Dear Police Department of Pécs,
I am writing to you regarding your botched rape prevention campaign from last November. Let me refresh your memory: your video series called Selfie and its slogan of “you are responsible for it, you can prevent it” tell women “to be more careful and pay more attention” when partying so as to reduce the instances of sexual violence perpetrated against them. I understand you originally wanted to screen the videos in high schools at Pécs but in the wake of the media shit-storm stirred up by the ill-informed campaign, you (very wisely) decided not do so...Now, I applaud your recognition that rape is a problem and I am pleased that you want to actively address this. However, you let me and every other woman and man down in Hungary. Your campaign is teaching me to fear lone men on the streets, while you suggest to them that if I am alone and maybe even a little tipsy, I am fair game. You are telling men that I am vulnerable and that whatever they do to me is my fault. You are teaching me to be afraid by implying that every man is a potential rapist – but what purpose could my fear serve when you fail to teach others that they must not rape? Where are your videos about the importance of consent and the undeniable responsibility of the offender?
Part of the problem, dear PD Pécs, is that you seem to be shockingly out of touch with social reality. You castigate women for dressing revealingly (whatever that means!) when society tells them that women’s worth and likability hinge on looking ‘sexy.’ You are telling women that what makes them victims is their drinking, while society and their peers tell them that non-drinkers are unwanted party-poopers.
Your arrogance is astonishing. There is decades of academic research on rape culture, libraries could be filled with studies on sexual violence. You decided not to consult any of it. There are hundreds of gender-conscious experts in Hungary whose job is to deal with rape and violence. You decided to stay insultingly uninformed. There are rape survivors all over this country who could have provided you with valuable insights. Instead, you managed to simultaneously ignore, belittle, and victimise these people.
Unlike you, I cannot afford to be arrogant about sexual violence so here is how you could help: learn from police forces of other countries. For example, the Scottish police aced their prevention campaign called We Can Stop It. Instead of victim blaming, they focused on educating people about consent and debunking myths around drinking, clothing, and ‘mixed signals.’ Unlike you, they recognised that nobody is ever “asking for it” and that responsibility for rape always lies with the rapist. They know that rape is not a women’s issue but a societal one – and this is what makes their campaign work. So please get off your high horse and start taking notes.
Yours,Tamara Szucs
Hungary, Gender Studies
Best practice from Scotland on rape prevention:
0 comments:
Post a Comment