From: sheehan@pagosa.scd.ucar.edu (Tim Sheehan)
Subject: Re: Critisizing the victim?
Organization: NCAR/UCAR
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 17:14:26 GMT

In article <VwuLoB2w164w@cellar.org>, hacksaw@cellar.org (Hacksaw) writes:
 > 
 >  
 >   I agree that one never asks to be raped, and that it is never the victim's
 > fault. But, in some cases, I believe too much sympathy is given to the
 > victim; she comes out looking like a saint. Is it wrong to critisize her
 > too?
 >  
 >   I'll make this analogy. A guy owns and expensive car and is naive enough
 > to bring it into a the city. He locks the car, and goes off to do his 
 > business. Ten seconds later the car is gone. No doubt there was a crime 
 > committed here, and he didn't ask for it to be committed. We look at this 
 > guy as an idiot for bringing such a nice car into a high-crime area.
 >  
 >   I tend to look at some rape victims as "idiots" for putting themselves
 > into a situation. The girl, half-drunk, going into a guys apartment late
 > at night. The girl walking down a dark street wearing clothes that leave
 > nothing to the imagination. These are some instances that come to mind.
 >  
 > Any comments?
 > 
 > 
 > ------
 > hacksaw@cellar.org (Hacksaw)
 > The Cellar BBS - (215) 654-9184

Your point is well taken, but a lot can go into being at the wrong place at the 
wrong time.

Some victims may be forced by circumstances beyond their control to be in a risky
situation. For example, a woman who lives in a poor neighborhood that does not
get adequate police patrol may have to put herself at risk just to get to and from
work.

Niavete is also a factor. Most people know about the high risk situations on a
college campus (i.e. wild parties, walking alone at night), but it is only after
being on the campus for some time that these risks become known.

As far as criticizing the victim, I don't really think that serves any purpose,
the guy in your analogy does not need to be told he was stupid. He already knows
that. He can tell by the fact that his car is missing. The person who is raped
knows she made a mistake (this is usually true even if she did not make a
mistake). 

In the case of the guy losing his car, chances are that insurance will cover most
of the loss, and he will be able to get another car. In the case of the person who
was raped, she will probably end up spending thousands on therapy and have
psychological damage that will last her the rest of her life.

The person who makes a mistake and is raped needs compassion and help. She's not
going to make the same mistake again. She has been punished for her poor judgement
enough without people adding to her grief.

I think what needs to happen is that our society needs to be more open about rape.
We need to educate people about how common it is; under what circumstances it most
often takes place; how often it takes place; what the damage to the victim is;
how to avoid getting into risky situations; and what to do if it happens.

I think that a large part of the "blaming the victim syndrome" comes from people's
own fears about rape. "If the rape victim somehow caused the rape by leading the
rapist on, or being stupid, or by some other forseeable circumstance, then I don't
have to worry about being raped." I think rather than worrying about how the last
rape happened, we should worry more about preventing the next one from happening.

-- 
-Tim-

sheehan@ncar.ucar.edu

Newsgroups: talk.rape