Blaming the victim

[Communist partisan]

Whatever.... they got raped, justice won't prevail cos' they probably don't have capital punishment so why even bother?

EDIT: heres a song that tells what we need to do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVPWqYrOd5w

 

[Devil's Due]

I don't blame the victim, but if they're stupid enough to try their luck that is otherwise a stupid idea, then I won't shed a tear. Still doesn't mean it's right and doesn't make it less horrible, but I just can't really get too riled up for it.

Sorry, I am a firm believer in natural selection.

 

[newfoundsky]

Blaming the victim? I think those that do that should share in the victimization. And chances are if the perpetrator had his way, then they would.

People who commit rape/murder/etc are usually messed up enough to rape whatever counselor you send them to. These people are just bad.

 

[darthotaku]

God I hate things like this. It's like saying the jews were to blame for the holocost because if they hadn't been jewish it wouldn't have happened. The victim is never to blame.

 

[DonMartin]

Entirely not true. Rapists don't pick the sexiest victim available. They pick one that reminds them of someone in their lives. A fat, ugly girl is just as likely to be raped as a supermodel - possibly moreso since there are more fat, ugly people in normal life.

You are talking about stranger rape. This is, by far, the least common type of rape there is.

Im not saying you're wrong, you just made me realize that a lot of people here seem to have a very strange definition of a "rapist", or atleast that's the impression I get. I'm not saying you're one of them, but your post is what made me write this one.



Come now, people, most people found guilty are NOT serial rapists, or people with a desire to rape, that being the only thing they get off from. A "rapist" is someone who is guilty of rape.

The most common kind of rape is acquaintance rape, rape by someone you know. A friend, someone you've met. A date. A cute guy (seeing as how most rape victims are women) that you like but all of a sudden goes a bit too far. Someone who is obsessed with a particular person, and finally cant stand it any more. A husband raping his wife. A boyfriend raping his girlfriend. This kind is by far the absolutely most common type of rape.

Just because the most publicised kind of rape is stranger rape doesnt make it the most common one, folks. A rapist isnt just someone out there raping people. As soon as two people have "sex" and one of them doesnt want to, the other one is a rapist.

 

[b3nn3tt]

I don't think that saying that women shouldn't dress provocatively is necessarily 'blaming the victim'. It's a bit of advice to minimise risk, it's not the same as saying that it's their fault they got raped

Someone's already used an analogy that I like to use in this situation, of walking around flashing a wad of money in a bad neighbourhood. It's not your fault if you get mugged, because it's never the victim's fault, but you could certainly have done something to lessent the chances of it happening

Similarly, with rape, it is never the victim's fault. Never. But there are a number of measures that can be taken to minimise the risk of rape, such as always staying close to a friend, not going anywhere by yourself, not leaving drinks unattended, etc.

Is it the victim's fault? No, never. Can steps be taken to ensure that nothing happens in the first place? Yes

 

[PatSilverFox]

Yes it can be the victims fault.
They can wear skimpy clothing and act slutty and taunt men. Get a bit drunk and then change their minds after the fact.

It is possible, but not all cases.

 

[BanthaFodder]

it's horrible, but I think that's just human nature nowadays. there's so many liars and so many biased news sources, we always feel we need to hear the other side of the story (ie. one person hears "police officers arrest a Mexican drug lord", another person hears "power-hungry cops brutalize minority".)

it's just idiots being idiots.
as for the "women shouldn't dress like sluts" thing... I KINDA agree with it (but let me explain first).
It's sort of like saying "you shouldn't walk through a bad part of town with a huge wad of cash hanging out of your pocket."
people who say "she was asking for it" are dumb, horrible asshats. but yeah, if you know that you'll be in a bad part of town, I would suggest you take no chances. stay with a friend, avoid dark allyways, basically don't do anything that could provoke someone or make you appear to be an easy target. sometimes it can't be prevented, but the chances of it happening will be GREATLY reduced if you don't take any unnessicary risks.
once again, I'm not saying that if you dress like a slut, you deserve to be raped. I'm saying that if you dress like a slut, there's a better chance of you BEING raped, so I would advise you take precaution.
for example, if you have a few beers and decide to drive yourself home, you don't DESERVE to be killed in a horrible accident. however, if you have a few beers and decide to drive yourself home, there's a better chance of you being killed in a horrible accident. take preventative measures and use good judgement to ensure you stay safe.
I am in no way blaming the victim, I'm not acting as Captain Hindsight ("if you didn't wear a miniskirt, you wouldn't have been raped!"), I'm just saying that there are horrible people in the world and you should always take precaution to prevent becoming one of the countless victims.

Rape is a horrible, horrible thing, and every measure should be taken to ensure it doesn't happen.

I'm sorry for rambling, it's just that htis particular opiion of mine is very hard to explain without accidentally sounding like one of the throngs of horrible gobshites ("she shouldn't have led those 5 grown men on, the slut!").

 

[Enkidu88]

As a male I find it insulting that the cop in Toronto, or people like him, think males are so primitive that we can't restrain ourselves from leaping on the first attractive woman we see and rape her. I mean that's really the implication of the statement, don't wear revealing clothes because anyone with Y-chromosome has no self control or a sense of right and wrong.

