Why does society still blame the rape victim?

Question

What can we do to change these perceptions that are very counterproductive?
Please check this webpage
http://de.geocities.com/history_guide/horb/index.html

I guess my concern centers around the answer I received on one of my earlier questions. "If women dressed more modestly, didn't tease men and allowed chivalry that the instances of rape would take a nosedive". This is what reminded me of the premise of blaming the victim and how this correlates to the rise of feminism over the past hundred years. What I am saying is even with chivarly and modest clothing rape still occured very often. What we need to do as a society is have a different approach to ending this.

I guess my concern centers around the answer I received on one of my earlier questions. "If women dressed more modestly, didn't tease men and allowed chivalry that the instances of rape would take a nosedive". This is what reminded me of the premise of blaming the victim and how this correlates to the rise of feminism over the past hundred years. What I am saying is even with chivarly and modest clothing rape still occured very often. What we need to do as a society is have a different approach to ending this.

Answer 1

Only the ignorant members of society blame the victim. The only thing that could enlighten them is the truth, and that could only be aquired through education. Unfortunately, ignorant people aren't partial to education, so society will likely always be full of ignorant people who are too igorant to even know that they are ignorant. You can't control other people's thoughts, feelings, or behavior, and you should not let other people control your's either. Be strong!

Answer 2

The answer that you are talking about shocked me also and the fact that it came from a woman made it more so.

Someone pointed out that a large portion of rapes were the very young and the very old, I am not sure how a child can "tease a man" and most elderly women cover up from head to toe with several layers of clothing with a wrap, shawl or sweater. Rape actually has nothing to do with looks or how the victim is dressed or even sexuality and is more a statement or struggle for power.

I am not sure why people want to blame the victim, maybe some people can not believe that someone would be capable of that kind of injury without provocation.

Answer 3

I find it a bit appalling too, but realities are realities, whether they are fair or not. And wandering around a downtown street in a skintight leather skirt at 2 in the a.m. is not a smart thing to do, even if a person has EVERY right to do so. I wouldn't say the stuff in the article was so much blaming as warning. Wishing for and working towards a certain ideal doesn't make it come about immediately, as much as we might like for that to be the case.

And as far as the courts are concerned, it isn't just rape. Accuse anybody of any violent crime and you can expect the defense attorney to do everything he/she can to humiliate you, destroy your credibility and make you appear complicitous. That's their job.

Answer 4

I don't think anyone blames the victim in cases where the female was a young girl or an old woman or suchlike.

It does seem to happen in cases where the woman was young, scantily clad, and drunk.

In these cases, I think blaming the victim is corelated to the notion of "boys will be boys" and that males, by nature, cannot control their urges. Therefore, they should not be held responsible for them. It's the woman's responsibility to not provoke the guy.

It's the same motivating factor behind why Muslim women must fully cover themselves in public. If they don't, they are giving permission to be leered at and/or raped (since men cannot control themselves).

Not saying that I agree with this notion of "boys will be boys." Just trying to answer your question.

Just because a woman dresses sexy and wants guys to want her doesn't mean that she doesn't get to choose whom she has sex with.

Answer 5

It is terrible but it still happens.
Some of you said its because we live in a masculine dominated society but another reason could be (psycholgically speaking) that blaming the victim gives some people a sense of control as to knowing that if they do the right things and avoid the wrong behaviour they can make sure it will never happen to them.

Unlike aknowledging it could happen to anyone and thus also to them (an idea that is scary)

Answer 6

First, We must assume responsibility for our own actions. Second, Who is the victim? Third, What were the circumstances and why did the victim get put into the situation? Fourth, was it force on the behalf of the victim as wellas the alleged perp? and last, but not least, Were Fifth amendment rights violated due to Law enforcement making arrangements for the couple to not only meet, but to become intoxicated as the perp and victim were drugged at a party? What exactly, do I need to access a site for...to know both sides of the story? Heard it already. Victims are both sexes, Perps are set up due to family fueds, and the innocent often get hurt for no good reason. Physically, emotionally, as well as financiallly. To fight, Yes, To kill? Nope. To make someone make amends..Priceless. Absolutely priceless.

Answer 7

Because Defense lawyers Lie through their Teeth! It is the Job of the Defense Lawyer to make the victim look like the Villain; "she is responsible for being rape" "Up is down" "yes is No" Black is white"

Answer 8

Blaming the rape victim makes me furious actually. There is no reason when rape is acceptable. No means No. I think it's awful the way the court systems basically put the rape victim on trial and try to make them look bad when it's the rapists fault completely. That's why so many rapes go unreported.

Answer 9

Who does this? Where is the proof that society blames the rape victim? I see quite the opposite.

People may uneasily say that some circumstances make women more vulnerable to rape, even asserting their thoughts to the point where they might (gasp) say that some behaviors on the part of the female (like getting drunk) may actually increase the risk of rape, but nobody wants to be labeled an insensitive, misogynistic, or cruel individual.

I have never heard anyone say a rape victim "deserved it-" only that they were setting themselves up for something to happen.

Seriously. Where is the evidence for this supposed societal bias against rape victims?

EDIT: And thanks to miatalise, we know that men are dogs! I was unaware of this beforehand- thank you for enlightening me, miatalise! Are they also pigs? Dirt? Because I was under the assumption that men were (and are) human beings.

Baba Yaga, you make me laugh. You're telling me that because you saw ONE viewpoint saying rape was systematic you are going to believe that NO rapes are sexual? Does that source say that sexual interest was not involved? Do you think that they are somehow not motivated by sexual interest? Do you think obese, blemished women were raped as often as strikingly beautiful women during wars? I would like to read some of these sources that convince you of this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Types_of_rape

At the VERY bottom, rape as a warfare tactic is indeed mentioned. LOOK, however, at the LARGE number of differing types above that entrance! You say you are a librarian, so I assume you read. Perhaps the next book you read can be one on a neutral viewpoint, or perhaps one on bias. The BEST type you could read would be a book about rape written by a non-feminist or even a study about the causes of rape written by a panel of credited scientists!

Have fun.

Answer 10

because we still live in male dominated society.....and men are dogs. It will take many more years before true equality is realized.....