*Why Rape?*The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) (2009) is “the nation's largest organization fighting sexual violence.” According to this accredited sexual violence charity, every two minutes, someone in the United States is sexually assaulted. Additionally, they report that approximately one in six women have been victims of attempted or attempted sexual assault. In 2003, 9 out of 10 rape victims were women (RAINN). The statistics speak for themselves and support the theory that sexual assault is a widespread problem in the United States. What the statistics don't examine is why sexual assault occurs. Furthermore, statistics fail to explain why women are most often the victims of these sexual assaults. This article will attempt to uncover the truth behind these numbers, examining the research and theories about why professionals believe sexual assault occurs. Although several theorists have presented their understanding of the motivations for rape, no single theory has been recognized as the correct answer. Understanding sexual assault is a complex issue and can be explained by a variety of factors that play a role in a larger picture. It is a collaboration of institutional and socialized norms that discriminate against women and the characteristics with which they are associated. As Marilyn Frye (1983) explained in her book The Politics of Reality, the oppression of women, like the oppression of many other minority groups, can be described as a birdcage. She states that when one is close to the cage, each wire constitutes an individual obstacle and can simply be dodged, but if one wants to move away from the wire and see the cage in its entirety, the collection of wires is the only solution. force whi...... middle of article...... it seems that both men and women should increase their education on the subject and think about how they can personally help change the way women are perceived in America.ReferencesFrye, M. (1983). The Politics of Reality: Essays in Feminist Theory. Trumansburg, NY: Crossing Press. King, N. (2003). Knowing women: Heterosexual men and sexual certainty. Gender and Society, 17(6), 861-877. Retrieved March 25, 2012 from JSTOR database. Pearson, A. (2000). Rape culture: media and message. Off Our Backs, 30(8), 13-14. Retrieved March 25, 2012 from JSTOR database. Statistics. RAIN. Retrieved March 25, 2012 from http://www.rainn.org/statisticsWhaley, RB (2001). The paradoxical relationship between gender inequality and rape: toward a refined theory. Gender and Society,15(4), 531-555. Retrieved March 25, 2012 from JSTOR database.