Blaming the Victim

A Journalist Reveals has always supported the victims, may they be women or men. Today, our good friend had written this article on a social media post and we are sharing Blaming the Victim with you.

Blaming the Victim

By Charu Tiwari

In today’s world, almost every kid is also familiar with the term “Rape”. So unfortunate! It wasn’t like this always, though. I came to know about this when I was 13, I guess. But, it’s all over the papers, news and net, nowadays. And yes also it’s parents telling their children to be more vigilant and alert. Recent times have shown a rise in a number of crimes towards women and girls in general. Infants too aren’t safe. Rape cases that took place in the last one year grabbed the attention of the whole world. India used to be the land where girls were praised as Goddesses. And today it is the land infamous because of brutality by some men. And it’s fairly because of everyone. Yes, all of us are responsible. (I mean almost all). We never support the victim truly.

It always becomes all about blaming the victim. What was she wearing when this happened? Where was she? What was she doing out of her house at that time? Why does she “loiter about with guys” all the time? Why didn’t she report it when it happened and is telling about it after several months?…….These and a lot more of our reactions are exhibited, right? So then, now what if she was wearing a hijab? What if she was in her house and some relative raped her? If she wasn’t loitering about with guys as some call it? What if she had reported it then but it didn’t come to light because some influential people suppressed it? There are the “What ifs” also. But, nobody wants to see that. All those so-called feminists too turn their heads away when it comes to actually support a victim saying, “Women are strong and can look after themselves”. Yes true. It is true that women are strong but they are humans too and they too need support and all this victim blaming breaks them down.

“Being Underdressed” is what people call it when a girl is wearing short dresses. One video even witnessed a woman bashing girls for wearing what they liked. This is insane. The dresses don’t validate or call for rape. Now, the news that forced me to write this blog down: A 10-month-old baby girl raped in Rajasthan by a male relative. What was she wearing some may ask. So yes she was wearing a diaper. She was a kid. She wasn’t out of her house late night, wasn’t drinking with guys and wasn’t wearing “flashy/slutty clothes” either. Please, I call out to all those who defend the criminals instead of victims. Anymore excuses? Sorry lame excuses? Anyone out there? I’d really like to know. I’d love to know how someone being raped is her own fault.

And well yeah one more case is there which grabbed my attention: Male dog raped by 4 men in Mumbai. Like seriously? A dog? Yes seriously. And yes, a dog. All these idiots need to control themselves and their raging hormones or we need to together stand up against this. If they can blame the victim so can’t we actually see a crime for what it is? Can’t we instead ask something we actually should be asking? Why was he staring at her? Was he asked by her to rape her, verbally? What was he doing outside his house this late at night? Why did he want to drug a girl and rape her? Why did he feel her dress validated his actions? If we start asking these questions then trust me we don’t need a grievance redressal cell anymore. We don’t need to stop girls from going out anymore. Just start calling out to them on the men’s shit and for their actions. Make them answerable and not the victims and the difference surely is gonna be big.