Another "email" in the ragey haze

[ailbhe]

This one to the Thames Valley Police, sent through their website

I just walked down the Oxford Road in Reading and saw two posters, one in the window of the TVP office and one in a community notice board, both saying "RAPE let your hair down not your guard." I suggest that a more honest campaign would say "RAPE even the police think it's your own fault," or "RAPE it's up to you to avoid all men especially in your own home." I know rape awareness campaigns will never target perpetrators, nor their friends, nor the behaviours which enables rape culture to thrive, but I'm very tired of seeing women continuously held responsible for the actions of their attackers.

Regards,

Ailbhe Leamy

Comments

[da-pol.livejournal.com]

Thing is, awareness isn't the issue. At all. There's no lack of awareness of the issue, and no posters at all wouldn't reduce the overall awareness.

Marketing at offenders rarely works - criminals commit crimes, it's sort of self defining - advertising at them saying "That's bad, 'mkay?" is really a waste of time - rape isn't an edge case where they might not be aware that what they're doing is wrong - they will be damn well aware.

"Rape Awareness" campaigns always seem like an exercise in the authorities getting to feel good because they've "done something and been seen to have done something about the issue"

Less marketing, more investigation, more policework, more conviction. Could even divert the marketing budget to frontline policing.

[ailbhe]

I think there's space for an education campaign around teaching men not to tolerate their friends being rapey (rape jokes, objectifying women, minor sexual assault such as groping people "for a laugh").

[da-pol.livejournal.com]

This I'll agree with 100% - education != awareness, and this form of education is probably the one that would make a difference.

[piqueen.livejournal.com]

Like this http://www.mencanstoprape.org/info-url2698/info-url.htm