anti-rape campaign that shames the perpetrator, not the victim (warning: trigger alert)

[niyad]

An Anti-Rape Campaign That Shames the Perpetrator, Not the Victim (PHOTOS)

In a city unofficially known as the ‘rape capital of America’ these ads aim to shake up a culture that blames women for their attacks




In the world of public service announcements, “Don’t Get Raped” is the resounding message coming from many trying to protect women from sexual assault.
But as well-intentioned as some of those ads may be, their warnings just parrot the same misguided message that women have had to listen to for centuries: If you’re raped, it’s somehow your fault for (pick one) drinking too much, drinking in public, leaving your drink unattended, failing to say “no” enough times, wearing that skirt, flirting with that man, etc., etc., ad infinitum.





What too few recognize is that instead of implying it’s the woman’s fault for failing to prevent her own rape, it needs to be directly stated that it’s the sole fault of the perpetrators for
raping in the first place. And that may finally be the case. A new viral campaign out of Missoula, Montana, addresses assault by targeting the wrongdoing of the potential attackers instead of their victims.

Make Your Move, Missoula uses degrading lines often repeated by offenders and turns them into choruses of support for their targets.
The campaign encourages bystanders to intervene in situations that look potentially dangerous—something that most women will attest happens far too infrequently.

Missoula seems like the last place on Earth that would serve as the home base for a progressive anti-rape campaign; but the city is unofficially known as the rape capital of the country. Jezebel’s Katie J.M. Baker previously reported that a fervent “she was asking for it and is now lying about it” culture thrives in that college town.

. . . .

http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/07/10/missoula-ad-campaign-shames-rape

[KittyWampus]

1. interesting. IMO, they are well done ads.

[niyad]

2. here is hoping that the message gets through.

[CSStrowbridge]

3. I hope this catches on.

If you tell a woman, "Don't dress like a slut." then you are telling potential rapists that if a woman dresses like a slut, she's asking for it. If she's asking for it, then it's not rape.

On a side note, there was a study that showed women who go out and drink too much are more likely to get raped, so a lot of people said this was proof women shouldn't drink if they don't want to be raped. However, similar studies have shown that men who drink a lot are more likely to rape someone. You don't hear a lot of people telling men not to drink, or they might rape someone.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

5. word. n/t

[seabeyond]

9. that is exactly the issue telling a girl "dont dress like a slut". right on. thank you for making

the point.

we say dress does not matter. but on the other hand we all know and hear this is being said. what people are thinking. we must walk away from that. rape is ownership only of the rapist.

[KittyWampus]

22. good point.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

4. excellent ads!! and they provide an example of doing the right thing, too.

Great job!

[niyad]

6. . . .

[seabeyond]

7. that whole article, is good stuff. we had this conversation with the "dont rape" video

there were a handful that had a problem with it. but, that is how i saw it. it was teaching the ones not raping to step in. giving them the voice and power and thumbs up. this went one step further. i think this is so right on in the direction we need to go.

and missoula. i did not know. that is interesting in and of itself.

[loli phabay]

56. i know this one has been hone over before, but this video does not work on me as well as the ads

Others may have the opposite effect. I think its important to use all mediums but there has to be an awareness that different people react differently to different versions of a message.

[seabeyond]

57. i like this one cause it will empower the boys like my sons, in obvious, easy simplified manner

that empowers them to stand up.

i also like the duh one with the unconscious woman on the couch. for the same reason. not to address a bottom feeder that would rape an unconscious girl, but to make all those around them, there is an unconscious girl, step up.

[loli phabay]

58. yup, its different courses for different horses, what works with you may not go for me

[Nye Bevan]

8. I like this. Addresses guys but without the snark and without talking down to them.

Good stuff.

[seabeyond]

10. kicking cause i like it, i do not think enough people have seen it and

tomorrow morning i will probably kick again.

thank you niyad

[niyad]

27. you are welcome. we need much more like this campaign, everywhere.

[Arcanetrance]

11. Great ad campaign I also learned something new tonight of all the places to get the nick name

rape capital of America I really didn't expect it to be a place in Montana

[BainsBane]

12. Countdown to charges of misandry

According to some, the only appropriate rape prevention campaigns blame the victim. Those with fragile egos and perhaps even guilty consciences insist as much.

[davidn3600]

13. It is not misandy at all. In fact, I could actually see it more as misogyny actually...

Those ads tend to point to the idea that women are always victims that require a prince to come to their rescue.

