characters' Sexualized Appearance and Gaze in an Immersive Virtual Environment. Sex Roles.

Harris, S. (2014, February 12). Children as young as six have been acting out drug and rape scenes from Grand Theft Auto in the PLAYGROUND, says British headteacher. Retrieved from Mail Online: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2557533/Children-young-six-acting-drug-rape-scenes-Grand-Theft-Auto-PLAYGROUND-says-headteacher.html

Kutner, L., & Olson, C. K. (2008). Grand Theft Childhood. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster.

Rape Culture. (n.d.). Retrieved April 26, 2014, from Marshall University: http://www.marshall.edu/wcenter/sexual-assault/rape-culture/

Stermer, S. P., & Burkley, M. (2012, May 21). SeX-Box: Exposure to Sexist Video Games Predicts Benevolent Sexism. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 1,2.

What is Rape Culture? (n.d.). Retrieved April 26, 2014, from Women Against Violence Against Women: http://www.wavaw.ca/what-is-rape-culture/