🤬🤬🤬🤬 Walk Toronto

[believe09]

Some stats on victims of sexual assault:

44% of victims are under the age of 18.
80% are under age 30.

Every 2 minutes, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted.
Each year, there are about 213,000 victims of sexual assault.

60% of sexual assaults are never reported to police.
15 of 16 rapists will never spend a day in jail.

Approximately 2/3 of assaults are committed by someone known to the victim.
38% of rapists are a friend or acquaintance.

1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime (14.8% completed rape; 2.8% attempted rape).

17.7 million American women have been victims of attempted or completed rape.

Effects of Rape

Victims of sexual assault are:

3 times more likely to suffer from depression.

6 times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

13 times more likely to abuse alcohol.

26 times more likely to abuse drugs.

4 times more likely to contemplate suicide.

http://www.rainn.org/statistics

Some stats on offenders:

Approximately 2/3 of rapes were committed by someone known to the victim.
73% of sexual assaults were perpetrated by a non-stranger.
38% of rapists are a friend or acquaintance.
28% are an intimate.
7% are a relative.

More than 50% of all rape/sexual assault incidents were reported by victims to have occurred within 1 mile of their home or at their home.

* 4 in 10 take place at the victim's home.
* 2 in 10 take place at the home of a friend, neighbor, or relative.
* 1 in 12 take place in a parking garage.

43% of rapes occur between 6:00pm and midnight.

* 24% occur between midnight and 6:00am.
* The other 33% take place between 6:00am and 6:00pm.

http://www.rainn.org/get-information/statistics/sexual-assault-offenders

Forgive me for quoting both of these posts, making mine lengthy but I couldnt in good conscience snip them.

So, statistically speaking:

Dont ever be alone with the bulk of men you know, are related to, and are intimate with if you want to prevent being assaulted. Dont be out or at home between the hours of 6PM to 6AM...or at a friend relatives or acquaintances....and if so, be more than a mile away.

This is not an easy way to live, frankly.

So the police officer who started this whole thing was actually very wrong with the words of advice he gave to his audience-he told them to not dress provocatively.

That doesnt seem to be a factor here in these statistics, although I believe it is still a question raised by defense council if the attack actually makes it to trial.

My friend who was assaulted whose story I related on this thread- She was the only one who could ID him from a photo line up. Because she was the only one who saw him ahead of time. She never had the chance to make her identification in court-the DA declined to press charges. She had been kicked in the head, so the DA didnt want to take the chance that he wouldnt win.

Isnt that something? Fortunately for her, the detective made it his business to keep track of the offender for her and the guy eventually OD'd a few years later.

Small comfort, and not an uncommon story.

 

[AliceInPain]

I detest the name so much and will never take part.
is a horrible word, and to me, only used by little boys (grown up or small) with low self-esteem and no confidence when it comes to women.
To me imo that word is just nasty... and an invention of men with very low self-esteem. If I dress in a short skirt and small top does not mean I dress like "a " It means I want to feel the wind on my legs and be touched by the person I love who loves me.
As someone before me on this thread I have also been raped, and also nearly murdered by someone, who probably though I was "a ".
I understand the intention of the walk, and if it was called "I'm allowed to wear what I like!"walk, or similar... then yeah...
But ""... don't you dare try knowing what it's like to be REALLY seen as one, for no reason... and think it's fun, or meaningful.
I hope they change the name, but that's just me.
Maybe I'm too sensitive:waitasec:

 

[Quiche]

For those who are still confused, please look up the meaning of irony. mo


eta: Here, I'll help: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/irony

 

[matou]

I started seeing the headline " Walk" in all the Toronto papers and the term caught my attention. I read the story and my first thought was: Right On! Go for it sisters! There have been quite a few sexual assaults on York University campus in the last few years and many have been unresolved. When I read that the police officer made that ridiculous point about 'not dressing like a ', I completely understood where the backlash was coming from and felt proud that women could come together like that (and many male supporters) to gain empowerment. I have read about the Walk being organized in other places and I think it's a great thing. Women are beautiful, or not and deserve to never feel fear or shame ever because of what's between their legs. JMO

 

[sorrell skye]

The whole point of the Walk protests is to bring awareness to the issue of blaming survivors of sexual assault.

The Toronto police officer's advice to the college students that they could avoid being raped by not dressing like "" is not supported by fact nor is it based on the reality of rape victims or offenders.

I agree the word "" is an offensive word. It is an emotionally-charged word that carries the weight of centuries of judgment and condemnation, supported by institutionalized dogma.

It is offensive to label a woman a "", for whatever reason. But it is especially offensive to be accused of being a "" when one has been sexually assaulted & is seeking assistance from LE in prosecuting the perpetrator.

It is also offensive when an officer of the law asserts that women can avoid being raped by not dressing like "".

The intent of the Walk is to shine the light on the dangerous myth that a woman's wardrobe choice or that her alleged sexual history are justifications for being victimized by a rapist.

