Rape culture in action. Massive Trigger Warning

Ah this was hard to read. All through it I was urging them all - report it, report it! I had to remind myself that the article was describing a culture in which women are relentlessly undermined.

David Lisak's study sounds crucially important and yet - 12 years ago now. It clearly has had virtually no impact at all. Am going to seek it out.

I clicked on the link to the related article, this one, and found myself irritated by this quote of President Obama (lauded by campaigners)

Sexual violence is more than just a crime against individuals," Obama said, announcing the task force at the White House in January. "It threatens our families; it threatens our communities. Ultimately, it threatens the entire country. It tears apart the fabric of our communities. And that's why we're here today – because we have the power to do something about it as a government, as a nation.

Just? just?? Why is the fact that it is a crime just against individual (women) not enough? why must it be made of primary interest to society i.e. men, through the institutions that protect and serve them? I am spitting.

Probably because I live in America and this conservative bullshit is ubiquitous.

This article was a nightmare to read. My very dear friend attended UVA from 1984 to 1988. She was raped on campus. She reported the attack to no one. She never told me until five years later. She managed to graduate but struggled with depression and often used alcohol to help her through the sleepless nights. My stomach is in knots for these women suffering at the hands of both the rapists and the University. My friend still suffers 30 years later..

How scary is it to think that UVA graduates are working in hospitals & are lawyers, working with the ill & vulnerable...

You would have no idea which dr/nurse or lawyer took part in 'hazing' rituals or who & who isn't a rapist.

That is horrific. Absolutely horrific. The statement from the president about it includes the line:

"...including many details that were previously not disclosed..."

So they did know about this case already then. Disgusting.

MyEmpire that is just disgusting, I'm so sorry that your "friends" were so utterly unsupportive and damaging

This is just awful UK universities aren't quite as bad, perhaps partly because we don't have fraternities, but having recently finished uni, a lot of the attitudes (not the staff, but fellow students) wouldn't surprise me at all. At our uni in Freshers' Week we were encouraged to do various hall activities, I guess they were trying to emulate frat type culture. One hall, not mine, had t-shirts with a checklist of things to do in Freshers' Week including "bang a ". Not particularly bad in comparison, but it rather summed up the whole attitude. Obviously there were plenty of decent men, but overall, lad culture dominated. It seems to suck young men in as they are too embarrassed to be "different" and to not objectify and degrade women

I hate that this still happens. That women are made to feel ashamed or at fault for a brutal attack. That the emphasis from universities is always on women not being raped, not on men not raping.

If someone is mugged, no one asks if they actually meant to give their money and phone away and have changed their mind. If someone is beaten up then no one asks if it was just a misunderstanding. But a woman is violated and suddenly she's making it up, she's confused, she brought it upon herself

I'm readin this but know the thread will be miles long before I'm able to comment. Thank you, Scallops.

Gosh MyEmpire that is truly awful

Wow, I have just read the whole article and I am completely stunned. UVA has a culture which produces rapists, and provides victims for them. It then gaslights and completely downplays what is happening to the rape victims, and discourages them from taking further action. Dreadfully shocking. If there were ever a movement to close down a university, it should be targeted at UVA.

And for those who haven't had the chance to read the whole article, it has included 5 of 35 (or so) verses of "Rugby Road", a traditional UVA fight song. I prefer to name it "A Call to Arms for Male Entitlement and Misogyny". The first verse points to the absolute entitlement that the men of UVA feel, while the remaining point to the blatant misogyny encapsulated by UVA. I was going to cut and paste it here, and realised it may be triggering for some ( to those who have been through this. Just horrifying and sad on so, so many levels.

scallopsrgreat
I don't see why that would surprise you. Women aren't immune to rape culture. If anything they are more acutely aware of the implications and consequences for any women who would be swimming upstream against this culture.

I would have thought they would be more understanding and supportive to someone who had gone through it though, as it could well have been them. The authorities hiding it for money etc. is not a huge shock, although despicable, but for the people who can most relate, well, it was not what I expected.

The thing that massively surprised me in the article was the lack of support and understanding from female friends, who you would have thought would understand the most. If someone had done that to a friend I'd have gone absolutely nuts.

Argh, bolding fail.

I am only half way through the article. At first I thought "terrible", which then progressed to "horrifying".

And a quote from the article:

*"Jackie [a student who was gang raped] says when she asked why UVA's rape stats were hard to find, the dean said, "Because nobody wants to send their daughter to the rape school.""

Truly, truly awful

I wonder when you ever stop completely blaming yourself. I never have and its nearly 18 years later.

Id love to though. and i will pray she finds total peace. and those other brave women x

So fucking sad. And she STILL blames herself. Awful.

What gets me is that it's pretty clear that rape is part of hazing ritual for that fraternity. So virtually every man who was a fraternity brother there is likely to be a rapist. God knows how many years this goes back and how many fraternities are like this at just this one university

grab its fucking leg. was horrific.

poor poor woman.

Dear God. I really don't know which shocked me more "grab its fucking leg" or the behaviour of her so called friends.