In an article from The Raw Story, an online news site, they host an article about a Republican Representative who claimed that in a court case of an 11 year old girl gang raped by 18 men, it was “because she was dressed like a 21-year-old prostitute.”
Read the whole article here: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/03/16/republican-lawmaker-blames-11-year-old-victim-of-alleged-gang-rape/
It’s so disappointing to me that even to this day, even high end officials can find it in themselves to blame the victim in these cases, not the actual criminals. I think the only thing that makes this story any worse is the fact that the article quotes The Associated Press when it mentions how the boys charged have many people backing them, not because they don’t believe the boys committed the crime, but because “they blamed the girl for the way she dressed or claimed she must have lied about her age.”
Really? Really? I just don’t have words to describe how outraged I am at these people. I have never seen an 11 year old pull of a 21 year old look very well, but let’s say yeah, sure she did it. What makes any part of that okay to still gang rape her by 18, I repeat 18, men? Or how about the fact everyone claims she “dressed like a 21-year old prostitute”? Last time I checked, engaging in sexual activities with a prostitute is still illegal in most places. Nothing about this story is, or should be, okay.
This article reminds me of an advertising campaign I came across in 2008. The ads were of little girls photo-shopped onto overly sexualized women's bodies. They had writing in the ads that said things like “just because she has the body, doesn’t mean she has the brain,” or “if you see a child as anything more it’s wrong.” Now I give the company that made these some credit for at least trying to raise awareness and the ads did get lots of attention, so much so they in fact got pulled. However, I believe they did the advertising in the wrong way. They still played up the sexual aspect of the ads, which only encourages and distracts from their message, 'cause really who takes time to pay attention to the words in these ads? On a personal note, they’re also really freakin’ creepy. They also didn’t make a single ad about boys. I know that would have been harder to pull off, but it still encourages that stereotype that only girls are raped. There needs to be more awareness out there for males also.
See the ads and the story here: http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2008/02/08/hypersexualizing-little-girls-so-as-to-discourage-hypersexualizing-little-girls/
It’s just so disheartening humanity to see that people still promote this idea that it’s the woman’s/girl’s fault because if the way she looks or dresses. On the upside, it’s reporters like Lisa Wade and David Edwards that are helping spread this message of change and awareness to those of us that don’t believe it’s the child’s fault. Keep spreading the message guys. The more we encourage reporting like this, the more hope there is for the victims involved.
R.I.S.E. Together!
-Rindi
R.I.S.E. (Rape Incest & Suicide Education) You Are Not Alone!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
What is R.I.S.E.?
This blog was created to discuss the latest statistics and news stories that fall under the category of rape, incest, and suicide, or stories that could have a general affect on a victim's recovery. This is hopefully a way for people to be truly informed about these topics, and how we help change the opinions of people so that true recovery may begin.
From the official R.I.S.E Myspace page:
Welcome. We are RISE [Rape Incest & Suicide Education]. Our mission is to raise awareness about these tragic epidemics, and to help the people who are going through them to RISE above them. These are heartbreakingly frequent occurrences, stealing the pride, self-esteem, sanity, life and soul of thousands every year. Victims and survivors of these three epidemics may be young or old, male or female, and of any social class or location.
Every 2 minutes, someone in America reports a rape. That's just in America, and that's just reported cases. SIXTY PERCENT of rapes are not reported. Those rapists never spend a day in jail. Only SIX PERCENT ever will. If a rape IS reported, there is only a FIFTY PERCENT chance of arrest. Fifteen of sixteen rapists walk free... Rape is a crime, whether the person committing it is a stranger, a date, an acquaintance, or a family member. People who have been raped need care, comfort, and a way to heal.
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE
ONE IN THREE females are sexually abused by the time they turn eighteen. In 1995, over 126,000 CHILDREN were victims of sexual abuse. SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT of those children were girls, THIRTY PERCENT of them between the ages of FOUR and SEVEN. EVERY 10 SECONDS a child is reported being abused, molested, or KILLED. An estimated FIFTY PERCENT of child sexual offenders are the parents.
