It’s utterly frustrating to hear comments like:
- “What were you wearing?”
- “Can you really blame him? Men have instincts.”
- “Did you even say no? Did you try to stop him?”
- “What did you think would happen?”
- “You were sending mixed signals.”
According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), 1 in 6 American women has experienced rape or attempted rape, and a significant number of these incidents go unreported. Why? Because the chances of charges being filed are extremely low, with only 6 out of every 1,000 rapists facing imprisonment.
A critical issue in society is the tendency to place blame on victims of sexual assault rather than supporting them during their trauma and helping them pursue justice. The It’s On Us initiative, established by former Vice President Joe Biden, aims to involve everyone—students, businesses, communities, and families—in the dialogue to combat sexual violence. Recently, the organization collaborated with 101-North Marketing to produce impactful PSAs that illustrate the irrationality of victim blaming.
One such video features a man at a hardware store near a toilet display. A woman, clearly needing to use the restroom, rushes over and appears relieved as she takes a seat on the toilet while the man is turned away. When he sees her sitting there, engrossed in her phone, he is justifiably shocked. In an absurd twist, the woman begins to rant about “biological impulses” and accuses him of flaunting his “signals.” She storms off, chastising him for not understanding her intentions.
The remaining two videos in the series reinforce the ridiculousness of victim blaming in familiar scenarios. In one, two women playfully interact with a sculpture in a museum while giggling at a security guard who clearly says no, yet they interpret it as yes. In another, a woman indulges in a wedding cake while reprimanding the baker for making it so enticing if he didn’t want her to eat it. These scenarios shouldn’t even need to exist, but unfortunately, they do.
Each video concludes with the message, “This is the logic used to excuse sexual assault. Not very logical, is it?” The answer is a resounding no.
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Summary:
This article discusses the harmful practice of victim blaming in sexual assault cases, emphasizing the need for support and understanding towards victims. It highlights the absurdity of blaming individuals for the actions committed against them through illustrative videos that showcase illogical reasoning.