A stunning new Amnesty Insternational survey of young Swedes show that young people feel it’s apparently very much the woman’s responsibility to make sure she doesn’t get raped. I was shocked to find out that every 5th young Swede between 15 and 25 think it’s the girl’s own fault if she’s raped.
An even higher percentage, one in 4, think that it’s the girl’s own fault if she’s raped and doesn’t “shout loud enough or fight back”.
Almost 20% thought that “if she’s under the influence of alcohol or drugs” then it’s her fault.
What has happened for young people, even GIRLS, to think this way? Why is a man’s behavior, be it under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or whilst sober, admissible, but a woman in the same situation is to blame? Is it because boys do not have limits imposed on them in this respect at an early age? Is it because women are seen as sex objects, more so now than even just 10 years ago? Why is rape still largely a “girl’s problem”? We need to shift the focus on this. To not impose strict limits on boys’ behavior is to do them a great disservice.
And girls need to understand that is should ALWAYS be their right to say no. There is NO excuse for rape.
