Following on from my previous post (about Rape Crisis Scotland) I’ve had a few conversations with people recently about rape where alcohol is involved. It’s a grey area and I thought I’d write a snippet about it.
One of the themes that comes up again and again is victim blaming. This is where a person who has been assaulted is held accountable in one way or another for the violence that was perpetrated against them. In the discussions I’ve had recently some people believe that if a woman is drunk when she gets raped it is her fault somehow.
It is really important to recognise that men who rape women are predators. And men who rape women who are drunk are predators looking for a woman they can more easily take advantage of. The trouble with rape myths, such as victim blaming, is that they protect the perpetrator by taking the focus away from the person responsible for the violence and place the spotlight, and blame, firmly on the victim.
It is absolutely true, the blame needs to stick to the predators. A man or a woman who sexually assaults another human being is guilty of rape – PERIOD. It shouldn’t matter what the victim wears, drinks, or decides to do with their life. Thank you for posting this!