But perhaps we just have different interpretations...one could say it promotes heroism instead of just ignoring such crimes.

But I dont see how those ads shame the rapist or put responsibility on the rapist. It seems like it's protecting the rapist from responsibility and expecting others to stop the act.

Again...just my honest opinion. I dont disagree with this campaign. I wish more people would step up to stop crime. I just don't think these particular ads hit a home run.

[stevenleser]

19. I don't see it that way. The focus is on the male perception of a situation for those males who dont

get it.

[stevenleser]

20. Also, if you read the article, it has ads where women are the intervening agent. It's not about men

rescuing the women.

[seabeyond]

23. men talking to their peers, taking responsibility for their friend is them being a "white knight" or

being a decent fuckin' human being. but wtf david.... turn it to creepy.

[bettyellen]

38. well, there's just never correct way to address the issue, according to some

someone might get the vapors or possibly slightly insulted, and we can't have that.

[seabeyond]

43. when the agenda is to keep woman down, it is impossible to support the empowering of women.

and those with that agenda are obvious and clear.

[loli phabay]

39. number one rule, be a decent human being

[seabeyond]

42. you know. that is so right. you can experience all kinds of things in life and with THAT

as your number one rule, i would say we would almost be guaranteed of a good life. we could look ourselves in the mirror. and that solves so many many potential problems we create in our life.

[loli phabay]

45. being able to look at yourself in the mirror is the best thing in the world

Its the person you are most honest with in the world.

[bettyellen]

46. and we hear all the time here how dudes will not be supportive of

our rights, if we don't ask nicely enough. I do not know how they look in the mirror.
They often admit their views are poisoned with bitterness toward some particular women, which basically n excuse for bigotry toward us all.

[loli phabay]

47. it works both ways, to not see everyone as an individual rather than as part of a block is a problem

From all parties. There are individuals who a please and thank you works wonders with some people for others it does not, its about communicating in a manner were the target listens and common ground can be found. Civility is not a common trait nowadays especially with the anonimity of the internet.

[bettyellen]

48. and some of the rudest people demand women walk on tip toes

it's pretty transparent derailing. I'm sorry, anyone who needs to be coddled into supporting equal rights or woman's right to reproductive freedom is an entitled asshole.
I agree this hits a great tone practically speaking for a wide audience. But coddling fellow DUers is off the table, they are supposed to be progressive, and need to grow up and get over it.

[loli phabay]

49. also rudeness unfortunately is a human trait, civil discourse is a forgotten art nowadays

But as you say its due to both talker and listener.

[bettyellen]

51. especially on the net, yup. but I don't accept it as an excuse to derail the conversation...

not ever.

[loli phabay]

55. i think the problem is also we are built to read cues from body language, voice etc

So when you read the written word the nuances are missing and sometimes an innocent comment is taken the wrong way. A good example is when my wife calls me an idiot, written down it looks harsh but with her tone and look its endearing.

[bettyellen]

60. true, LOL.

[niyad]

26. just as a matter of curiosity, how do you define misandry and misogyny? not snark, really want

to know.

[BainsBane]

30. . . .

[stevenleser]

18. I don't think you will get that with these. Not that it should need to be this perfect, but it is.

Whoever designed these is a genius. It puts the focus where it should be (on the men who rape and their male friends and male bystanders who could and should intervene) while somehow managing to not strike an accusatory or overly general tone.

[BainsBane]

24. the fact it mentions men is enough for some.

[Marr]

63. Apparently not. /nt

[BainsBane]

64. Actually it is

There is a thread expressing great outrage over this video.fact one is revisiting it in this very thread. The rest are apparently too busy arguing in defense of rape porn to join in.
Efforts to stop rape without blaming the victim--misandry. Discussions of actual violence against women--misandry that must be silenced. Brutal rape porn--freedom of expression.

[Bonobo]

14. Good campaign!

I like the way they target some of the commonly used phrases by rapists -pointing to criminal behavior specifically - rather than creating the false impression that rape is something that is done on the spur of the moment by all men as in "If you're walking down the street and see a woman, don't rape her."

Rape is NOT an accident.

[Recursion]

15. Sounds like Vancouver's "Don't be that guy" campaign

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/dont-be-that-guy-ad-campaign-cuts-vancouver-sex-assaults-by-10-per-cent-in-2011/article1359241/

And Vancouver seems to have had good results with it.

