1. Don't put drugs in people's drinks in order to control their behavior.
2. When you see someone walking by themselves, leave them alone!
3. If you pull over to help someone with car problems, remember not to assault them!
4. NEVER open an unlocked door or window uninvited.
5. If you are in an elevator and someone else gets in, DON'T ASSAULT THEM!
6. Remember, people go to the laundry room to do their laundry, do not attempt to molest someone who is alone in a laundry room.
7. USE THE BUDDY SYSTEM! If you are not able to stop yourself from assaulting people, ask a friend to stay with you while you are in public.
8. Always be honest with people! Don't pretend to be a caring friend in order to gain the trust of someone you want to assault. Consider telling them you plan to assault them. If you don't communicate your intentions, the other person may take that as a sign that you do not plan to rape them.
9. Don't forget: you can't have sex with someone unless they are awake!
10. Carry a whistle! If you are worried you might assault someone "on accident" you can hand it to the person you are with, so they can blow it if you do.
When I first came across this list in one of my classes I only read the title. My SAPAC alarm bells started ringing, and I prepared a rant about how these 'prevention strategies' do not truly address the root of the problem. As I read the list, however, my alarm quieted. Though these 'tips' are funny, they serve to highlight why sexual assault happens. It is no the product of an individual failing to follow a set list of guidelines, rather it is a conscious choice on the part of the assailant to violate another person. This list demonstrates how society tends to blame survivors and act leniently towards perpetrators.
Thoughts?
Was this part of a class curriculum or just something you randomly saw?
ReplyDeletethey handed this out in one of my classes too and i definitely had the exact same initial reaction. after reading it, i thought its awesome, though. It hard not to laugh as you read through, but then at the end you realize that you're laughing because its absolutely ridiculous that blaming the assailant is not done nearly enough. It might be really interesting and beneficial to add this into our training or workshops?
ReplyDeleteThey present this list in Safehouse training now too. I like it :)
ReplyDeleteI saw this the other day and thought it was FANTASTIC! It finally points the finger of blame where it should go. I think it would be a great idea to add this to our education materials.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to add this to our training materials- does anyone know where it came from or who the author is?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.salon.com/life/broadsheet/2009/09/23/guaranteed_rape_prevention
ReplyDelete