4 Disheartening accusations rape survivors face
A lot of times, rape situations are downplayed and de-escalated in relationships, and among close friends or family members. Perhaps it sterns from fear and the nature of the relationship most victims have with their assailants or the stigma associated with the act.
According to Inside Southern, studies show that up to 90 percent of rape victims knew their abusers, and this owes to the fact that most sexual assault cases occurred in places like churches, homes, schools, and offices that were otherwise thought to be safe. Yet society and some misogynist groups of people, collude sexual offenders by trivializing such grievous act against womanhood as normal, and associating it to a specific gender, or accusing victims of triggering or contributing to such an act.
The fact remains that men aren’t all violent, neither are they all rapists as they too can be victims of rape. But this doesn’t excuse perpetrators of rape from being responsible for their selfishness. It doesn’t give any right to bystanders to imagine themselves as any better than a victim, or accuse them of partly being responsible for their predicament.
A few factors that could lead to rape include jealousy, a sense of entitlement, and possessiveness which could all result in physical, mental, emotional, and even sexual abuse. Sexual offenders aren’t at all aliens. They’re perceived to be regular members of the society. Some of them are wealthy and influential, others are regular; with regular jobs like most of us. But their thirst for dominance and the need to objectify women gives them the perception that women are the weaker gender.
Women who report rape cases are often faced with these kinds of accusations
“After all you asked for it”
“You seemed like you wanted it”
“You shouldn’t have dressed up in that manner”
“It’s normal…every girl has had that experience at some point…so, it’s not a big deal”
The big question here is, are these not actions that promote ‘rape culture’ in our society? From the rate at which rape is trivialized, it has resulted in a tradition of victim-blaming, promoting sexually explicit jokes, and coercing women to tolerate sexual harassment.
It helps to lend a voice and not just speculate when a friend or someone you know confides in you about being raped. It will do a great deal of justice if we all lend our voices to make sure rape victims get the justice they deserve.
Let’s all be active bystanders, let’s support those who are still hurting from the scars their assailants left them. Let’s all say no to RAPE! Let’s create more Safe Spaces for our girls.
#justiceforbarakat #justicefortina #justiceforuwa
