Every 107 seconds an American is sexually assaulted. Around 293 thousand people are assaulted each year. Out of this, one in four victims are blamed for their attack. This adds to around 73,250 victims each year being blamed for an attack against them. Victims are often accused of “asking for it” if they are wearing a type of provocative clothing, are intoxicated, or fail to clearly say “No” to the attacker. It is unjust that these victims, often women, are accused of instigating their attack due to these standards, because regardless of surroundings, attitudes, clothing items, etc.,  no one “asks” to be sexually assaulted by anyone, at anytime, or in any place EVER.

In Pennsylvania, the attorney general’s office is blaming a former state prison clerk for her own rape. To sum it up, after publicly claiming she was uncomfortable around the soon-to-be attacker, she was assured the attacker would no longer have access to her office. Around a week later, Best, the attacker, went inside her office and choked/sexually assaulted her for 27 minutes. The senior deputy attorney general wrote that the woman “acted in a manner which in whole or in part contributed to the events” in response to her lawsuit. (Ganim CNN) In this case, and all cases, it is absolutely deplorable to blame the victim. Along with the prison case,  John Sutter of CNN stated that many debaters around the world argue that it is partially the victim’s fault because most were not carrying weapons or protective devices to fight back. “No,” Sutter wrote, “Rapists should stop raping, and that would solve it.” (Sutter CNN) Women should not be blamed for their attack, because they should not even have to worry about the possibility of an attack. If people in our society stopped attempting to find ways to excuse the actions of sexual assaulters’, blaming the victim would be exposed as the unjustified situation it is, which would result in not only less accusation but also less rape cases overall. 

Not only is sexual assault extremely morally unjust, it is nonconsensual. Sex is always consensual between both. If it is not consensual, it is rape. If the victim is drunk, it’s rape. If the victim is drugged, it’s rape. If the victim is sleeping, unconscious, or in any way, shape, or form, unable to give consent at the time, it is rape. In the United States, we have a right to wear what we would like to wear and act in the ways that we deem acceptable. Rape is NEVER acceptable.    Also, there is NO SUCH THING as partial consent. There is no plausible way for someone to give half or partial consent. One either gives consent, or they don’t.The exact definition of “Rape,” is “Unlawful sexual intercourse.., with or without force.., without the consent of the victim.” (Dictionary) The definition states that rape is sexual intercourse with/without force without consent. No one should be accused or blamed for their rape because of anything they did. If they did not give consent, it is NOT their fault.

In today’s society, sexual violence has become normalized and excused in media and popular culture. Unknowingly, the American culture has formed sex/sexual actions into a common ideal. Along with the normalization of sex among the society, it has become typical and accepted for women and men to wear revealing/provocative clothing. Media too often shows teens and young adults out partying, making this a desire among the teens and young adults in our very own society. Because all of these things have become so relevant, apparent, and welcomed, does that lessen the intensity of a sexual violence act?

Many might say that the rapist is not fully to blame in every case, and that the victim often plays an essential part.  What if the victim was drunk? What if they were dressed inappropriately? These questions are of no relevance to the pain that an individual has faced due to their attacker’s lack of self control and moral value. People tend to want to think of this world as a safe place, so they choose to see rape as the victim’s mistake, so there is less chance of it happening to them as long as they don’t make the same mistakes. That said, if the rapist was under the influence of alcohol, people would say they weren’t in a clear state of mind and shouldn’t be held accountable of their actions. An individual on Debate.org states that, “We are advised to put valuables out of sight in our vehicle to lessen the chance that our vehicle is targeted, and our goods are stolen...Do not dress provocatively if you are going to be in a vunerable, isolated situation.” (Debate.org)  The individual compares valuable goods in a car to the sacredness of a human’s body; that leaving an expensive item on your seat is the same as wearing provocative clothing. Even if someone is “being stupid and leaving his or her car unlocked, and their valuables are stolen, is it just to not punish the car thief because who can blame him for taking advantage?” (Whitaker CNN) Just because someone is wearing a short skirt or barring a large amount of skin, does not imply that they are available to be taken advantage of. Short skirts and tight tops do not justify rape. It is ridiculous to focus on women’s behavior instead of the crime of the rapist. On that note, approximately ? of assaults are committed by someone known to the victim, and 38% of rapists are a friend or acquaintance of the victim. (RAINN) According to the Federal Commission on Crimes of Violence, “only 4% of the reported sexual assaults involved any provocative behavior by the victim, and most of this consisted of nothing more than dressing or walking in a way that is socially defined as attractive.”  (SAAVI) Contrary to popular belief, this further proves that the way a victim acts or dresses does NOT imply consent to be assaulted in any way.
Ultimately, rape is a nonconsensual sexual act that is not, and never will be justified by any means. No matter who the victim is, what they were wearing, how they were acting, whether they enforced self-protection or not, rape is rape. It is n o n c o n s e n s u a l. If there was no consent given, they are not, in any way, responsible for their attacker’s actions, and should not be accused or blamed of instigating them in any way.