National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453
In America alone, a woman takes her own life EVERY NINETY MINUTES. An attempt at suicide is estimated to be made ONCE EVERY MINUTE. There are four male suicides for every female suicide, but twice as many females as males attempt suicide. Every day, approximately EIGHTY Americans take their own life, and 1,500 more attempt to do so. Among young people aged 10-14 years, the suicide rate has DOUBLED in the last two decades.
National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-SUICIDE
Survivors of sexual assault are four times more likely to commit suicide.
Take a stand. Save a life. Join the fight. RISE!
A disclaimer from the official R.I.S.E. website:
COUNSELING:
At times, the members of RISE may offer advice to victims or survivors, at which point this member, as well as RISE as a whole, holds no responsibility for the victim's/survivor's actions which may follow. We are all in this together, and members of RISE promise no professional training. Some of us are well educated, but only some. We are just a support group, here to provide support!
RELIGION:
RISE is in no way a religious organization, and will never discriminate anyone based on religion, or anything else. We are here to help, and through helping each other, we cross barriers of anything which might normally separate individuals. We are all here for the same reason, and that unites us.
Kylie Jude AKA Ragdoll Mender
Founder/President
RISE
Check out more about R.I.S.E. at any of the following:
Website: avoiceforheather.tripod.com
Myspace: myspace.com/avoiceforheather
Blog: avoiceforheather.blogspot.com
Facebook:www.facebook.com/avoiceforheather
Twitter: www.twitter.com/VoiceforHeather
Email Rindi: VoiceforHeather@yahoo.com
From the official R.I.S.E Myspace page:
Welcome. We are RISE [Rape Incest & Suicide Education]. Our mission is to raise awareness about these tragic epidemics, and to help the people who are going through them to RISE above them. These are heartbreakingly frequent occurrences, stealing the pride, self-esteem, sanity, life and soul of thousands every year. Victims and survivors of these three epidemics may be young or old, male or female, and of any social class or location.
Every 2 minutes, someone in America reports a rape. That's just in America, and that's just reported cases. SIXTY PERCENT of rapes are not reported. Those rapists never spend a day in jail. Only SIX PERCENT ever will. If a rape IS reported, there is only a FIFTY PERCENT chance of arrest. Fifteen of sixteen rapists walk free... Rape is a crime, whether the person committing it is a stranger, a date, an acquaintance, or a family member. People who have been raped need care, comfort, and a way to heal.
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE
ONE IN THREE females are sexually abused by the time they turn eighteen. In 1995, over 126,000 CHILDREN were victims of sexual abuse. SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT of those children were girls, THIRTY PERCENT of them between the ages of FOUR and SEVEN. EVERY 10 SECONDS a child is reported being abused, molested, or KILLED. An estimated FIFTY PERCENT of child sexual offenders are the parents.
National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453
In America alone, a woman takes her own life EVERY NINETY MINUTES. An attempt at suicide is estimated to be made ONCE EVERY MINUTE. There are four male suicides for every female suicide, but twice as many females as males attempt suicide. Every day, approximately EIGHTY Americans take their own life, and 1,500 more attempt to do so. Among young people aged 10-14 years, the suicide rate has DOUBLED in the last two decades.
National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-SUICIDE
Survivors of sexual assault are four times more likely to commit suicide.
Take a stand. Save a life. Join the fight. RISE!
A disclaimer from the official R.I.S.E. website:
COUNSELING:
At times, the members of RISE may offer advice to victims or survivors, at which point this member, as well as RISE as a whole, holds no responsibility for the victim's/survivor's actions which may follow. We are all in this together, and members of RISE promise no professional training. Some of us are well educated, but only some. We are just a support group, here to provide support!
RELIGION:
RISE is in no way a religious organization, and will never discriminate anyone based on religion, or anything else. We are here to help, and through helping each other, we cross barriers of anything which might normally separate individuals. We are all here for the same reason, and that unites us.
Kylie Jude AKA Ragdoll Mender
Founder/President
RISE
Check out more about R.I.S.E. at any of the following:
Website: avoiceforheather.tripod.com
Myspace: myspace.com/avoiceforheather
Blog: avoiceforheather.blogspot.com
Facebook:www.facebook.com/avoiceforheather
Twitter: www.twitter.com/VoiceforHeather
Email Rindi: VoiceforHeather@yahoo.com
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