To think that West Mercia Police need to take this poster off their website

[DuelingFanjo]

here

they have already apologised for another poster story but the poster on their site is, in my opinion, also pretty offensive.

"Alcohol features in two thirds of all rapes, we want people to enjoy the party season and let their hair down without letting their guard down"

where are their campaigns aimed at men or aimed at taking women seriously?

Cricketballs I look forward to a campaign that targets male rapists, and points out that they are wrong. Why are the men ignored? Are they so precious that no onus is supposed to be placed upon them not to rape, and all the onus placed on women avoiding being raped?

Because by logic, such a campaign which concentrates on women victims is bound to be less successful than one that concentrates on male potential offenders. Its also harmful to attitudes towards women and rape in general.

Even the tieing of rape and alcohol together might be harmful, as it might make some potential rapists think they have an excuse to rape if a woman allows herself to become drunk. Why not simply have a campaign aimed at all people that alcohol makes them more vulnerable to attack? Since alocohol is a feature in most violent assaults.

"young people need to be reminded that alcohol does play a big factor in people putting themselves at risk."

maybe they need reminding this in some other way than central to an anti-rape campaign?

I have never said that rape is 50/50 and I fully agree that rape is 100% the rapists fault - what I am saying is why so much rage at a poster which tells women to be mindful and not to put themselves at risk?

Surely all parents teach their children not to put themselves at risk so why can't the police?

At the risk of getting flamed...

Would you walk down the street at night with your purse sticking out of a pocket, on the basis that you should be able to do so without a thief snatching it? No, you keep it tucked out of sight.

On the same basis it seems sensible not to walk down the same street with your judgment impaired by alcohol and your tits hanging out.

The fact that something ought not to happen doesn't mean you don't need to try and avoid it.

I'm probably going to regret posting this

I don't think the original poster is acceptable.
The emphasise should always be on the criminal and not the victim.
Men should control their behaviuor and attitude not the other way round.
This way attitudes can be changed, at present it is still acceptable to beieve that a victim "asked for it," in some way. Drinking alcohol is being used as the excuse the rapist can use. No different from using the excuse that the victim. was wearing a skirt, make-up, dared to be alone etc etc.

How would people feel if a campaign was made stating:
"Pedestrians, stop walking on pavements after dark! Remember lots of pedestrians are knocked down by drivers after dark."

good analogy Sallyingforth myself being flamed on an open fire

"On the same basis it seems sensible not to walk down the same street with your judgment impaired by alcohol and your tits hanging out"

am I allowed to walk down the streets sober with my tits hanging out and not expect to be assaulted?

Stealing someone's purse is not the same as forcing your penis into a woman's vagina FFS.

I have yet to see a poster campaign that blames male rape victims for getting too drunk. Wonder why?

Salloy- So what exactly should a rape victim have kept "out of sight?" The only answer I can draw is herself.
So you are perputrating the myth that if a woman is alone she is indeed asking to be hurt.

I'm laughing uproariously at the suggestion that a poster telling rapists that attacking women at knifepoint isn't nice will make them stop.

Hahahahahahahahaha!!!

They know it's wrong! That's what gets them off!

"why so much rage at a poster which tells women to be mindful and not to put themselves at risk?"

because we are ALL at risk, whatever our 'state' whenever there is a rapist around.
and because rapists are present in 100% of rapes.

and because you would never ever say to a woman who was raped when she was drunk that she should accept that had she not been she wouldn't have been raped.

that's why!

thepeoplesprincess, this poster campaign led to a 10% drop in sexual offences. It can help.

Again I agree with sally

Although that particular campaign should be expanded perhaps as an anti-excess-consumption-of-alcohol campaign because I would warrant a good guess that alcohol fuelled nights in town centres are more responsible for an array of violent crimes other than rape.

But again, I don't see a problem with raising awareness that alcohol can put you in dangerous situations. Remember that Christmas campaign, the one where the bloke thought he was Superman and dived off scaffolding?

So I can hide my purse, phone ect

How do I hide the fact that I have a vagina?

"Stealing someone's purse is not the same as forcing your penis into a woman's vagina FFS"

agreed.

It's a shame people always make this kind of comparison. All the guff about not leaving your windows unlocked.

"Remember that Christmas campaign, the one where the bloke thought he was Superman and dived off scaffolding?"

this is completely different. He was drunk, he did himself some damage.

Being drunk doesn't make people rape you.

"The emphasise should always be on the criminal and not the victim"

In the are that my DD's friend wandered into, you cannot reach the perpetrator by an ad campaign, though. They get away with assaults on the sex workers, so it changes how they think.

In that case you have to keep reminding the younger party goers about the importance of safety precautions.

There are different circumstances in which rape happens and these all need different tatics to prevent them.

That is an excellent poster, Fanjo. Much better than the usual shiote about women having to modify their behaviour.

Just posted it on the 'Retrial for Ched Evans' FB page. It'll probably last about 2 minutes, I should think.

As I said - an anti-excess-of-alcohol-campaign would be more appropriate.

Get as shit faced as you want provided you know you can get home safely - I apply that to lads who might get knifed as well as women who might get raped.

Yes because the fact that you are alone is enough to entice someone to rape you. Or the fact that you have a vagina, breasts etc.
Most rapist know their victims.
Most women who are assalted are assalted by their husband or boyfriend.
Most children who are murdered are murdered by their own father.
Perhaps we should be addressing the real facts of violence and not just the myths.

of course no one would say to a woman who was raped when she was drunk that she should accept that had she not been she wouldn't have been raped

In my eyes the posters are saying is to be careful and reminding women about the dangers as they are real dangers (see Bird's post)

before I bow out as we are never going to agree I would just add that what the poster have said would be the advise I would give if I had a daughter

A poster campaign which tells women that they might have some responsibility for being raped does not inspire confidence in the police force to take rape victims seriously. This whole poster campaign is just awful for wome and for rape victims.

if you get pissed and fall down a hole - yes you bare the responsibility

If you get pissed and somebody else shoves you down a hole - you don't hth!

Agree Dueling, it smacks of 'well what did you expect, you were drunk...'

Everyone has a responsibility to protect them selves in many situations. It's called personal responsibility.