The right-wing: "Men good, women bad."

All Of The Things Women Are Supposed To Do To Prevent Rape (Click here to read more)

By Tara Culp-Ressler June 10, 2014 at 3:50 pm Updated: June 10, 2014 at 4:36 pm
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Increased attention to the issue of sexual assault, both here in the United States and abroad, has led to larger conversations about how best to prevent rape. But often, those conversations have a misplaced focus. Instead of coming up with ways to encourage a culture of consent and respect, and crack down on the assailants who violate those boundaries, most of the advice for preventing sexual assault involves coming up with things for women to do to mitigate their risk of being attacked.
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Here are just a few of the things that responsible women are supposed to keep in mind, if they don't want to become a victim of a sexual assault:
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1. Get married.
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2. Take a self defense class.
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3. Drink less alcohol.
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4. Wear more clothing.
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5. Stop taking public transportation.
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6. Make it seem like less fun to be a rape victim.
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7. Buy special underwear.
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8. Download a GPS tracking app.
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9. Carry a gun.
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Of course, keeping individuals safe from violence and rape is an admirable goal. But when women are constantly told about the rape prevention strategies that they're supposed to follow, they're sent a clear message: It's their responsibility to avoid becoming a victim, and if they fail at that task, it must be their fault. If you're a rape victim who keeps an anti-rape checklist in your head, it's all too easy to assume that there must have been something you should have done differently before your consent was violated. That attitude is exactly what leads society as a whole to blame survivors - instead of placing the blame squarely where it belongs, with the perpetrators of the crime.