The answer is simple, as IndieWire's Casey Cipriani explains; "Sexual violence is very, very real. You don't go about your day expecting to be decapitated, but the reality is that it is not only possible but likely that a woman will be or have been raped in her lifetime ." (2015, para. 15) A rape victim watching a brutal rape on television may be triggered, having memories of her past recalled, causing her to relive the traumatic experience. Sexual violence in the fantasy world, especially in a high-profile television program like Game of Thrones, can have detrimental effects on society when it is poorly represented. In the United States, there are an estimated 293,000 victims of sexual assault each year. (RAINN) Not only does Game of Thrones risk making some of its viewers relive a traumatic experience simply to shock them, but by misusing this sensitive subject, it encourages stereotypes about rape and desensitizes society to an issue already widespread.