Thu 7 Jul 2005 @13:01
Fair warning: The content of this post is disturbing and the content of the links contains language that some readers may find objectionable.
According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network the statisitcs on sexual asault are staggering.
- In 2002-2003, there were an average of 223,280 victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault.
- Only about 40% of rapes sexual assaults were reported to law enforcement in 2003.
- One out of every six American women have been the victims of an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime (14.8% completed rape; 2.8% attempted rape).
- A total of 17.7 million women have been victims of these crimes.
- In 2003, nine out of every ten rape victims were female.
- 15% of victims are under age 12
- 29% are age 12-17
- 44% are under age 18
- 80% are under age 30
Given these numbers, you probably know vicitms of sexual assault, incest, or rape. And while it is a life-altering experience (victims often suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) you most likely DO NOT know who those victims are. It’s not something that comes up in casual conversation.
Correct me if I’m wrong: This is the 21st century, right? I ran across a discussion thread recently that has me feeling like I fell through a timewarp. Haven’t we moved beyond blaming the victims of rape for bringing it on themselves or arguing that it is a male biological imperative to attack a woman? Apparently not. Some of the comments leave me shaking my head in dismay and at times, in spite of being a non-violent person, wanting to give some of these guys a severe beating.
Some of the worst offenders are the commenters to this post at Pandagon. And there are also some in this section of feministe. There is a really interesting rebuttal to this attitude at This Space For Rent. Today I’m wondering, why do we do these things to ourselves?
Technorati tags: blog~personal~otoh~rant
July 7th, 2005 at 18:32
How about your mother telling you that you’ve ruined any possibility of her enjoying your wedding because you were “slutting around” (even though you still have the broken ribs and black eye at the time of the comment. . .) and have your father not look at you in the eye for over a decade. . .
(I’m keeping this anonymous, although you surely know who this is.)
Thank you for posting this, though. It might get people thinking. . .
Oh, and he’s still in jail. At least that’s something.
July 7th, 2005 at 20:12
Well your links provided a glimpse of a fascinating exchange.
I read an article not too long ago about a girl who was drugged and ganged raped. It was ALL caught on video and no word of a lie, the prosecution still tried to pin it on the victim.
Makes me sick.
http://www.ocweekly.com/ink/04/35/moxley-exclusive.php
July 11th, 2005 at 02:11
Any one who still blames the victim either hasn’t been one him/herself or hasn’t known one.
July 16th, 2005 at 11:49
The one who blamed me the most, sadly, was myself. Blame is a complex thing.
There is a great book by Alice Sebold (the author of the Lovely Bones) called “Lucky”. It is an autobiographical account of her experience as a rape victim and survivor. She really provides an amazing personal and cultural perspective about rape and blame.