One on four young Scots thinks 'provocative dressing' encourages rape - STV News

Accessed 16^th August 2013

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/236071-one-on-four-young-scots-thinks-provocative-dressing-encourages-rape/

 

One on four young Scots thinks 'provocative dressing' encourages rape

STV 14 August 2013 18:43 BST

 

Almost a quarter of young people in Scotland believe that a woman who is drunk or dressed provocatively is partly responsible if she is raped, according to a new survey.

The attitude among 24% of 16 to 24-year-olds was revealed in research carried out by the charity White Ribbon Scotland.

Around 1800 Scots of all ages were asked their thoughts about violence against women.

The percentage of the participants as a whole who said a rape victim's dress or state of sobriety was a factor in an attack was 14.6%.

More than a sixth (17%) said that rape happens because men are unable to control their need for sex.

The charity's report said: "This point of view can easily lead to validating excuses or justifications for violence against women.

"Believing that men are unable to control themselves against subconscious sexual urges implies that they are not entirely accountable for their actions, but rather are victims themselves to their needs."

A third of participants believed it was a woman's responsibility to leave an abusive partner.

"The concern with this direction of thought is that it underestimates the trauma and difficulties faced by women in abusive relationships and how this creates significant obstacles in attempts to escape or feel able to escape abuse," the report said.

Around four in five (81%) of those surveyed said that the purchase of sex or sexual images creates harmful attitudes towards women while more than three in four (80%) believed that alcohol or drugs cause men to be violent to their partners.

More than three-quarters (79%) of participants said that masculinity is to be physically strong and 71% think men are expected to be in control.

"This expectation of control and physical strength, in particular, create a negative connotation of what masculinity means," the report said.

"In contrast, words such as emotional and sensitive were significantly lower."

Callum Hendry, the charity's campaigns co-ordinator, said the survey findings reveal a worrying trend still exists for people to focus blame on victims rather than the perpetrators of violence.

"This attitude is harmful to creating an equal society and a society in which women feel safe," he said.

"White Ribbon Scotland will be using these finding to create targeted campaigns and education work to engage men and boys to stand up against violence against women.

"We would welcome a fuller, independent, piece of research on attitudes in Scotland in 2013 to assist with the on-going efforts in creating a Scotland free of violence against women."