[Lunacee_2013]

16. Kick and rec.

[stevenleser]

17. About as perfect a message as you can get. nt

[stevenleser]

21. Stated goals of this excellent campaign according to a commenteer

1) Engage men and women as allies to prevent sexual violence by increasing awareness and education about the dynamics of sexual violence

and

2) Encourage bystanders to foster healthy non-violent relationships and interrupt attitudes, language and actions that support sexual violence.
-----------------------------------
Seems like it is a home run on both counts.

[loli phabay]

40. good goals, to many times its adversarial either one way or another.

[niyad]

25. kick for monday crowd

[historylovr]

28. K & R

[wyldwolf]

29. I got in more than one altercation in high school and college for stepping in like this...

... lost a few friends...

TOTALLY WORTH IT!

[stevenleser]

31. Not H.S. and College but as a 20 something young adult, same here.

It's not for the faint of heart but totally worth it, like you said.

[seabeyond]

36. it really is not. not in all of this, for any of us. i do not enjoy. it is not easy

for me to continually speak out. and i do it anyway.

you are right steven.

[niyad]

33. not in these situations, but I have intervened in more than one DV situation--as you said, worth it

[seabeyond]

35. you are DA man....

we need a high five smilie

[niyad]

32. . . .

[niyad]

34. . . .

[seabeyond]

37. jacking off to rape is so much more interesting than supporting calling out rape, lol... interest,

huh?

[NCTraveler]

41. K&R. nt.

[In_The_Wind]

44. Kick!

[Vashta Nerada]

50. These should be posters and hung in every bar in every college town.

[GladRagDahl]

52. I like the sentiment BUT

I think I'd like the ads better if the "hero" was a heroine instead. It's a little bit stereotypical to have a white knight coming along to save us poor princesses. I know I'm being a little hard on the ad campaign because overall I think it's a BIG step in the right direction, but I'd still like to see some examples of women stepping too.

[SomethingFishy]

53. The whole point of the campaign is to push men from being

quiet opponents of rape to being vocal, and actionable. At least that is what I'm getting from it.

It has nothing to do with "white knights" it has to do with having a conscience and acting on it.

[GladRagDahl]

54. I agree

I would just like to see women who see situations like this be encouraged to develop that same conscience and sense of responsibility for a fellow human being. It's just my first reaction on seeing the ads. I didn't mean to take anything way from the obvious good intent. I just thought it should go a little further.

[seabeyond]

62. i agree it absolutely is not a white knight. but, i like your point that we need to get some up

with girls helping and protecting girls, also. to stand down the boys that have their eye on an unconscious or obviously drunk girl and step up.

i like that. a lot.

[The2ndWheel]

59. There was a picture with a woman on it in the link

I agree with your idea though.

If the woman going home with the guy is your friend, or the guy taking the girl home is your friend, and you went somewhere with either one, that makes the situation a little different. Tell him she's too drunk, tell her not to go with him, fine.

If both people are strangers to you though, what exactly are you supposed to do? Follow them around all night? Ask the women how she's doing all night long? Always keeping an eye on her over her shoulder? Listen in on the conversation? Always be ready to potentially confront the man involved, be in physically or verbally? Women can go out and have a good time, and not be worried about anything, but every man is just supposed to be on the watch of every other man any time they're out?

[GladRagDahl]

61. Excellent point

[niyad]

65. kick for weekend crowd

[MineralMan]

66. When I returned to college after being in the USAF for four years,

I was 24 years old. I lived in a house near the university with two other guys. We had lots of parties...almost every weekend, it seemed. At many of those, people consumed too much alcohol. As the parties wound down, there would usually be a couple of people who had overindulged to the point of needing to sleep it off.

When the sleeper was a woman, I'd get her to the couch in the living room, cover her up with a blanket, put a plastic bucket on the floor, and sit in a chair nearby until the party was over and everyone had departed. My house; my responsibility. The next morning, I'd take her wherever she needed to go, whenever she was ready to go, but there was no way a passed out woman was leaving with some guy until she was fully awake and able to make her own decisions from a sober perspective.

That was the rule in our house. If you passed out there, someone looked out for you.

[niyad]

67. would that there were many more like you. thank you for caring.

[niyad]

68. . . . .

[seabeyond]

69. niyad.

you are the best.

k

eugene, colo spr, spokane

still waiting, but still co spr