Nearly 1 in 5 American women has been sexually assaulted

19 Dec 2011
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Patrick emailed this to me the other day, and you want to know the saddest thing? My reaction was, “Oh, yay, a man actually gets it.” As if I should be handing out gold stars to people for recognizing that rape is a problem.

Let it be known: sexual assault happens. A lot. I can think of six or seven people I know off the top of my head who have been raped, and I am only 24. And none of their assailants - to my knowledge - have been punished, which means that they’re still running about in the world. Perhaps studies like this will finally shock people into realizing that rape isn’t just this thing that happens to the archetypical drunk and loose college girl. Because I was that archetype, that girl who is “asking for it”, the one making shitty decisions, and guess what? I got into some dicey situations, but I never got assaulted. Pure luck. You can do all the right things, follow the rules, dress modestly, avoid alcohol, etc. and it still might just not be enough.

Watch your drink. Watch your back. Carry pepper spray and a whistle, and be prepared to use them on someone who isn’t a stranger.

Rape doesn’t discriminate. It happens to sober women, it happens to straight men, it happens to trans folks, it happens to people who look like they could fight back, it happens to those you least expect. No matter who it happens to and no matter what they’re wearing or their state of mind or their sexual orientation, it is a total violation. (Especially given that most rape is inflicted by acquaintances.) And if we could focus on that, the utter wrongness of the act, rather than fixating on what the victim could have done better, then I think 1 in 5 might actually feel safe speaking out.

(Source: sexweek)