Wisconsin resident Charity Eigenberger was shocked to find a problematic assignment in her sophomore’s backpack. Her son, who attends Bradford High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin, watched a teaching video about sexual assault and was subsequently asked a very unnerving question: “What could the victim have done differently to have avoided her sexual assault?”
Holy victim-blaming, Batman.
I saw this post and lost my ever-loving shit. Because the only thing a victim of sexual assault could have done differently is to NOT HAVE A VAGINA.
Rape culture is so prevalent in our society that we still find ways to make it a woman’s job to keep herself from being assaulted. The fact is, rapists don’t rape because our skirts are too short or we’ve had too much to drink. Rapists rape because they are rapists.
The brilliant writer, Jen Simon, put it this way:
When I was a freshman in college, I got very, very drunk at a frat party….One of the guys brought me into an empty bedroom and kissed me. After a minute, I started to panic and told him I wanted to leave. So he stepped aside and let me go…I was drunk. I was in a dangerous situation. But I wasn’t raped that night because that guy wasn’t a rapist….
Once, after spending a night drinking and smoking pot with some friends, I decided to take the subway home…A conductor woke me up at Coney Island, the end of the line…
Even though I was passed out and dressed provocatively, I wasn’t raped because there were no rapists on the subway.
Dangerous situations don’t cause rape. Skimpy clothes don’t cause rape. Alcohol doesn’t cause rape. Drugs don’t cause rape. The only thing that causes rape is a rapist.
A-to-the-MEN. It’s high time we teach our boys that unless they receive an enthusiastic “yes” from a partner, they need to stop.
Eigenberger is getting some backlash for posting the photo, because OF COURSE. In fact, she’s even written a follow up post defending her reason to publicly share the photo.
I’m disappointed that the assignment was given and I want answers. In short, I’m PISSED. However, it’s also important for me to say that my dad taught at Bradford for 35 years…
We love this school and 98% of the teachers work hard, provide opportunities to our family and love our kids. Again, I’m not making excuses for this behavior–if I wanted to do that I wouldn’t have shared the information. But, I don’t want to throw out all the good this school and its teachers do over one situation, even if it is a big one and needs to be fixed!
I admire Eigenberger’s courage and resolute conviction to call out rape culture. It would be easier to stay quiet, but unless people like Eigenberger stand up, things will not change.
You go, Momma Bear!