The Student Room Group

Victim Blaming Or Taking Personal Responsibility To Minimise Risk?

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Original post by Tyrion_Lannister
I can see where this is going. The difference is, women are not objects, and most rapes are

1) committed by someone the victim knows and not the stranger in the alleyway. So what she wears isn't anything to do with it
2) are about power and domination and not sex, again, what she wears isn't anything to do with it/ It's more about putting power over people, which is why those with learning difficulties or mental illnesses are the victims of violent crime more often than other groups

So your whole thread is pointless, and yes, it is victim blaming


Your first point, theres not a whole lot (sadly) you can do about it.

Point two - i agree rape is about power and domination and not always sex. However that being said, it is not victim blaming to say that a woman (or man) should take precautions when out on a night. Dont walk alone blind drunk in dodgy areas, dont walk around in high heels (not because it will attract rapists but because it makes it harder to run away) when alone and late at night. I fully support that anyone has the right to wear what they want when they want. But exercise caution. In no way is it the fault of the person if they get attacked and you will never hear me say "she/he deserved it" but I will say - keep yourself as safe as possible. We dont live in a nice world and there are scum out there who will take advantage of a person who is alone, drunk/high, late at night and in a "bad neighbourhood" Im not just referring to rape here, but mugging, knifing, getting attacked in any way.


Original post by redferry
The last one is not victim blaming as a volcano is an object and clearly objects have no moral responsibility so that's his own damn fault. The rest are 100% victim blaming though. You should be able to walk around at night, park your car wherever and not have to lock your house ( in many parts of the country people don't lock their front doors!)


Should, yes. Can - no. As i said the world isnt a nice place and people need to take responsibility for not getting into a situation that can be avoided. Note the difference. Its not victim blaming to encourage people to lessen as much of possible something like rape happening
Original post by Tyrion_Lannister
I love it whe you post evidence on TSR yet some people still argue with it.


Not a single one of those things was evidence, they are all opinion pieces
Original post by Huskaris
Excuse me, she also quoted a blog.

It's a fact that blogs are more factually accurate than any form of statistical analysis too. And I can prove it.

www.mypretentiousblog.com/Ispoutmyideasaboutbull****feminism


I am so sorry, the patriarchy (which obviously exists in the West) filled my head with logical thinking :sad:
Reply 43
Original post by yo radical one
I am so sorry, the patriarchy (which obviously exists in the West) filled my head with logical thinking :sad:


Shame on you. You have to resist the patriarchy and realise that you are a major oppressor and must forever apologise for that. Also, as a man you are a potential rapist and as such must be educated in how to prevent yourself from raping people etc.

Christ, writing that I don't understand how some feminists can keep a straight face. Must be some form of mental illness.
Reply 44


None of those links contains any actual evidence, do you have any sort of scientific studies to back up your points?
Original post by Huskaris
Shame on you. You have to resist the patriarchy and realise that you are a major oppressor and must forever apologise for that. Also, as a man you are a potential rapist and as such must be educated in how to prevent yourself from raping people etc.

Christ, writing that I don't understand how some feminists can keep a straight face. Must be some form of mental illness.


1) I have never said men must apologise for being men
2) I have never said all men are potential rapists

I also don't appreciate the mocking of mental illness
Reply 46
Original post by Tyrion_Lannister
1) I have never said men must apologise for being men
2) I have never said all men are potential rapists

I also don't appreciate the mocking of mental illness


1) That wasn't aimed at you
2) That wasn't aimed at you either.

As for the mocking of mental illness, quite frankly if you get offended that easily the real world will not be kind to you.

Not everything on TSR is about you darling. Get over yourself a bit :wink:
Original post by Huskaris
1) That wasn't aimed at you
2) That wasn't aimed at you either.

As for the mocking of mental illness, quite frankly if you get offended that easily the real world will not be kind to you.

Not everything on TSR is about you darling. Get over yourself a bit :wink:


It quite clearly was as you were discussing my post.

What a weak argument. It's not about whether other people do worse, it's about it being a horrible thing to say. Because some people murder, does that make GBH okay because it isn't as bad?

