Thursday, February 16, 2012
Has anybody ever noticed...
That society seems to tell women "Don't get raped" instead of telling men "Don't rape"? This disturbing thought made its way into my mind when I was in my dorm. There were a few articles tapped on the bathroom door saying things like lock your doors whenever you are in your room, don't drink too much at a party, and take a Rape Aggression Defense class offered through UFPD. I didn't see one posting about how men and male students should keep their hands to themselves, respect women, and obey the law. It almost as if it's the woman's fault if she places herself in a vulnerable position to get raped. Perhaps Andrea feels this too. Perhaps she blames herself for some of these things that happen to her. I believe this issue is a strong one that needs to be addressed appropriately in the world that we live in today.
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That's the unfortunate thing about living in a society where Rape Culture is pervasive. It's not all too different from the idea that girls who dress like "sluts" are just asking to be raped. And it's not surprising, in a society that blames rape victims, that rape victims end up blaming themselves too. And probably the worst part is that it is so deeply ingrained in society, that we don't even notice we do it. I've caught myself doing it too. Is it right? No, absolutely not. But it just shows how strongly cultural norms affect us.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that in other crimes, you don't see such strong blame on the victim. You never hear, "Oh, Bob was just begging to be shot 7 times." You never here that these people deserve it, or should have seen it coming.
I agree that this is an extremely disturbing issue that is very evident at UF and in our society as a whole. I have heard women and men alike say things like "Oh, she deserved to get raped since she got in the car with a stranger in the middle of the night when she was drunk." It is so upsetting to me to hear things like that and I think that as a society, we need to address and correct this way of thinking.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that you brought up the Stall Stories about the RAD class and protecting yourself. I had not thought of the RAD class as something that contributes to rape culture but the more I think about it, it kind of does. While the RAD class can help women feel empowered, it also forces them to make the effort and take the responsibility of protecting themselves on. We need to educate men on how to respect women and harshly prosecute men who rape women, instead of being so quick to dismiss such cases.
After that e-mail from the UFPD was circulated about the girl who was raped at Midtown, my roommate commented that she totally had it coming. I wish people could understand that if someone wants to get smashed in public, they can fall flat on their face, puke, and generally make an ass of themselves and that will be their fault. They will never be raped unless ANOTHER PERSON decides to rape them. Period. Sexual assault is NEVER the victim's fault, and the prevailing attitude that people are "partially at fault" for their own assaults would be outrageous applied to any other crime. People who are murdered weren't "asking for it." People who have their identity stolen shouldn't have "seen it coming" for using a credit card.
ReplyDeleteAnd speaking of the rape culture at UF in particular, in 2001 a documentary was made about a gang rape at UF, called "Raw Deal." A fraternity gang raped a stripper hired for a party. The entire ordeal was filmed by two different people, yet the police did not prosecute the rapists... they prosecuted the victim. Because she was working with an "expired license for exotic dancing." The documentary largely consists of interviews with the rapists who claimed over and over again that it wasn't really a rape because she was a stripper and therefore a dirty slut and so how could she NOT consent to sex with them?
Makes you wonder how many people you interact with each day have this attitude toward you.