The answer is simple, as explained by IndieWire's Casey Cipriani; "Sexual violence is very, very real. You can't go about your day expecting to be beheaded, but the reality is that it is not only possible but likely that a woman will be or has been raped in her lifetime." (2015, para. 15) A rape victim watching a brutal rape on television may be triggered by having memories of her past brought back, causing her to relive the traumatic experience. Sexual violence in fantasy, especially in a high-profile television show like Game of Thrones, can have harmful effects on society if portrayed poorly. In America it is estimated that there are 293,000 victims of sexual violence every year. (RAINN) Game of Thrones not only risks reliving a traumatic experience for a portion of its viewers simply to shock, but in its repeated misuse of a sensitive topic it encourages stereotypes about rape and desensitizes society to an issue that is already widely discussed.