I don't expect anything less from you
Reply 48
Original post by Tyrion_Lannister
It quite clearly was as you were discussing my post.

What a weak argument. It's not about whether other people do worse, it's about it being a horrible thing to say. Because some people murder, does that make GBH okay because it isn't as bad?

I don't expect anything less from you


It genuinely wasn't it was a critique on extreme feminism. If I wanted to make a dig at you I would have made it clear it was aimed at you. I genuinely don't understand your level of narcissism sometimes.

Drawing parallels between a dig at feminism and condoning GBH too? I don't expect anything more from you :wink:
Reply 49
Original post by Tyrion_Lannister
It quite clearly was as you were discussing my post.

What a weak argument. It's not about whether other people do worse, it's about it being a horrible thing to say. Because some people murder, does that make GBH okay because it isn't as bad?

I don't expect anything less from you


It genuinely wasn't it was a critique on extreme feminism. If I wanted to make a dig at you I would have made it clear it was aimed at you. I genuinely don't understand your level of narcissism sometimes.

Drawing parallels between a dig at feminism and condoning GBH too? I don't expect anything more from you :wink:
Original post by Huskaris
It genuinely wasn't it was a critique on extreme feminism. If I wanted to make a dig at you I would have made it clear it was aimed at you. I genuinely don't understand your level of narcissism sometimes.

Drawing parallels between a dig at feminism and condoning GBH too? I don't expect anything more from you :wink:


A critique of extreme feminism right after you were discussing a post I made...

Ouch. If I wasn't so narcissistic that could have hurt :awesome:
Reply 51
Original post by Tyrion_Lannister
A critique of extreme feminism right after you were discussing a post I made...

Ouch. If I wasn't so narcissistic that could have hurt :awesome:


Christ, you really do have quite an opinion of yourself.

Like I said, it genuinely wasn't about you at all. It was about the feminist nuts that inhabit places like TSR and the internet, of which to be fair, you could be one, I don't know really, you seem to have the odd moments of pure insanity but peppered with moments of level headed reasoning from what I've seen on your posts.

The main area that lets you down is your need to comment looking for an argument on eveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerything!
The thread is correct.

Not wanting people to be raped is not blaming people for being raped.

Anybody who cannot see that is an idiot or a feminist.
Original post by Huskaris
Christ, you really do have quite an opinion of yourself.

Like I said, it genuinely wasn't about you at all. It was about the feminist nuts that inhabit places like TSR and the internet, of which to be fair, you could be one, I don't know really, you seem to have the odd moments of pure insanity but peppered with moments of level headed reasoning from what I've seen on your posts.

The main area that lets you down is your need to comment looking for an argument on eveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerything!


I have a similar opinion bout you. You seem to be alright sometimes, and totally weird at others.

I think it's my writing style, I don't mean to be confrontational, I'm merely asking/debating but some people take it as an attack :dontknow:
Reply 54
Original post by Tyrion_Lannister
I have a similar opinion bout you. You seem to be alright sometimes, and totally weird at others.

I think it's my writing style, I don't mean to be confrontational, I'm merely asking/debating but some people take it as an attack :dontknow:


Well there you go. You win some, you lose some.
Original post by redferry
The last one is not victim blaming as a volcano is an object and clearly objects have no moral responsibility so that's his own damn fault. The rest are 100% victim blaming though. You should be able to walk around at night, park your car wherever and not have to lock your house ( in many parts of the country people don't lock their front doors!)


You should be able to, but obviously you aren't able to, which is what matters.
Original post by KingStannis
The thread is correct.

Not wanting people to be raped is not blaming people for being raped.

Anybody who cannot see that is an idiot or a feminist.


There's a difference?




Ba dum tss
It's not victim-blaming to encourage people to minimise their chances of being raped/attacked/taken advantage of in any other way. It's being realistic, and recognising that while we can hope of a world one day where people who commit crimes don't exist, that world is not the one we currently inhabit. Of course, if someone hears of a woman in revealing clothing getting raped and says "Well she should have dresses more modestly", then of course that is victim-blaming, and is abhorrent.
Original post by manchesterunited15
There's a difference?




