Try to picture a woman you care about, it could be anyone. Now keeping that person in mind I'd like to relate a personal story, a male that I used to be close with once told me about how he was at a party and this girl had too much to drink and passed out. His friend was already dragging her to the nearest empty room. Now this guy, he wasn't what you would say looked like a horrible person, he wasnt a giant scary monster, and really he was just a guy. My old friend intervened and ensured that she woke up at home and not in confusion and distress. Now I've heard this story before with different endings, some of those endings are incredibly upsetting and have brought me to tears. If you kept that woman you care about in mind I'd like for you to think of her, think of her vulnerable and broken. Spending the rest of her life in fear of the shadow looming in the distance.
If you've kept up with the statistics concerning rape/sexual abuse at all then you already know the state of things if you haven't let me fill you in with the basics.
- Physical abuse in relationships has been on the rise lately
- Sexual abuse is more commonly committed by people who the victim knows
- 54% of rapes aren't reported to the police and 97% of rapists will never even receive jail time
If this isn't horrifying then I don't know what is. Most people aren't aware of how hard it is to prosecute someone for rape. In order to collect evidence the police/medical personal compile what is called a "rape kit", this process is invasive and time is of the essence. For someone who has just been raped this isn't a walk in the park and prosecution and things like that aren't the first things that come to mind.
Most women don't press charges against their rapist because that means facing their rapist and relaying their private hurtful experiences in front of others.
In the U.S. we have a tendency to teach women to avoid dressing a certain way, to avoid certain streets, to avoid , to avoid and to avoid. We don't teach men that rape is wrong, and our society has a way of encouraging the cult of masculinity. We don't teach people to empathize with the pain of others or to be in touch with their more "feminine" qualities.Qualities which include a more empathetic approach to the pain of others. A mentality that doesn't encourage violence and doesn't prove it's worth through sheer brute strength.
There is more to men then society gives them credit for and forcing them to ignore their feelings is unhealthy for them and dangerous for women.
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