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I don't think that's a fair arguement - it's really not the same thing. Wearing a short skirt is not the same as leaving the door unlocked! If someone forced the door open and violently entered your house, I don't think people would tell say you need to accept responsibility for it.

Also just because the majority of people believe something, it doesn't make it true. The majority of people believed the world was flat until someone pointed out the truth.

Author: Deirdre, Female, Ireland
Date: 03/12/2010

This might be feeding the trolls, but whatever I'll bite. Martin, take a really good look at your analogy and tell me it's not completely missing the point and offensive.
Rape is a horrible assault on a human being; their bodily integrity, their free will, their mental and emotional wellbeing. Yet so many men (who haven't been assaulted themselves, perhaps?) can only relate to rape as a PROPERTY crime, a crime involving an OBJECT, rather than one against a living, breathing HUMAN BEING. Please forgive the capslock, but it's a pretty important distinction to make, no? Would you use that analogy when dicussing murder?

Secondly "women need to take responsibility for their actions"??? Spoken like someone who has never walked in a woman's shoes. Women and girls are constantly socialized to police their behaviour to try and prevent rape. But let me direct you to the person who said it best:

"Rape culture is the way in which the constant threat of sexual assault affects women's daily movements. Rape culture is telling girls and women to be careful about what you wear, how you wear it, how you carry yourself, where you walk, when you walk there, with whom you walk, whom you trust, what you do, where you do it, with whom you do it, what you drink, how much you drink, whether you make eye contact, if you're alone, if you're with a stranger, if you're in a group, if you're in a group of strangers, if it's dark, if the area is unfamiliar, if you're carrying something, how you carry it, what kind of shoes you're wearing in case you have to run, what kind of purse you carry, what jewelry you wear, what time it is, what street it is, what environment it is, how many people you sleep with, what kind of people you sleep with, who your friends are, to whom you give your number, who's around when the delivery guy comes, to get an apartment where you can see who's at the door before they can see you, to check before you open the door to the delivery guy, to own a dog or a dog-sound-making machine, to get a roommate, to take self-defense, to always be alert always pay attention always watch your back always be aware of your surroundings and never let your guard down for a moment lest you be sexually assaulted and if you are and didn't follow all the rules it's your fault."
http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2009/10/rape-culture-101.html

Author: MnU, Female, Canada
Date: 03/12/2010

I never understand these sorts of arguments in defence of rape.

For one, leaving your front door unlocked and wearing a short skirt are not comparable: minimal clothing should not equate "leaving yourself unprotected". If it did, does that mean women should be reduced to wearing chastity belts in order for rape to stop?
Additionally, for example, in warm weather if a man chooses to go topless in the street and he is physically attacked, does it mean that he, in part by being "unprotected" by clothing, asked for it? If a Scottish man was raped while wearing a kilt (especially considering the stereotype of what a true Scot wears under it) had he been asking for it by not being fully covered by trousers?
I detest these sexist arguments that focus on rape as a solely female problem. I doubt Martin would be so quick to take the blame if he was raped by another male, even if he had been wearing a kilt/skinny jeans/tight shirt.
The blame should always, always, always be on the rapist, never the victim.


There is absolutely no excuse for rape, under any circumstances. To reduce male attackers to nothing above animals - if a woman wears skimpy clothing then "she's asking for it", because how could she expect a man to resist his animal urges and sexual desires when aroused by her clothing - is despicable. If you think that an attack on another human being is their fault because of a fashion choice, then you have a very warped sense of justice.

Also, claiming that a majority opinion makes something true? Laughable. But in some instances true - for example, I imagine that the majority of people reading your ill guided comment must have a certain opinion of you. And I'd say, in this instance, the majority is correct.

Author: Charlene, Female, Glasgow
Date: 17/01/2011

Thank you MnU! You took the words right out of my mouth.

Author: Heather, Female, Toronto, CANADA
Date: 12/04/2011

There is never a case where a rapist should not be found guilty of that crime. The victims behaviours, dress, level of consiousness etc. have no bearing .
Does a person who knows and knowingly increases their likelyhood of being raped have any responsability for their own outcomes? Likely. But thats pretty much just something internal to themselves.
No less or more than the victim of other violent crimes. This does not make the rapist any less of a criminal or the victim any less a casualty.

Author: Gymbag, Male, Canada
Date: 12/04/2011

The thing about rape that most people seem to miss or forget is that, most women aren't raped simply because of what they're wearing or how drunk they are. Rapists don't look at women and say, "hey that's a nice revealing skirt, I think I'll rape her." Women are raped because they are women. Women who take all the precautions we are told to take are still raped.

Yes. If you left your front door unlocked it would make it easier for your house to burgled. But as Dierdre said, that analogy is missing the point. There's nothing we can do about being women. And being a woman is what gets you raped. That's the problem. Not drinking or how you dress. The problem is that women and sex are seen as property, as goods, and that's why so many people think that analogy is relevant.

Author: VirginiaWoolfe, Female, Iowa
Date: 19/05/2011

Yikes! This guy lives near me! I'd better put on a boiler suit before I leave for work!

Author: Sarah, Female, South Side, Glasgow
Date: 09/11/2011