Ba dum tss


No, I do make a distinction between the two. You can be one or the other, or both.

You can be a rational, intelligent person but still have irrational beliefs.
Original post by Tyrion_Lannister
I can see where this is going. The difference is, women are not objects, and most rapes are

1) committed by someone the victim knows and not the stranger in the alleyway. So what she wears isn't anything to do with it
2) are about power and domination and not sex, again, what she wears isn't anything to do with it/ It's more about putting power over people, which is why those with learning difficulties or mental illnesses are the victims of violent crime more often than other groups

So your whole thread is pointless, and yes, it is victim blaming


most rapes are committed by an aquaintance and there's not much you can do about those short of making a point of never ever being alone with a man, however there are a minority of horrendous attacks committed by strangers in alleyways so to speak and rape is such a horrendous thing I can't imagine why a woman wouldn't want to take a precaution which didn't make much difference to her e.g. not walking home alone down a dark alley, we're not talking about every woman going out of her way every day to avoid any tiny thing which might raise her risk of rape, just generally exercising common sense, and clothes etc DO make a difference, not in the sense that you're 'asking for it' but if you're sat in your dark alley watching for a victim you're going to attack the drunk girl stumbling in her 6in heel with a short skirt because she wont be as able to fight back, her clothes are easy to push aside and she can't run - in that situation she makes herself vulnerable


Original post by anarchism101
To add to this, the often-quoted analogy of leaving your car unlocked is a flawed one. The function of a car lock is not to 'discourage' car theft, but to physically prevent it.

By contrast, short of a chastity belt a woman cannot wear anything that will physically prevent a rapist.


actually most of these things are target hardening, if I lock my bike up to something that doesn't mean it's impossible to steal I've just made it a less attractive target as it will be harder to steal, same with locking doors etc, if I'm wearing jeans and walking down a crowded street with a couple of friends I'm going to be difficult to rape, I have applied 'target hardening' to myself, if I am stumbling down an alley drunk at 4am in 6in heels and a short skirt alone, I am an easy target akin to me just chucking my bike against a wall and leaving it like that - what you're essentially trying to do is say if someone is looking to steal a bike or rape someone, they wont choose my bike and they wont choose me as it's too much work

Original post by buchanan700
This.
There are times when there is no choice but to put yourself in what might be a slightly precarious situation. To get home sometimes I have to walk through a dodgy area of town on my own, at night. Sometimes it is impossible or extremely inconvenient to do the safest thing. Taxis, people are forgetting cost money.

And besides as another poster has said, it is rare, so women can most of the time be assured they're safe.


it is always up to a person to decide what risks they are prepared to take, if I go running in the snow+ice I have to understand I am raising my risk of falling and breaking my ankle, I may decide that running today matters more than that risk, if I go home at night alone I may decide the risk I take walking across the park is worth the £10 I save on the taxi as the risk of rape is undeniably small, and that's okay, I would never say to someone who had been raped 'oh well it's no wonder since you did X' that's just being a dick, I also wouldn't say to someone who's bike got stolen 'well your lock was pretty crappy really, no wonder', it's just mean, but there's nothing wrong with saying doing X will make you safer in the long run so where possible try and do it

Original post by Tyrion_Lannister
When you imply that by doing certain things the victim is responsible for the crime. It's fine to say certain actions are more risky than others. But that by no means makes it their fault.

Are extreme sports players responsible for their injuries? Is it a soldiers fault he got his leg blown off? Even if there is a raised risk, it doesn't make it their fault


this^ I would never EVER say any woman or girl or man is to blame for being a victim of rape, and anyone who rapes anyone bears 100% responsibility, but that doesn't mean there aren't things we can do to be safe (e.g. if you're meeting someone new arrange to text a friend after a couple of hours so someone knows where you are, don't walk alone at night if you can help it etc) and people seem to like to attack people for informing people of the risks they take, they are not saying EVERYONE WHOS BEEN RAPED IS A DRUNK WHORE WHO DESERVED IT, they're saying look girls if you pass out drunk you are at risk of being both attacked and robbed so maybe try and bear it in mind when you drink

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