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Dulcissime
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scholarslayouts. Header image is "Twelve Women with Birds" by Emily Balivet. Used with permission.
scholarslayouts. Header image is "Twelve Women with Birds" by Emily Balivet. Used with permission.02 July 2010 @ 03:47 pm
02 July 2010 @ 09:29 pm
( Article about under-reporting rapes in Baltimore, from The Baltimore Sun.Collapse )
In conclusion:
1. Yes, we live in a rape culture, in case you were one of the few people with their fingers still in their ears going "LA LA LA LA LA."
2. The fact that law enforcement has a long history of not taking rape claims seriously-- this is why women get PISSED AS SHIT when "but what about all the men who are falsely accused of rape?" inevitably gets brought up in discussions of rape culture. Because that's pretty much the most insulting thing you can bring up when the topic is how to create a culture where rape is not an everyday occurrence. Especially when survivors of rape and sexual assault-- many of whom experienced some of the pressures described in this article-- are often actively participating in the discussion.
To quote
tamnonlinear, "Women do lie about rape all the time. They say it didn't happen when it did. They say they're fine when they're not. They say they deserved it when they didn't. They say it was something else, because they live in a culture that devalues their experiences, their word, their sovereignty over their own body, and their right to live without fear or shame."
So, those comments about false reports of rape? Undermining, derailing, silencing, and not at all fucking relevant to the topic being discussed. The only thing this statement does is take the attention off the crime and paint men* as the victims we should be discussing instead. So don't.
3. Related to #2-- the actual false report data for rape suggests that the figure is between 2% - 8%, which is well within the range of false reports for most types of crimes. So, you wouldn't say "but what about all the false claims of burglary" when someone is talking about crime rate, would you? No. So, to reiterate: Don't.
4. Further reading:jimhines: Rape and the Police. I pretty much want to fist-bump him for all eternity solely for his responses in this thread because dude, he is SO RIGHT ON.
*Speaking of male perpetrators. Not referring to men as in male victims, of which there are many who deserve to have their experiences taken seriously, as well.
In conclusion:
1. Yes, we live in a rape culture, in case you were one of the few people with their fingers still in their ears going "LA LA LA LA LA."
2. The fact that law enforcement has a long history of not taking rape claims seriously-- this is why women get PISSED AS SHIT when "but what about all the men who are falsely accused of rape?" inevitably gets brought up in discussions of rape culture. Because that's pretty much the most insulting thing you can bring up when the topic is how to create a culture where rape is not an everyday occurrence. Especially when survivors of rape and sexual assault-- many of whom experienced some of the pressures described in this article-- are often actively participating in the discussion.
To quote
tamnonlinear, "Women do lie about rape all the time. They say it didn't happen when it did. They say they're fine when they're not. They say they deserved it when they didn't. They say it was something else, because they live in a culture that devalues their experiences, their word, their sovereignty over their own body, and their right to live without fear or shame."So, those comments about false reports of rape? Undermining, derailing, silencing, and not at all fucking relevant to the topic being discussed. The only thing this statement does is take the attention off the crime and paint men* as the victims we should be discussing instead. So don't.
3. Related to #2-- the actual false report data for rape suggests that the figure is between 2% - 8%, which is well within the range of false reports for most types of crimes. So, you wouldn't say "but what about all the false claims of burglary" when someone is talking about crime rate, would you? No. So, to reiterate: Don't.
4. Further reading:
jimhines: Rape and the Police. I pretty much want to fist-bump him for all eternity solely for his responses in this thread because dude, he is SO RIGHT ON.*Speaking of male perpetrators. Not referring to men as in male victims, of which there are many who deserve to have their experiences taken seriously, as well.