Here’s a rather shocking report from across the water.
Haven, a sexual assault clinic, commissioned a survey of 1000 people of both sexes and found that half of women prefer to blame the victim of a sexual assault. While I agree that it is necessary to act in a responsible manner when out and about, it is shocking that in this day and age so many people have such a poor understanding of what sexual assault is.
Just as worrying, one in three men don’t think it’s rape if they make their partners have sex when they don’t want to.
Read the full story here.
“Rape prevention messages often focus on women and the risk they put themselves under through alcohol consumption. The emphasis has been on them taking steps to protect themselves, which may support some people’s attitudes on blaming the victim and exonerating the offender.
Hampshire Constabulary has changed tack and rather than place the onus on women, the force is focusing on young men, asking people to consider their actions and know exactly where the line is.
An interactive YouTube game and supporting website highlights how young men could end their night as a rapist– a word most would not associate themselves with but a situation they may recognise (see http://www.dontcrosstheline.co.uk).
Supporting the cause, more than one hundred schools and colleges have signed up to a sexual offences education scheme which will see Safer Neighbourhoods teams talking to pupils about the chain of events that can lead to rape, to dispel common myths and provide information that will enable young people to make the right decisions.
Pioneering the force rape prevention scheme, Detective Inspector Tara Williams said: “Under no circumstance is rape the victim’s fault. No one deserves to be raped.
“A person doesn’t have to say ‘no’ to show they don’t consent. A rape victim will often go into shock or be unable to speak through fear during an attack. This will be taken into account by the police.
“When it comes to sex the law is clear: if you have sex without consent you’re committing rape. It’s that simple. No pressure, no forcing and no expectations.”
Thanks for sharing that.
I think focusing on young men is a great idea, especially as so many of them don’t seem to understand what exactly crossing the line is.
there’s no words that can express how deeply disturbing that survey is?
Scary to think that 1 in 3 men is a potential (date) rapist…
Anne, i think you’re going too far when you claim 33.3% of men are potential rapists.
I think it would be more accurate to say 33.3% of men clearly have f*~cked up ideas about how rape occurs.
To assume such ideas make them potential rapists is a leap and there’s really no need for such leaps when the truth is bleak enough already…
You’re absolutely right. Apologies…