Rebel Girls: Our “False Rape” Hysteria is Bullsh*t

[ismnotwasm]

("freshly purchased fedoras". Heh.)

As soon as the Rolling Stone piece on a University of Virginia gang rape began to unravel, I knew what was coming. The air smelled vaguely of freshly-purchased fedoras. The Internet felt defensive. And so it began. Suddenly, we were all stuck in a conversation on the falsely accused instead of the eternally silenced, a conversation about perpetrators and their struggles instead of rape victims and their trauma, a conversation about whether or not rape is something that even happens instead of a conversation about how to finally make it stop.

I am derailing that conversation, and I come bearing every ounce of truth I could muster about “false rape accusations” and the pitiful rape culture the myth of them exemplifies.

So, what’s a “false rape accusation,” anyway?

Honestly, the definition of a “false rape” will vary depending on who is talking about it. Anti-feminist folks often use the term, and the statistics available around it, to discuss scenarios in which a typically female person lies or otherwise fabricates a sexual assault or rape in order to target someone unfairly or seek attention, although – SURPRISE! – that’s not specifically what the term means in the eyes of the law, and that’s not what a “false rape” is when you see numbers about them on the books.

Let’s start with the basics: a “false” rape and an “unfounded” rape, in the language of the law, are the same thing. And for a whole lot of reasons, the data on how prevalent unfounded rapes are is skewed and altogether unreliable.

A lot of our crime statistics come from FBI reports, which would typically be great places to look for information about crime. But when it comes to sexual violence, that isn’t so. The FBI definition of rape, which was updated in 2012 after extensive advocacy by the Feminist Majority Foundation and Ms. magazine, excluded pretty much everyone who had been raped from fitting into their statistical boxes for over four decades:

More:http://www.autostraddle.com/rebel-girls-our-false-rape-hysteria-is-bullshit-270299/

[marym625]

1. K&R!

Rolling Stone needs to do much, much more to undo the damage it has done. Much much more

Happy New Year!

[Pacifist Patriot]

2. K & R

[FairWinds]

3. False claims of rape do happen,

although there is disagreement over how frequently.
I have a problem with people who refuse to even discuss the
possibility that some claims of rape are false.
We know that is not true.
Convicted rapists should be punished, and so should people
who make false claims.

[Cassidy]

4. The crime of rape vastly outnumbers the crime of false reporting of rapes

Please go to the original link and read it. Here are other links I found through that link that are also helpful.

http://theenlivenproject.com/the-truth-about-false-accusation/



How about a proportionate response from everyone? Statistics differ, and have many problems (e.g. see the link), but saying that 5% of rapes are false reports is at the high end of the statistical ranges I have seen. So, how about people only talk, post, or try to do something about false reports of rape once for every 19 times they talk, post, or try to do something about rape itself. Deal?

I look forward to your next 19 posts.

[chervilant]

5. How tiresome...

I think you should reread this OP and understand that asserting that "false claims of rape do happen" is precisely the red herring this OP seeks to address. It's time to stop trotting out this tired canard whenever anyone attempts to discuss rape and/or strategies to insure that rapists face consequences for their criminal assaults.

[eggplant]

6. False claims of rape happen like voter fraud happens. n/t

[riqster]

7. Kicking for truth.

[seabeyond]

8. i have been saying this for years. it has helped to establish me a target on du. facts.

reports, statistic, documentation, common fuckin' sense.

this is a very good article. it is a keeper. to simplify the many times i have to dig up the documentation to say the same thing, to the same people.

i have not been able to find one document i used, for a while. seems to have disappeared off the net the last year, when i had used it for a good three yrs. the go to.

u.s. and scotland yard both point out the reality of "unfounded" in the numbers. they state falso is 2-3%, closer to 2. other countries across the world had it at a high 1.7 and higher %.

[mercuryblues]

16. not to

overlook the fact that out of the 2-3% many of the false claims do not identify a perpetrator. In those cases there is no man being falsely accused at all. Zilch. Nada.

[FairWinds]

9. If . .

. . "'false claims of rape do happen' is precisely the red herring . ."
then since all those accused are guilty, we don't need to bother with trials, do we?

[seabeyond]

10. you do not belong here. as you well know

[FairWinds]

11. Don't post here if you don't want discussion . .

I've worked on peace & justice & women's rights for 45 years.
My feminist wife would be shocked at your attitude.
You're being a bully.

[seabeyond]

12. this is a protected safe haven for feminists. if you cannot play a supportive role,

regardless of your interpretation how your wife thinks, then do not come in here.

you are using the same bullshit lines that this OP is addressing. dismissing and derailing. that is against this groups rules.

[ismnotwasm]

15. We've heard this story before Sea

Over and over and over again

[FairWinds]

13. May you find peace, but gotta say that . .

your persuasive skills need some work.
"I'll meet you around the bend, my friend, where hearts can heal and souls can mend." [Riverbend]

[ismnotwasm]

14. Missed your point there.

[mercuryblues]

17. I haven't

Another man who has fought for women's rights, who wife would think this or that about the women posting in this group; telling women they are wrong. Despite the data and references linked to backing up the OP.

Lather
Rinse
Repeat.

[ismnotwasm]

18. Amazing how it's always the same story.

[mercuryblues]

19. my shocked

face

[ismnotwasm]

20. Heh!