I published a new piece with Evangelicals for Social Action that deals with the harm done when we make suggestions on how women can protect themselves from rape.

“Consider this thought experiment: A survivor of sexual assault—someone whose body was literally violated by another person with unwanted touch, was humiliated, couldn’t make the person stop, felt helpless and overwhelmed—reads the seemingly logical list of things she should or shouldn’t have done in order to avoid assault. What conclusion do you think this person draws? You guessed it: “I shouldn’t have been drinking. I shouldn’t have been wearing that. I shouldn’t have…” In other words, she blames herself. She looks back on her situation and wonders what she did wrong.

Do you see how someone could arrive at the conclusion that our prevention lists, meant to minimize risk, look and feel like victim-blaming?”

Check it out more of the article here:

Don’t Drink? How about Don’t Rape