 

[Nigh Invulnerable]

Wearing provocative clothing might make a woman a more appealing target, that doesn't make the perpetrator any less of a scumbag. The provocative clothing doesn't completely eliminate his ability to reason.

Yeah, it's insulting to think they're assuming males cannot control themselves in the presence of some boobies. Complete and utter crap.

 

[KiruTheMant]

That line of thinking is dangerous.
"You just shot that guy!"
"He was acting like a douchebag. He was asking for it."

Only if you're a deliberate idiot about it. Frankly it's been proven that rape is the fault of the perpetrator but in other cases yes, sometimes people get themselves into trouble. It's like walking into a road and expecting the cars to get out of the way.

Imagine if I walked up to you in a bar and told some guy I fucked his mother so hard I split her in half, he then understandably punches me. I am technically the victim of assault and battery...but by God I caused it!

I fail to see how wearing revealing clothing is walking by someone going "Molest me! You won't do it!".

Imagine you dress to appeal to others, you do appeal to others, yes, but the issue it, You appeal to others. You are not at fault if some dumbass comes up and does the Baloney Shuffle against your will, but by god you sparked it. I'm going to go the "Its not your fault except in your dress choices." road as opposed to the "Its her fault for appealing the person so much they go insane." road.

 

[pokepuke]

So if a cop says: "Stay out of dark alleys at night in the bad parts of town", I guess he is taking the blame away from the hoodlums that happened to stab people in the dark alleys, despite not talking about blame at all nor meaning to imply that all the dark alleys now belong to the stabbers.

It's just a retarded way to take things. You can't ignore bad things and the possible reasons why they happen.

 

[starkiller212]

The rapists are ALWAYS wrong and usually deserve the death penalty IMO.
That being said, people should try to avoid attracting too much attention from strangers or anything to avoid becoming a victim, as a matter of practicality. "Blaming the victim" is ludicrous, but in my experience that's not really what people mean anyway.

I'm not sure why this is so difficult for some people to understand.

 

[Eikoandmog]

A person who would rape is probably a bad person anyway.
The last thing they need is to be provoked.
If you covored yourself in bacon, then got mauled by an animal, then alot of the blame does rest with you.

There was an Australian muslim leader who got in a lot of trouble by the media by comparing women dressing provocatively leading to men raping them and the behaviour of animals with meat. Not saying that I'm offended, just saying, be careful with your wording.

In my opinion, you shouldn't be considered asking for trouble if you dress any way you wish and in no way should they take the blame for what happened. Unfortunately, dressing like that is a risk as much as we hate to say it.

 

[Caligulove]

It's easier than acknowledging a serious problem and actually doing something about it- simply say that the women clearly wanted sex, etc. Which is one of the most disgusting opinions out there... Lots of Iron Age thinking exists with the idea of keeping a woman's 'honor' until she is married and that it is her fault for not resisting enough to stop her rape- the fact that she was raped reflects negatively on the entire family unit.

In which case the girl/victim must be punished for being human and having bad shit happen to them. Fuck anyone with this opinion.

 

[kromify]

i had a friend in college who was almost raped by a taxi driver; she was the last one to be taken home. was she to blame? no way. but if she hadn't been tipsy, if she hadn't worn clubbing clothes the taxi driver might not have fancied her and then attempted to take advantage. so she baited him.
this is utter crap.

is the difference between a short walk or a taxi ride big enough to lay blame elsewhere? what if a crooked cop picked her up from walking home, is it her fault for thinking "gee, he's a cop. getting in that car must be safe."

where can you objectively draw the line?
ultimately if a rapist wants power over someone he will find someone to overpower. his fault. the end.

 

[LiquidGrape]

There is no way rape can be blamed on the victim. None at all. None whatsoever.

That the perpetrator has proven to be capable of the deed is what matters. Regardless of what the victim has done to "provoke", "tease", "bait" or whatever else people try to pin on them.

Also, it's one thing to advise someone not to venture outside at certain hours. It's another to say they somehow deserve what's coming to them if they do.

 

[Moosh50]

*opens the first link, not suprised to see only black mug shots*

The only thing more revolting then rape, is blaming the victim of the rape.

 

[Marble Dragon]

I think it's a good idea to not wear slutty clothing around. Women should be careful, because that's the way the world is. (I could write a couple pages on how society tells women they can only be attractive by being showy, then turns around and tells them it's their fault if they look too provocative...but that's not the point.) However, I don't believe in the situation of rape it can be blamed on the victim at all.

My reason for this is that rape is a crime of domination. It isn't about wanting to have sex. It's about wanting to have power. That drive is strong, and added to normal sex urges and the subconscious belief that sex is the most valuable thing a person could give...well. My point is, you don't commit rape 'cause you're horny. So blaming the victim for what they wear is stupid, and reinforces untrue ideas about sex crimes.

So, should women be blamed for being raped? Absolutely not - that's disgusting and wrong. Should they wear slutty clothes around the "bad parts of town?" No - that's fucking stupid. Don't advertise yourself unless you want customers...

 

[airwolfe591]

No one asks to be raped. Regardless of how they dress, that is a small factor in my opinion.

Someone very close to me was raped. She doesn't dress provocatively or anything like that (hell it was winter and night), it just happened. Blaming the victim is often unjustified and just cruel after a traumatizing experience such as rape, when they often think they themselves are to blame as well, add fuel to that from the public and it becomes something difficult to overcome.