ok, first of all, i must say i'm a bit amused at the central park reference because, these days at least, its actually one of the SAFER places to walk around at night, at least large parts of it...lol NYPD aplenty...
anyway, though, wanted to chime in to point out my problem with these kinds of 'was in the victims responsibility/fault' too arguments from a different perspective. Lets just say, for the sake of argument, that in SOME cases, perhaps yes, the victim took some reckless action that contributed to a rape. As some here have said, it doesn't absolve the perpetrator of THEIR responsibility for the crime, so dwelling on it is kind of pointless.'
More than that, though, the fact that it becomes the norm to ask those kinds of questions - how did the victim contribute to their victimization - even in an EXTREME case like Bob the lurking rapist jumps out of the bushes in the park and pounces, creates an atmosphere wherein rape victims do not feel safe in coming forward and reporting crimes committed against them.
Most rapes are NOT of the stranger jumped out of the bushes in a dark alley type. Statistically actually, in all violent crimes, men are more likely to be attacked by strangers while women are more likely to be attacked by people they know. So say a woman goes out on a date, lets the man pay or whatever, lets him come in to her place for a bit afterwards. Then he tries to take things further, she clearly, articulately, forcefully says no multiple times. He rapes her anyway. Afraid of further escalating violence, she does not fight back. Afterwards, in considering best course of action...any rape victim who doesn't live in a bubble KNOWS that reporting the crime will lead to questions:
But didn't she want it? Why did she invite him inside then? Why didn't she fight if it really wasn't consensual? What was she wearing? What is her past sexual history? Has she ever done anything the least bit dishonest? What's her job? How does she speak? Is she a bitch, a whore?
What was a ten minute incident will turn into potentially months of ordeal with so many people, rather than offering sympathy for her ordeal, instead questioning not just her story but her moral character, her clothing choices, her intentions. And statistically, the likelihood that her word will be taken against the rapists in a court of law? The chances that this will all at least be worth it in that sense? Not very high.
And I don't mean necessarily to use gendered pronouns because though male rape is rarer, I do feel they have just as much trouble being taken seriously, albeit not for completely the same reasons.
By creating/buying into a culture where it is acceptable to focus on the potential fault/responsibility of the victim, you are creating environment where any LOGICAL victim is likely to see it as being in their best interests to NOT report their crime. It's the victims responsibility to deal with repercussions, mental and physical, while the rapist gets a free pass to do it again.
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anyway, though, wanted to chime in to point out my problem with these kinds of 'was in the victims responsibility/fault' too arguments from a different perspective. Lets just say, for the sake of argument, that in SOME cases, perhaps yes, the victim took some reckless action that contributed to a rape. As some here have said, it doesn't absolve the perpetrator of THEIR responsibility for the crime, so dwelling on it is kind of pointless.'
More than that, though, the fact that it becomes the norm to ask those kinds of questions - how did the victim contribute to their victimization - even in an EXTREME case like Bob the lurking rapist jumps out of the bushes in the park and pounces, creates an atmosphere wherein rape victims do not feel safe in coming forward and reporting crimes committed against them.
Most rapes are NOT of the stranger jumped out of the bushes in a dark alley type. Statistically actually, in all violent crimes, men are more likely to be attacked by strangers while women are more likely to be attacked by people they know. So say a woman goes out on a date, lets the man pay or whatever, lets him come in to her place for a bit afterwards. Then he tries to take things further, she clearly, articulately, forcefully says no multiple times. He rapes her anyway. Afraid of further escalating violence, she does not fight back. Afterwards, in considering best course of action...any rape victim who doesn't live in a bubble KNOWS that reporting the crime will lead to questions:
But didn't she want it?
Why did she invite him inside then?
Why didn't she fight if it really wasn't consensual?
What was she wearing?
What is her past sexual history?
Has she ever done anything the least bit dishonest?
What's her job?
How does she speak?
Is she a bitch, a whore?
What was a ten minute incident will turn into potentially months of ordeal with so many people, rather than offering sympathy for her ordeal, instead questioning not just her story but her moral character, her clothing choices, her intentions. And statistically, the likelihood that her word will be taken against the rapists in a court of law? The chances that this will all at least be worth it in that sense? Not very high.
And I don't mean necessarily to use gendered pronouns because though male rape is rarer, I do feel they have just as much trouble being taken seriously, albeit not for completely the same reasons.
By creating/buying into a culture where it is acceptable to focus on the potential fault/responsibility of the victim, you are creating environment where any LOGICAL victim is likely to see it as being in their best interests to NOT report their crime. It's the victims responsibility to deal with repercussions, mental and physical, while the rapist gets a free pass to do it again.