For those of you who think the rape culture online is just a form of joking and a way to blow of steam, think again! The existence of a rape culture is what leads to individuals internalizing rape myths.
Maybe it hasn't affected you, not yet anyway... but it has affected a girl in Missouri.
Kevin Drum wrote an article in 2011 about a girl who was raped at school, and the belief in rape myths caused the school officials to force the girl to issue an apology to the boy who had raped her, and deliver it to him personally. They determined that she had lied about this rape
I don't know about you, but there is no more blatant form of blaming the victim!
Further, this girl was expelled for the remainder of the year. Upon returning to the school, she tried to avoid this boy, yet was assaulted again - did the school take notice? Oh yes, but only long enough to BLAME THE GIRL for causing her own assault. They blamed the attack on her disrespectful conduct and public display of affection.
If the school officials can blame her, why can't society? So What? So why does the victim take the blame, and the offender walks away with a note of apology and a smile on his face?
Full article here: http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2011/08/girl-forced-apologize-boy-who-raped-her
Maybe it hasn't affected you, not yet anyway... but it has affected a girl in Missouri.
Kevin Drum wrote an article in 2011 about a girl who was raped at school, and the belief in rape myths caused the school officials to force the girl to issue an apology to the boy who had raped her, and deliver it to him personally. They determined that she had lied about this rape
I don't know about you, but there is no more blatant form of blaming the victim!
Further, this girl was expelled for the remainder of the year. Upon returning to the school, she tried to avoid this boy, yet was assaulted again - did the school take notice? Oh yes, but only long enough to BLAME THE GIRL for causing her own assault. They blamed the attack on her disrespectful conduct and public display of affection.
If the school officials can blame her, why can't society? So What? So why does the victim take the blame, and the offender walks away with a note of apology and a smile on his face?
Full article here: http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2011/08/girl-forced-apologize-boy-who-raped-her
That is disgusting. There is absolutely no reason that I can think of, where a woman should have to apologize to her rape.
ReplyDeleteWhat could she possibly have to apologize for? Is the agony of this kind of trauma not enough that she she should have to be HUMILIATED and PUBLICLY SHAMED for being the victim of a crime?!
Rape culture is not a joke, these kinds of occurances are not to be a fleeting moment of internet interest. How is this able to continue in 2012?!