I only watched a few mins of the video, so I don't know how it ends. But anyway, I had a lot of issues with it. Some of my issues about that video, and some victim blaming arguments and stuff are as follows.
1) Comparing rape to burglary and mugging. The problem there is that rape isn't theft. It's a physical assault against another person. A better comparison is when Islamaphobes attack women in the street who are wearing a hijab, or attack a man in a turban because they think he's a Muslim. But does anyone say "Well she/he shouldn't have been wearing that!"? Well, yes, probably... But it wouldn't be as acceptable as blaming a woman gor getting raped seems to be.
This feels like it comes from the idea that women are sex objects, and sex is a commodity, so raping us is stealing. I don't like it.
2) Say we could legitimately compare it to burglary. If you have a nice house abd leave your door unlocked or open a window and your house gets robbed; if it goes to court, would you be put on the yourself and questioned about having a nice house and how often you open your doors and windows? Or read a list of times you've willing given away items and money as gifts or for charity, only to have the defense use that information against you and cause the jury to declare the burglar is not guilty, because you left your door open and have a history of giving away gifts? Would your friends and family say "Well, you shouldn't have a nice house if you don't want to get robbed!"
3) It's great that these days (unlike 10 years ago, when I was at school) schools are teaching boys not to rape in the same way that they are taught not to steal. That should definitely be happening more. However, I don't think it helps that girls are equally being told not to get raped. What is that doing to a teenage girl's self esteem? We're actively telling little girls that if they get raped it's partly their fault.
And what is that telling teenage boys? That it's fine to rape someone if they're dressed a certain way, because they can stand up in court and tell them she deserved it and almost certainly get away with it? Hell, with that defense, it probably won't even get as far as court. The police wouldn't even persue the case, they'll just tell the victim there's nothing they can do about it, and that even if it did, they would be the one on trial, not their attacker. That's the reality in Britain, where fewer than 1 in 30 rapes lead to a conviction.
1) Comparing rape to burglary and mugging. The problem there is that rape isn't theft. It's a physical assault against another person. A better comparison is when Islamaphobes attack women in the street who are wearing a hijab, or attack a man in a turban because they think he's a Muslim. But does anyone say "Well she/he shouldn't have been wearing that!"? Well, yes, probably... But it wouldn't be as acceptable as blaming a woman gor getting raped seems to be.
This feels like it comes from the idea that women are sex objects, and sex is a commodity, so raping us is stealing. I don't like it.
2) Say we could legitimately compare it to burglary. If you have a nice house abd leave your door unlocked or open a window and your house gets robbed; if it goes to court, would you be put on the yourself and questioned about having a nice house and how often you open your doors and windows? Or read a list of times you've willing given away items and money as gifts or for charity, only to have the defense use that information against you and cause the jury to declare the burglar is not guilty, because you left your door open and have a history of giving away gifts? Would your friends and family say "Well, you shouldn't have a nice house if you don't want to get robbed!"
3) It's great that these days (unlike 10 years ago, when I was at school) schools are teaching boys not to rape in the same way that they are taught not to steal. That should definitely be happening more. However, I don't think it helps that girls are equally being told not to get raped. What is that doing to a teenage girl's self esteem? We're actively telling little girls that if they get raped it's partly their fault.
And what is that telling teenage boys? That it's fine to rape someone if they're dressed a certain way, because they can stand up in court and tell them she deserved it and almost certainly get away with it? Hell, with that defense, it probably won't even get as far as court. The police wouldn't even persue the case, they'll just tell the victim there's nothing they can do about it, and that even if it did, they would be the one on trial, not their attacker. That's the reality in Britain, where fewer than 1 in 30 rapes lead to a conviction.