Rape is a felony offense - regardless of how a woman dresses, regardless if she was under the influence of alcohol or narcotics, regardless if she made a poor choice to trust someone she shouldn't have trusted, regardless if she participated in what could be considered "risky behavior", regardless if she said "No" at the last minute, or failed to utter a word at all.

In my state, it is a crime of rape (2nd degree felony) if a person engages in sexual intercourse with another person when the victim is incapable of consent by reason of being physically helpless or mentally incapacitated. One of the legal definitions of mentally incapacitated is: that condition existing at the time of the offense which prevents a person from understanding the nature or consequences of the act of sexual intercourse whether that condition is produced by illness, defect, the influence of a substance or from some other cause.

In my state, it is not a defense against a rape charge to claim "she was drunk", or "she was high as a kite" (since the topic of personal responsibility & risky behavior has been introduced into the discussion).

Try as I might, I am unable to find any criminal statute in my state that supports the idea that a woman's mode of fashion or conduct or state of mind makes her liable for sexual violence perpetrated against her.

A rape victim is not a criminal, nor should she be treated as one, regardless of her wardrobe, or her alleged poor choice to go here or there, or her state of mind @ the time of the assault.

The rapist is the criminal. The rapist is responsible. Period.

 

[matou]

By the way, it's completely legal for a woman to walk around topless in the city of Toronto although we don't see that often here. Would that be considered dressing like a ''? That cop should eat his words.

 

[Trident]

I've kept out of this so far, but my two cents says the term " walk" is branding all women as .

I'll go even further - the ONE time I went out in public dressed like a (short, breezy dress, spaghetti strap top, you know the type - we see them on TV and celebs all the time), I was treated like a . I had a man following me around town, he even followed me home. If I hadn't had sense enough to drive back to a public place, I might not be here today. I learned a good lesson from that experience.

No, not all rape victims dress like , but doing so sure does give some sicko a signal to come ahead and once the deed is done, you can yell all you want about right or wrong and it won't change the fact that you were hurt, and he was wrong, and maybe, just maybe, if you had dressed a bit more demurely, it wouldn't have happened.

My opinion only

 

[Emma Peel]

[video=youtube;3vOCnZOcr8w]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vOCnZOcr8w[/video]

above youtube is CBS News coverage on the Toronto Walk.

I have to say, I'm with "the " on this issue and this protest. I am on the side of the rape victim, the victim of sexual assault, and every woman who is treated like a sex object - regardless of her manner of dressing. It's simply unacceptable. Always has been.

Take back the word, remove the stigma, quit degrading women by presuming to be able to discern their moral code, and label it, given the way they dress, flirt, or socialize.

It would be interesting if some guys here at WS would chime in here.

 

[not_my_kids]

What's odd is that with all the talk of men, I have only heard about three men use the word "" in my entire life. (Not counting the police officer whose ignorance started this whole thing.) Other than that, it's always been women using the term to insult other women. Not really relevant to anything, just an observation.

 

[sorrell skye]

Thanks for posting that video, Emma.

Kudos to the men who participated in the Toronto march, too!

 

[Danaya]

It is so nice to see all of the supportive comments.

I just wanted to add that I absolutely agree that rape is a crime (duh?). Rape is wrong, there is never a reason. Fault lies only with the rapist, it is a criminal act and there is never a reason to rape someone. No, it is never okay. It took me a long time to stop blaming myself. If only I hadn't been drunk, if only I hadn't shared that "joint" with a friend, if only I hadn't trusted a stranger. But I was young, naive and thought I was invincible! I just didn't know any better.

Now I do. Like I've already said, I no longer insert myself into risky situations. I choose to live a healthy lifestyle with people I know and trust deeply. Yes, it is possible to take charge of our lives. It was not my fault but I hold the power to be proactive in preventing another assault. It cut me deep and I do everything I can to stay safe. That just seems logical to me. I just want to let others know that no matter what happened, it isn't your fault.

Now I see what the meaning of a walk is. Still, I just hate that word, it is just evil to me the way it is used now a days.

 

[Emma Peel]

slutwalks back in the news a bit...


http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/slutwalks-and-the-future-of-feminism/2011/06/01/AGjB9LIH_story.html

More than 40 years after feminists tossed their bras and high heels into a trash can at the 1968 Miss America pageant — kicking off the bra-burning myth that will never die — some young women are taking to the streets to protest sexual assault, wearing not much more than what their foremothers once dubbed “objects of female oppression” in marches called SlutWalks.

It’s a controversial name, which is in part why the organizers picked it. It’s also why many of the SlutWalk protesters are wearing so little (though some are sweatpants-clad, too). Thousands of women — and men — are demonstrating to fight the idea that what women wear, what they drink or how they behave can make them a target for rape. SlutWalks started with a local march organized by five women in Toronto and have gone viral, with events planned in more than 75 cities in countries from the United States and Canada to Sweden and South Africa. In just a few months, SlutWalks have become the most successful feminist action of the past 20 years.