Government encouraging victim blaming

[Hazynomore]

This petition has just popped up on my facebook page - it's about a poster that says ”one in three reported rapes happens when the victim has been drinking” and it's up in hospitals and GP practices. Shocking.

To sign the petition follow this link : Change.org petition

[Nomama]

Or, the government is warning everyone that you aren't fully in control when drunk!

It's a be safe campaign, ffs!

I won't be signing the petition. It infantilises everyone, destroys the notion that you should be in control of your own behaviour and that you are primarily responsible for your own safety!

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

I don't think it's victim blaming any more than advising motorists not to leave valuables on show in a car when it's parked is blaming them for theft. A high proportion of violent assault happens when people have been drinking. A high proportion of accidents happen when people have been drinking. We all have to take some personal responsibility for our safety and it is NOT blaming victims to offer advice.

[Wonc]

Nomama I could not disagree more.

Thank you OP. I will sign.

[Nomama]

Fine, Wonc, but I totally disagree with you too! But I don't find your stance shocking, just sad.

[happyhev1]

Signed, shocking victim blaming!

[Nomama]

Most rapes take place at home? Sources??

www.rainn.org/get-information/statistics/sexual-assault-offenders
Not in America

www.stopsexualviolence.com/myths-and-facts.php
Not in Australia (quite)

www.rapecrisis.org.uk/commonmyths2.php
Not obviously here either... ah! Telegraph, not attributed
www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/10935999/Oxford-union-rape-case-shows-that-consent-is-never-black-and-white.html

Still looking, not on ONS, though I am still interrogating it!

[Nomama]

And there you go again, the poster says 1 in 3 .... not a majority, no causality, just a connection.

THAT is fearmongering.

[Nomama]

??? You do stats very well.

[CharlotteCollins]

Nomama, you should be in charge of your own behaviour, but that doesn't mean you will have any control over your attacker's behaviour. To imply that you are more able to protect yourself from a rapist when you're sober is to underestimate most rapists.

You're quite right that there's no causality, just a connection - that's why it's a bad advert. It could just as well say, 2 in every 3 rapes happen when the victim has long hair. Quite probably true - lots of women have long hair. But just pointing it out implies that there is a connection between long hair and rape.

I signed and commented with my own poster idea: "99% of rapes happen when the attacker is male. Avoid all men!"

[Nomama]

As I said, never mind.

If the information that you are safer when sober is bad then we are, indeed, doomed!

[Nomama]

But that is your pov, Bullets.

I don't read the poster that way - and I am not the only one, it seems.

[SevenZarkSeven]

OMFG what the hell are they thinking?

Victim blaming - tick
Horrific graphic picture of brutalised woman - tick (just to make sure that women and girls everywhere are never in any doubt that they are PREY FFS)
Pointless message - tick Because say all women stop drinking tomorrow. That stops rape does it? Fuck no. Rapists will carry on merrily raping away.

Reminds me of that atrocious TFL ad which was promoting a cab line thing you had to pay for by showing a picture of a terrified woman with the message Don't Get Unlicensed Cabs. Because what every woman and girl needs to look at while waiting for the tube is a close up picture of a woman's screaming face. Yes that makes us all feel comfortable and safe Meanwhile John Warboys was out and about raping scores of women with impunity driving his black cab.

The RISK FACTOR for being raped is being with a rapist in a situation where he can rape you.

Have signed the petition.

If it said a generic "don't get pissed it makes you vulnerable" then OK. This traumatising triggering image up in hospitals of all places, telling rape victims that if they have had a drink they have brought rape on themselves WTF?? Where is the rapist in this? And while people who are triggered by images like this can avoid things like certain television programs and films, they can't very well avoid going to the sodding hospital can they.

Unbelievable, really angry.

[CoffeeTea103]

I disagree with the petition and can't see the victim blaming. Surely you have more of a chance being sober than drunk in protecting yourself? It's about also taking some responsibility, you know for yourself.

[SevenZarkSeven]

Women do not have to take responsibility for rape avoidance FFS.

What kind of a message is that.

You don't take responsibility you need to take at least some of the blame. ie victim blaming.

What about the effect this image and message is going to have on some victims FFS when they go to hospital.

It's atrocious.

Too many people too keen to blame women (strangely not usually men or children) for the actions of rapists. "Personal responsibility" my arse. Poe-faced sneery victim blaming tosh.

[SevenZarkSeven]

Oh this makes me so mad.

[Nomama]

Fuck that, Seven. Of course women have to take responsibility for rape avoidance.

Just as they do for avoiding getting run over, beaten up, stupifyingly drunk and a lot of other behaviours - many of which are applicable to men too. It is about being aware and not walking blindly into dangerous situations. Recognising them and walking away.

To give out the message that women have no control over their lives and can be raped, out of the blue, willy nilly, is scaremongering and does absolutely NOTHING to empower women. It simply reduces them to playthings, wholly at the whim of any man passing!

Fucking ridiculous and sets back the feminist cause decades.

[SanityClause]

100% of rapes are caused by rapists! Avoid rapists!

I hope this is a useful community service message.

[SevenZarkSeven]

So I decided to google violence warning alcohol to see if there are posters warning men that they are at risk if the drink.

The first poster that came up in my results was from 2005 which is basically the same as this one.

Same old same old innit.

Am really bored of this shit.

[CharlotteCollins]

But where are these dangerous situations, Nomama? I want to know, so that I can walk away from them.

I've already heard that the home is dangerous. So are friends' houses. Anywhere with drink is not good. Anywhere that's dark I should probably avoid.

Just where do I go to be safe?

And in the meantime, rapists see the poster and reassure themselves that their victims should've been more careful...