Merril Smith's Encyclopedia of Rape defines the term “rape culture” as “a culture in which rape and other sexual violence against women…. . . [is] both widespread and considered the norm” (174). Rape is not a new subject in today's society, its origins dating back to ancient times. But what causes rape? Is it men's primary desire to display dominance over all women, or do women share responsibility because of the way they dress, act, or wear makeup? Modern American culture would place blame on the woman who “provoked” the attack; However, a woman should not have to park closer to the building she is entering, nor should she have to wear protection in case a sexual predator decides she is his next victim. Men are just as responsible for rape as women. Rape is not uncommon in world history. The rape of Dinah in the book of Genesis is one of the earliest extant accounts of rape. The rape of Lucretia was the indirect cause of the overthrow of the Roman monarchy in 510 BC, leading to the establishment of the Roman republic. Sexual violence is as much a part of human history as anything else; the only difference is that rape and its sister crimes have always been surrounded by different shades of gray. Rape has many different faces and definitions. The term “rape” is used to define any unwanted form of forced sexual intercourse. Acquaintance rape occurs when the woman knows her attacker fairly well, if not very well. A subcategory of acquaintance rape is date rape, in which the victim maintains a romantic connection in some way with her attacker. Another type of rape is marital rape. This is a serious concern as the husband is abusing the sanctity of marriage and respect for ...... middle of paper ...... lie. “Raising girls in the 21st century”. Buchwald, Fletcher and Roth 212-31. Fletcher, Pamela R. “Dismantling Global Rape Culture: A Social Justice Imperative.” Public Policy Forum: A Journal of the Oxford Roundtable 6.4 (2010): 1. Supplementary Index. Internet. October 31, 2013. Franiuk, Renae and E. Shain. “Beyond Christianity: the status of women and rape myths.” Sex Roles 65.11/12 (2011): 783-791. SocINDEX with full text. Internet. October 31, 2013. Katz, Jackson. The macho paradox, why some men hurt women and how all men can help. Naperville: Sourcebooks Inc., 2006. Print. Madhubuti, Haki R. “Becoming anti-rapist.” Buchwald, Fletcher and Roth 173-87. Miedzian, Myriam. “How rape is encouraged among American boys and what we can do to stop it.” Buchwald, Fletch and Roth 159-72. Smith, Merril D. Encyclopedia of Rape. Westport: Greenwood Press, 2004. Print.