Why is it that women tend to feel guilty and the one to blame when they are sexually assaulted, raped, and/or abused? I wonder about what it is about our social and cultural fabric that creates a sense of guilt and shame for women when they are mistreated and violated.
The law and prosecutors also don't help at times because there are a lot of convolution around terms and technicality.
As kids we grow up hearing that men can't help themselves and as women, we have to be very cautious about our bodies. If we wear a certain outfit, we could be putting a man at risk for straying his eyes and hurting it us. We have to make sure that we don't walk late at night because we could be asking for trouble. If she flirts, or her skirt is too short, she is obviously asking for it. In the end, the message is: it was her fault he abused her. Why don't we as a society ask ourselves and each other "why did he do that to her?" "What makes it ok for a man to abuse a woman?" There is something very distorted about our society and culture that allows people to abuse each other (because men are also abused). What causes this abuse? And what allows it to continue?
If you are being abused or were abused in one way, shape, or form, it is not your fault and you did not ask for it or provoke it.
For more information, click here.
