Mormon: "There is no such thing as rape."

[Nope]

What many people fail to understand is that rapists are opportunistic cowards. They wait until their victim is vulnerable. The frightening thing is that we are all vulnerable at some point in our lives so how exactly should I prevent my own possible rape? What would I be taught that I don't already know?

It reminds us of the importance of making sure that no matter what the circumstances are, the victim is not to blame for the attack. Advising someone to avoid dimly-lit areas at odd hours is sensible, but it does not absolve the attacker of any of the blame for his attack. This is even more important in the more typical circumstances, where an acquaintance is the one who commits the rape, using factors like familiarity, "she knew what she was doing" and "common sense" as defenses.

I don't think that what a woman wears has much --if any-- bearing on whether or not she is attacked. Rape is a power fantasy, not necessarily a sexual one. What the victim is wearing is likely not to have any bearing on the attack, and may even spur the attacker on; he may feel that a woman who is modestly dressed may be much more traumatized by having her clothes removed, which is the sort of emotional distress that many rapists enjoy most.

The problem isn't saying that people should avoid dimly lit places. The problem is that rape victims are scrutinized for their attack in a way that victims of other crimes are not. It isn't just the issue of a woman's clothes. Anything that the victim did that left her vulnerable will be questioned and used to blame her for the attack. Even if the courts don't do it, her friends and relatives very well could.

Instead of saying that women should avoid dimly lit areas or take self defense classes why can't people say that everyone should avoid dimly lit areas and take self defense classes? Men can be attacked or robbed also. Almost all the ways that women are told to avoid rape should also be used by men to avoid crimes.