This study out of Scotland yields depressing results, showing just how deeply sexual prudery and sexism shape people's perception of rape. I would wager my poodle that if the same people were asked whether they thought murder victims were to blame for getting murdered, the numbers would be completely different.
As long as people view rape as an act of sex, and believe that women are complicit (by virtue of trusting men or dressing in sexy attire), as opposed to the act of violence that it really is, courts in Scotland - and throughout the world - will continue to punish the victims instead of the victimizers.
Researchers who interviewed more than 700 potential rape trial jurors between 18 and 65 years old for the charity Rape Crisis Scotland found that 40% felt women contribute to an attack if they put themselves in "risky" situations, such as willingly going home with a man.
Although 39% of people thought the victim is not to blame for being raped, 61% were "unsure" or disagreed in various degrees. Rape Crisis Scotland said the results are "startling" and highlighted the urgent need for a major advertising campaign to challenge male preconceptions about how women consent to sex.
advertisementThe study is the first to target the notion frequently brought up in trials that women "invite" rape. Despite recent widespread changes in the conduct of court officials and the way evidence about an alleged victim's background is led, only 3%-4% of cases are successfully prosecuted in Scotland....
Recent Comments