I'm Still Furious
Warning: The following post is rated PG-13, and it's pretty flaming angry.
OK people, I know this is an extremely controversial subject. But that's the reason I'm writing about it now. It's controversial because people don't like to talk about it. We suppress it and try to hide it, or we sugar-coat it and resort to euphemisms. Or, worst of all, we try to validate it and prove that it's "evolutionary", it's just a fact of life which we have to accept.
It's wrong. It thrives in fear and humiliation. Hiding it only strengthens the damage it can do, and if everyone were open and refused to tolerate it, like so many other acts of hate or injustice, it would defeated.
It infuriates me. I'm referring to sexual violence.
Sexual violence is predominately a feminist issue because it affects mainly women. Yes, I know that it is possible for a man to be assaulted by a woman (or another man, which is actually more common), and in recent years the number of harassed men is on the rise. But, statistics show that women make up 78% of victims, and 1 in 4 women in the US has been sexually assaulted at one point in her life. Some see the rise in male victims as an "evening of the field" (therefore a good thing), but this is not helping to solve the problem in any way. Don't you think the number of female victims should be going down instead?
Sexual harassment (weather it's in schools, workplaces, or randomly on the streets) is usually merely "ignored" i.e. tolerated. Most women are afraid to confront the harasser directly, or to report the harassment to someone. Anyone. It's practically taken for granted these days. This is wrong.
Sexual abuse (usually occurring in schools, workplaces, or homes) is rarely reported. The scary statistics say: the most likely place for a woman to be sexually assaulted is in her own home, by someone she knows.
Sexual assault or rape is a violent crime. And it's possibly the least reported crime there is. Only 1 in 5 women ever report being assaulted to the police. The way I see it, sex is too often associated with dominance and violence. Rape, as a crime, has become way too socially acceptable. It should be a crime as unthinkable as cannibalism.
Prevention is more effective than treatment. Even if the attack is reported, and the perpetrator is caught and punished, it still happened. The victim will have to live with it everyday for the rest of her life. Too often she's the subject of remarks like "You should have been more careful..." or even "You were asking for it." Do not blame the victim! No one ever asks to be raped! The guy should never have attacked her in the first place! All over the country - in dojos, health clubs and church basements - we offer self-defense classes where women and girls can learn to fight for their lives. How about some classes to teach men and boys respect for other Human Beings?!
I would never exprobate self defense measures, but I can't help but point out that they are not adressing or solving the true problem of socially acceptable violence.
In closing, I highly recommend the book Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, and the movie based on it (which was excellently done). I also recommend openness, respect and zero tolerance toward violence - the only things that can truly solve this problem.
peace.
It's wrong. It thrives in fear and humiliation. Hiding it only strengthens the damage it can do, and if everyone were open and refused to tolerate it, like so many other acts of hate or injustice, it would defeated.
It infuriates me. I'm referring to sexual violence.
Sexual violence is predominately a feminist issue because it affects mainly women. Yes, I know that it is possible for a man to be assaulted by a woman (or another man, which is actually more common), and in recent years the number of harassed men is on the rise. But, statistics show that women make up 78% of victims, and 1 in 4 women in the US has been sexually assaulted at one point in her life. Some see the rise in male victims as an "evening of the field" (therefore a good thing), but this is not helping to solve the problem in any way. Don't you think the number of female victims should be going down instead?
Sexual abuse (usually occurring in schools, workplaces, or homes) is rarely reported. The scary statistics say: the most likely place for a woman to be sexually assaulted is in her own home, by someone she knows.
Sexual assault or rape is a violent crime. And it's possibly the least reported crime there is. Only 1 in 5 women ever report being assaulted to the police. The way I see it, sex is too often associated with dominance and violence. Rape, as a crime, has become way too socially acceptable. It should be a crime as unthinkable as cannibalism.
Prevention is more effective than treatment. Even if the attack is reported, and the perpetrator is caught and punished, it still happened. The victim will have to live with it everyday for the rest of her life. Too often she's the subject of remarks like "You should have been more careful..." or even "You were asking for it." Do not blame the victim! No one ever asks to be raped! The guy should never have attacked her in the first place! All over the country - in dojos, health clubs and church basements - we offer self-defense classes where women and girls can learn to fight for their lives. How about some classes to teach men and boys respect for other Human Beings?!
I would never exprobate self defense measures, but I can't help but point out that they are not adressing or solving the true problem of socially acceptable violence.
In closing, I highly recommend the book Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, and the movie based on it (which was excellently done). I also recommend openness, respect and zero tolerance toward violence - the only things that can truly solve this problem.
peace.
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