Rape threat

A rape threat is a threat made against another person of rape or sexual assault. Rape threats may often be made anonymously or online through the use of social media, and especially against social media influencers. These threats are often made against prominent people such as high-profile writers, actors, comedians and politicians.

Measure of the general prevalence of rape threats varies substantially depending on whether studies examine online social media specifically; email, text messaging or other forms of communication; threats made in person; whether rape threats are considered a form of attempted rape; and whether rape threats are considered separately from other threats of unwanted sexual contact. According to one study of college-age women in the United States, as many as 90.5% of rape threats are not reported to police, with the most common reason for failure to report being that it was unclear if the action was a crime or that harm was intended.

Law enforcement and the courts have been criticized by victims and advocates for an inadequate response to rape threat, and existing laws may often not apply to threat issues via social media. At least two cases have reached national supreme courts.