Rape is rape, yet we ask women what they were wearing at the time and teach them how to avoid it instead of raising men who will not commit such a horrific crime.
Women between the ages of 16-24 have a four times higher risk of being raped than any other age group. Often, people blame use provocative dressing and alcohol consumption as an excuse as to why these girls become victims. Whatever the cause, these excuses are pathetic.
Rape is rape, yet we ask women what they were wearing at the time and teach them how to avoid it instead of raising men who will not commit such a horrific crime.
Women between the ages of 16-24 have a four times higher risk of being raped than any other age group. Often, people blame use provocative dressing and alcohol consumption as an excuse as to why these girls become victims. Whatever the cause, these excuses are pathetic.
Rapists’ commit rape. That is a simple fact for most, yet its perspective is many times turned towards the victim, not the criminal. Neither men nor women should ever be blamed for being sexually violated. No crop top, no miniskirt, no amount of alcohol warrants an excuse for rape.
When a drunk driver kills someone it is still considered murder. Violating someone who is drunk is still rape.
Consent is key to determining what constitutes rape. It is sad that this is still very vague in nature, but it needs to be said. If a woman says yes it is consensual. If a woman says no, it is rape. If women are passed out drunk with no ability to consent, it is rape.
A stereotypical rapist is the brutal-looking man with eyes that pierce and a vibe that screams danger. He preys on victims from behind a bush with a handkerchief soaked in chloroform. In reality, most rapists look like everyone else. Around 84 percent of victims knew their assailant.
Unfortunately, a weak two percent of rapes end up reported. Our culture has made both women and men feel unwilling to seek help. People have normalized rape by making excuses for it and joking about it. Asking what a women was wearing at the time of the rape is as ridiculous and unnecessary as asking the rapist what they were wearing.
Ranjit Sinha, director of the Central Bureau of Investigation, said during a sports ethics panel discussion, “If you can’t prevent rape, you enjoy it.” Former Los Angeles Police Chief, Ed Davis, said virtually the same thing in the 1980s. If roles were to be reversed, it is unlikely that he would enjoy being raped.
It seems that rape is the only crime where the victim becomes the accused. Victims deserve more than to be further wrung out by pathetic jokes and petty excuses. These archaic thoughts and standards need to be put to rest for good.
