Rape. But her clothes
provoked me!
By Mahri Carmichael
a woman. The exact same as that of a rapist.
An example from a men’s magazine: “You do
not want to be caught red-handed . . . go
and smash her on a park bench. That used
to be my trick.”
So does this mean young men are being
almost brainwashed into thinking in a
particular way about women?
That women “want it, whether they know it
or not.”
Rape is not a light subject. It is a horrible,
traumatic experience that too many women
Women spend their entire lives being told
face. Not only that, many face it alone. Jess*
how to act and dress in order to protect
aged 13 was raped by a friend, when she
themselves from being raped. Why is it that turned to counselling they found that she
way? Why aren't men being sat down and
was struggling with self-blame. A young girl,
told DON'T RAPE?
at 13, is blaming herself for what someone
else inflicted on her? Yet the person that did
In Scotland, between 2012 and 2013 the
it feels no blame.
total number of calls to RapeCrisis was
12,337. In Glasgow alone, there were 543
So was it her fault she was raped?
calls. The phone calls were mainly women;
however there were a few male victims. This What was she wearing? Would that make a
difference?
number quite frankly is disgusting.
It shouldn’t. Yet people think it does. That if
a girl dresses in tight clothing and short
During my research I found an article that
skirts she’s “asking for it”. It’s disgusting that
showed quotes from a rapist, and a "lad
in a society like today this is still a pathetic
mag". The aim was to differentiate the
excuse for a person to remove a basic right
quotes from a rapist and from a magazine
for men. Most people that read the quotes of another individual. The right to their own
were incorrect. Suggesting that young males body.
that read these magazines that subject
women into objects of sexual pleasure; are
being filled with vulgar, demeaning, views of
Susanne* aged 14, raped by a boy at school.
The school found out, and the boy was
suspended. Susanne struggled at school for
a few months and the schools response was
that she “should just get on with it” as the
boy had been removed from the school,
putting pressure on Susanne to return to
school. Get on with it? At 14, she had been
forced, against her will, to have sex with a
boy, and she was supposed to just move on?
Contact RapeCrisis on 08088 01 03 02 for
help today.
*Names have been changed in this article for
their protection.
The two rape victims mentioned in this
article found help from RapeCrisis and have
been supported to suit their needs during
Why at 14 is a boy raping a young girl? What their recovery.
was Susanne supposed to do not to get
raped? After all, it is how a woman presents
herself, right? Wrong.
At school there were several group talks to
the girls on low-cut tops and short skirts.
The argument being “there are men
around.” Are these men animals? Are they
unable to control themselves if a woman
walks by with a skirt shorter than her knees?
Young men should be getting sexual
education from a young age, they should be
sat down and have talks on respecting
women and how rape is wrong. If you don’t
teach your children to respect, they won’t. If
young men are taught that women are only
objects of sexual pleasure, they won’t
respect them, they’ll use them. Girls
shouldn’t have to watch their every move in
fear of being raped.
If you or someone you know has been a
victim of sexual assault, please speak out.