[Brillopad]

Originally Posted by Jack_

Sorry but this kind of discourse isn't helpful in the long run and at its heart is actually quite problematic. People should be able to get as drunk as they like without fearing that they may fall victim to being sexually assaulted. The problem is always with those who commit sexual assaults, nobody else - and while I can understand the sentiment that this judge is expressing, no doubt from a good place - what it does is shifts the narrative to preventative measures to be taken by the victim, instead of preventative measures for the assailant, i.e. addressing the root causes of sexual violence.

It's exactly the same as when people say stuff like 'oh don't wear that, you're asking to be bullied' to kids and try and police their behaviour so they don't fall victim. The point should be to stop bullying in the first place, not try and meander your way around it. This works in the very same way.

That's all well and good in theory, but in reality the world is full siickos and, disgusting as rapists are, there are even worse out there such as sexual sadists and serial killers and for any woman to put herself at that risk is just crazy.

[Jack_]

Originally Posted by Cherie

That's all well and good in theory but, just like some gays say they don't hold hands in public for self preservation, the same is true for females, we need to take responsibility for our own safety, it's not perfect but it's what keeps us safe, I really dont know where you are going to start with educating sexual predators

Originally Posted by Brillopad

That's all well and good in theory, but in reality the world is full siickos and, disgusting as rapists are, there are even worse out there such as sexual sadists and serial killers and for any woman to put herself at that risk is just crazy.

The reason it's 'only good in theory' is because our society continually refuses to try and put theory into practice. We are so obsessed with retribution that we fail to address the symptoms of crime - and not just sexual ones - to try and prevent them from happening in the first place.

Will sexual assaults always happen? Probably. Can we make an effort to seriously reduce the number, through more education about consent, boundaries, as well as a coordinated effort to stop objectifying people (and that includes those who are merely expressing their sexuality because the two do not correlate. Ever)? Yes. This should be our very duty, it does not matter how difficult the task may seem, it is of the utmost importance that we seek to reduce its frequency. Sitting on our hands perpetuating these counterproductive platitudes is completely the wrong move.

Let me just reiterate that I think it's sensible for people to look after themselves when they are drinking, and for them to stay with a group at all times. However, if people choose not to that's also fine and what I don't agree with is people with a platform like this judge perpetuating a narrative which at its heart fails to account for the root causes of sexual assault in the first place. In the long run it's completely unhelpful.

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Jack_

The reason it's 'only good in theory' is because our society continually refuses to try and put theory into practice. We are so obsessed with retribution that we fail to address the symptoms of crime - and not just sexual ones - to try and prevent them from happening in the first place.

Will sexual assaults always happen? Probably. Can we make an effort to seriously reduce the number, through more education about consent, boundaries, as well as a coordinated effort to stop objectifying people (and that includes those who are merely expressing their sexuality because the two do not correlate. Ever)? Yes. This should be our very duty, it does not matter how difficult the task may seem, it is of the utmost importance that we seek to reduce its frequency. Sitting on our hands perpetuating these counterproductive platitudes is completely the wrong move.

Let me just reiterate that I think it's sensible for people to look after themselves when they are drinking, and for them to stay with a group at all times. However, if people choose not to that's also fine and what I don't agree with is people with a platform like this judge perpetuating a narrative which at its heart fails to account for the root causes of sexual assault in the first place. In the long run it's completely unhelpful.

highlighting that getting drunk can leave you vulnerable whether male or female is not unhelpful