Why We Blame Victims of Sexual Assault - Free Paper Sample

Introduction

Victims of rape are blamed for their careless association with potential perpetrators. For example, women have been portrayed to have a careless behavior of being too close to men they do not know or those with whom they have no trusting relationship. When women get close to strange women, they increase the possibility of being sexually assaulted by those strangers. Therefore, women can adopt responsible behavior of keeping an appropriate distance from people with whom they have no trusting relationship.

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Other crimes are unpredictable. That is why victims cannot be blamed for it. However, sexual assault can be predicted and prevented by taking appropriate measures to reduce their occurrence. For example, a man must be attracted to the lady and make some suggestive moves that can alert the victim, unlike other crimes where the steps of a perpetrator may be unpredictable.

The Mayor’s Stand

Henriette Reker, the mayor of Cologne, might have two reasons for not blaming perpetrators of sexual assault. First, female victims attract perpetrators by being too close to them (O’Grady, 2016). Secondly, perpetrators cannot commit sexual assault crimes when women keep a responsible distance (O’Grady, 2016). The mayor’s response might have been influenced by the refugee policies of the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel. She probably wanted to protect the government from criticism.

Long-Term Impact of Giving Up Certain Areas As Lawless

Giving up certain areas for lawlessness can be too risky for the general welfare of the people. Little or no growth and economic development can be expected to occur in those regions leading to poor standards of living. Also, the government might lose control of those regions leading to the development of insurgency.

Conclusion

Several factors influence sexual assault, including victims being too close to strangers, perpetrators forming an untamed habit, and reluctance by the authority to prevent it (Randall, 2010; Rusinko et al., 2010). The government should initiate and evaluate its policies to ensure strict adherence and effectiveness.

References

O’Grady, S. (January 6, 2016). Mayor of Cologne: If Women Don’t Want to Be Raped, They Should Stay Away From Strangers. Passport.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/01/06/mayor-of-cologne-if-women-dont-want-to-be-raped-they-should-stay-away-from-strangers/

Randall, M. (2010). Sexual assault law, credibility, and “ideal victims”: Consent, resistance, and victim-blaming. Canadian Journal of Women and the Law, 22(2), 397-433. https://www.utpjournals.press/doi/abs/10.3138/cjwl.22.2.397

Rusinko, H. M., Bradley, A. R., & Miller, J. (2010). Assertiveness and attributions of blame toward victims of sexual assault. Journal of aggression, maltreatment & trauma, 19(4), 357-371. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10926771003788961