COLUMN: Rape — Women shouldn’t be in spotlight
The headlines read:
Woman falls victim of rape. Female freshmen at high risk of sexual assault. Date rape becomes death trap for women. Police report rape of 13-year-old girl.
It’s in the news, it’s discussed in our classes, and it’s a part of our lives. Women who are victims of rape seem to take the brunt of someone else’s wrong doing. Their pain and suffering hits home to those around, but obviously not hard enough. The message isn’t getting through, for one good reason. The focus has been put on the wrong person.
The headlines should read:
Male sex offender arrested. Punishment for date rape harsh for men. Police report 20-year-old male charged for rape. Men take crash course on forcible sex abuse.
The best way to solve a problem is to go to the source. He pushed too far. He didn’t stop. And he’s the one who left unscarred and numb to the damage that was just done. Women are not the enemy here, they are the victims.
Society establishes reasoning such as, “The way she dresses screams ‘take advantage of me!'” or “She deserved it for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Wait a minute. No matter how “slutty” or “easy” a woman may appear does not justify the heartless act of the nameless or familiar face lingering in the shadows or socializing at a party.
The majority of forcible sex abuse incidents don’t involve a man lurking in the bushes. Rather it involves a man who doesn’t understand what the word “no” means.
Many women are afraid to tell anyone when they feel they have been a victim of rape. They are left with emotional scars, wondering why this happened to them.
Maybe instead of thinking of things that women can do to avoid being raped, we should think of things men should do so they won’t rape anyone in the first place.
Imagine a student who doesn’t do his homework and never studies the entire semester. Despite persistent warnings from his professor, he will undoubtedly fail the final exam. The student is the root of the problem, so it would be absurd to figure out what the professor is doing wrong, when the student didn’t study.
Just like a man who rapes a woman, it would be absurd to figure out what the woman is doing wrong when the man was the one who raped her.
Granted, women should be careful to not put themselves in situations where they might be taken advantage of. Men shouldn’t take advantage of women in the first place. It’s as simple as that.
Ninety-eight percent of rapists are men, according to www.rape101.com. But according to this Web site, there are many things that men can do to stop violence against women.
* Recognize that domestic violence is every man’s responsibility.
* Speak up. Don’t be a silent bystander.
* Challenge men who use sexist language and make degrading jokes about women.
* Ask a woman how the threat of violence impacts her life. Listen to and learn from women.
* Think about how our own attitudes and language contribute to the problem of men’s abuse of women.
* Call 911. Domestic violence is not a private matter — it’s a crime.
* Recognize that degrading images of women in the media are linked to violence against women.
* Boycott magazines, videos or music that promote violence against women.
* Teach boys and young men about healthy relationships. Walk the talk by being a good role model.
* Seek help if you have a problem with being emotionally or physically abusive.
* Join other concerned men and women to address gender violence.
These are just a few small steps that need to be taken. Unfortunately, in today’s world, the headlines will still read of women being raped and men getting away with it. But maybe, Utah State University can stop the problem before it begins and nudge the world a little bit in the process.
Marie MacKay is the assistant news editor. Comments can be sent to mmackay@statesman.usu.edu.