Although the news surrounding
convicted sexual offender Brock Turner has
gone global in recent days, readers in other parts of the world might be
forgiven for feeling there’s something very American about this story.
The frat party setting, the bizarre preoccupation with the perpetrator’s
athletic abilities, the wholesome-looking photograph of him widely used in
preference over the belatedly released mugshot. These details feel unfamiliar
to those of us outside the U.S., and contrast with what we know of the less
favourable treatment so often afforded black victims of violence (let alone
perpetrators) by the American media and justice system.
But do we really think that
the so-called “rape culture” within which sexual violence takes place, or the
white male privilege that contributes to the lenient treatment of its
perpetrators, are unique to the U.S.?
It’s difficult to know the
true extent of sexual violence on university campuses in the U.K., largely
because, as with all sexual violence, it is under-reported. In 2013, the
Government estimated that just 10 percent of those who are raped or sexually
assaulted currently report to the police; through our 40 years’ experience of
providing specialist, independent support services to these survivors, we
at Rape Crisis know that many of the
reasons for this have remained unchanged over decades. Survivors talk to
us about their feelings of shame and guilt for what happened to them, of
blaming themselves for not behaving differently, not making different choices,
not trying harder to scream or fight back. They talk about their fear of
not being believed, of being judged or blamed by others, of being
re-traumatized by the criminal justice system, of causing their families and
friends unnecessary suffering.
We cannot pretend that a wider
culture of victim-blaming, of minimising both the experiences of sexual
violence survivors and the culpability of perpetrators, does not contribute to
this range of feelings that survivors so often have to contend with on top of
the trauma of having been raped, sexually assaulted or sexually abused.
Nor can we shy away from the fact that this culture is rooted in sexism.
This is not for one second to suggest that men and boys aren’t raped and
sexually abused or that the impacts of these experiences on men’s and boys’
lives are less severe or wide-ranging or that women never perpetrate sexual
violence. But gender is undeniably significant to sexual violence and to
the myths and stereotypes that support and enable its perpetrators. Our
media, advertising, popular culture all bombard us with messages, of varying
degrees of subtlety, about, for example, women’s and men’s different
sexualities.
In a culture where women are
routinely objectified, myths like the archaic but enduring one about women
saying “no” when they mean “yes” endure, as does the idea that you can tell
what she wants by the way she dresses, for example. In this culture, the
idea of explicitly asking a woman whether she wants to have sex, checking in
with her to make sure she is comfortable with what’s happening, seems novel or
gallant.
At the same time, because our
culture is saturated with myths about men’s desires and sexuality being
literally uncontrollable, even if they are thought to have “overstepped
the mark” they are often afforded sympathy because they were aroused and their
very manliness rendered them less responsible for their own actions. Even
when it is accepted that a man’s predatory or abusive behaviour is criminal,
our culture still finds ways to blame the one against whom that behaviour is
perpetrated; she should know better than to go jogging on her own after dark,
or pick an un-licensed taxi up off the street, or trust her husband or partner
or male friend or colleague not to rape her in her own home or workplace, or
get drunk.
This culture undoubtedly
contributes to Brock Turner’s father’s refusal to accept how wrong and
damaging his son’s actions were. It is palpable in the judge’s decision to
hand down such a lenient sentence. And if you want to know what the outcome
of such a culture is, I recommend you read the survivor’s incredibly moving
7,000-word statement. It is of course harrowing but it is more than worth
your time. It cuts through the myths and stereotypes and tells us all we
need to know:
·
Consent is a freely given, enthusiastic “yes” from
someone with the capacity to give it, nothing less.
·
No-one ever invites sexual violence against themselves
or should be blamed for it; 100 percent of the responsibility lies with the perpetrator.
·
Sexual violence can and does have profound,
long-lasting impacts on the lives of survivors, their friends and families.
·
If this has happened to you, it was not your fault,
you are not alone.
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