I think it's important to also talk about the other person involved in the case: the victim. My whole life I have heard people make different statements about the victim when they see a news report about a rape case. Statements like “he was wondering,” “what was he wearing?” and even “deserves it” are the most common statements I have encountered. These types of statements, as mentioned in a thesis on sexual violence on college campuses, target the victim and blame them if they are ever raped. According to the author, these statements “tend to minimize the impact and justify the reality of sexual violence, placing the blame for the attack on the victim” (Quigley 19). I consider this a subset of misogynistic society, which is also a product of an overall male chauvinist society we have had for centuries. Society teaches us that it's okay for men to go around talking about their sexual encounters and objectify women, but it's taboo if a woman shouts "Rape!" Society gives us double standards for everything. Our society has shaped us to unconsciously promote rape culture. Rape is the victim's fault. Rape occurs when a woman shows too much of her skin. Rape occurs when one stays out late at night or even during the day in a suspiciously dark corner of a street. “Don't drink too much during the party, you could be sexually assaulted,” a reminder every woman might have heard
tags