New Form Of Sexual Assault Everyone Needs To Know About

Rape has been an issue that causes controversy, even today. While there have been debates regarding what constitutes "rape," a distrubing new trend regarding intimacy has been unveiled.

In a recent article published in the Columbia Journal of Gender and Law, an act called "stealthing" has been gathering attention. It was defined as the act of nonconsensual removal of a condom before or during sex. This sign or symbol of "male dominance" is said to destroy the normalcy of dating, even in today's "hooking up" culture.

This is a cause of concern because of the protections afforded by the use of a condom. For instance, it prevents pregnancy for females, and it serves as protection for sexually transmitted infections (STI) in both males and females. Because of such protections afforded by the use of a condom, there is now an ongoing investigation regarding the legality of "stealthing." It is deemed not only as a form of sexual assault but as a form of gender-based violence as well.

The Washington Times noted that callers to crisis centers have been confused about the act. Many of them were left wondering whether or not removing a condom without their consent constitutes as rape.

Alexandra Brodsky, lead author of the article and a Legal Fellow for National Women's Law Center, said in the study that "proponents of 'stealthing' root their support in an ideology of male supremacy in which violence is a man's natural right." According to Forbes, men in online chat forums actually brag about the right to "spread their seeds." They even feel the rush when they carry out such form of assault, with "how-to" guides displayed in some online forums.

In 2016, a court in Switzerland convicted a man of rape for "stealthing" his partner. In the rationale, it was noted that the act could be called rape because the woman would not have consented to have sex if she knew beforehand that the man would remove his condom.