“How To Avoid Sexual Assault”: This Twitter Thread Brilliantly Trolls The ‘Advice’ Women Are Usually Given
Interview With Author
Nearly 1 in 5 women in the United States (18.3%) has been raped at least once in her life, according to NISVS report. Most female victims of completed rape (79.6%) experienced their first rape before the age of 25, showing just how vulnerable to sexual violence young women really are.
The numbers are truly harrowing, and they are likely to be higher since many sexual assault and harassment victims don’t report their experiences to authorities. Some go as far as hiding them and dealing with the aftermath all alone. It often leads to severe emotional and physical damage for years to come.
Knowing what a devastating crime sexual harassment and assault really is, most common advice is, in fact, addressed to women rather than the potential perpetrators. And this one viral Twitter thread mocks this flawed logic in a series of all-telling tweets.
Posted by the user @xcrazyraerae, who said “I’m also a victim” and that “it shouldn’t be our job to avoid it,” the thread reflects on all the nonsensical advice women are given on a daily basis. The irony is that all the listed points are aimed at men, which makes it not a joke thread, since “they literally need to follow these rules but don’t.”
This thread on the common advice women are given to avoid sexual harassment mocks the flawed logic behind it
Image credits: xcrazyraerae
Bored Panda reached out to the thread author Raeli Nicole Williams, who goes by the Twitter handle @xcrazyraerae. She said that the idea to create it came after she got fed up with “this kind of absurd advice” she has received for so long.
“I have a sarcastic personality and just started snapping back when people would say those kinds of things to remind people that sexual assault is a male problem instead of a female problem.”
Image credits: xcrazyraerae
Image credits: xcrazyraerae
Image credits: xcrazyraerae
At first, a lot of people seemed confused with the thread. “They didn’t understand it at first and definitely came at me. I just had to remind them to take the time to read it, and after that, they understood the comedy I was going for.”
After reading the whole thread, Raeli said, people would realize this is satire and many would love it and agree with it. She also said that she received way more backlash and negative replies from men who disagreed with her thread as opposed to women.
Image credits: xcrazyraerae
Image credits: xcrazyraerae
Image credits: xcrazyraerae
“I think this all comes down to the patriarchy and the idea that men are superior. There is a deep-rooted idea that women are meant to serve men and that men can do no wrong. Therefore, the blame for assault is directed at women rather than men,” the author explained.
Image credits: xcrazyraerae
Image credits: xcrazyraerae
Image credits: xcrazyraerae
Raeli also noted that people often forget that men can be sexually assaulted as well. “It’s something that’s not often talked about because men are seen as strong and superior.” In fact, “that’s one of the issues I had to face and account for when I claimed that sexual assault was a ‘male problem.’”
Image credits: xcrazyraerae
The thread author didn’t expect her thread to go viral like it did, but she’s glad for it because “victim-blaming is something that is so important to talk about,” Raeli concluded.
Someone asked if this thread was a joke and this is what the author replied
Image credits: IsaJennie
Image credits: xcrazyraerae
At first, many people thought the thread was insulting, only to realize the whole irony of it
Image credits: holmes_bray
Image credits: xcrazyraerae
Image credits: WhiteyWap
The author of the thread also said she was a victim too and that it wasn’t women’s job to avoid sexual assault altogether
Image credits: xcrazyraerae
More people have joined the thread to comment on the subject
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Image credits: ReeceEasthope
Image credits: gravax
Image credits: texas_lexas
Image credits: LeratoTsotetsii
Image credits: tifaniesco_
Image credits: chloeweso
There‘s a difference between blaming women because they wore slutty clothes and telling women it‘s safer if they take a friend with them if they go somewhere. Yes, the rapists are always the ones at fault, no question about that ever. But the victim is the one who suffers and may have a lifelong trauma, being at fault or not. General advice - watch your drink, take a friend with you etc. - is good and important. Advice that is female-specific, like not to wear short skirts, is stupid. If we want to change anything, we should address these advices to everyone, not just women. Men may not be as likely to be raped, but they‘re as likely to be robbed or beaten up. But society never considers them potential victims since they’re expected to be strong and self-reliant.
Ah, and the 'I was drunk' thing - that NEEDS to stop being a reason for mitigation of punishment. If you can’t handle alcohol, don’t drink. Makes my blood boil...
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There was a famous study done decades ago where a scientist literally asked rapists to answer an anonymous survey with questions regarding their motivation and tactiic. Guess what didn't “motivate“ them? Supposedly “slutty“ clothes! They all picked their victims by measures like “has a ponytail I can grab her by“ and in general looked for women they judged they could easily over power without being seen.
The study is mentioned in this article: https://m.dw.com/en/the-psychology-of-a-rapist/a-54814540
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There‘s a difference between blaming women because they wore slutty clothes and telling women it‘s safer if they take a friend with them if they go somewhere. Yes, the rapists are always the ones at fault, no question about that ever. But the victim is the one who suffers and may have a lifelong trauma, being at fault or not. General advice - watch your drink, take a friend with you etc. - is good and important. Advice that is female-specific, like not to wear short skirts, is stupid. If we want to change anything, we should address these advices to everyone, not just women. Men may not be as likely to be raped, but they‘re as likely to be robbed or beaten up. But society never considers them potential victims since they’re expected to be strong and self-reliant.
Ah, and the 'I was drunk' thing - that NEEDS to stop being a reason for mitigation of punishment. If you can’t handle alcohol, don’t drink. Makes my blood boil...
Load More Replies... There was a famous study done decades ago where a scientist literally asked rapists to answer an anonymous survey with questions regarding their motivation and tactiic. Guess what didn't “motivate“ them? Supposedly “slutty“ clothes! They all picked their victims by measures like “has a ponytail I can grab her by“ and in general looked for women they judged they could easily over power without being seen.
The study is mentioned in this article: https://m.dw.com/en/the-psychology-of-a-rapist/a-54814540
Load More Replies...
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