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MNHQ

Mumsnet campaign on rape and sexual violence

1 reply

KatieMumsnet · 20/02/2012 16:12

Hiya

Following on from lots of discussions and requests for a MN campaign on this - we've been putting a bit of thought into how we can help and are planning on making getting a campaign going in mid March. Before this we'll get on with a survey, asking for Mumsnetters experiences, and working on a press release to raise the profile of the campaign - and hopefully tackling a few myths.

KateMumsnet's been collaborating with Rape Crisis and the End Violence Against Women coalition, and we're hoping to host a webchat during the course of the week.

Before we start finalising detail though, we really need your help.

  1. The title of the campaign - 'I believe you' - I know was really strongly supported on here (and is popular with us too). But after a bit of discussion in the office, we were wondering if 'we believe you' is more effective - showing the collective effect of our campaign, and emphasising that we're not just lone voices supporting individuals? It would be good to have your thoughts.
  1. Dispelling myths. What are the 5 most important myths to dispel (rape is usually by a stranger, victims are usually to blame) - suggestions really appreciated - we'll then source the best facts to prove them wrong.

And as ever - do let us know any other thoughts.

MNHQ

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MNHQ

KatieMumsnet · 22/02/2012 09:25

Hi Everyone

Thanks so much for your thoughts and enthusiasm - really good to know we're going in the right direction, and great we now have a title - 'we believe you', that we can also use as #webelieveyou on twitter.

We'll now go through the myth suggestions on here and pull together the most powerful 5(ish) with the best stats to support our argument/ challenge the myths. This will be a big part of the press release (alongside the survey results).

On the survey we hope it will be live later today(ish) - we've developed it thinking about the language very carefully, using many of the discussion threads as pointers, and after consultation with Rape crisis and EVAW. We've been very conscious as we've developed it, how important it is to get right - but are cautiously hopeful we have.

On the moderation of discussion on the site, we absolutely do not tolerate victim-blaming posts, eg "well, she was asking for it" or "you were drunk, what do you expect" - and we will delete them, as soon as we are made aware of them, with no debate, discussion or mitigating pleas.

We wont though, delete posts that form part of a reasonable and valid discussion, even if those posts are made in ignorance. So, if someone we believed to be a genuine poster came onto a thread and said, "But I thought most rapists were strangers", we would rather let it stand and allow others to correct that particular rape myth on the thread, thereby educating others in the process.

We completely understand where you are coming from on this but we've always thought it's wrong to adopt a policy of blanket censorship (though it might be easier to implement!) Instead, we feel it's wiser to judge each post that's reported on its individual words and context, and make decisions on a post-by-post basis.

And finally on blogging - yes the Mumsnet bloggers network will be asking bloggers to come forward, blog, blog hop and do anything else they can to get involved - the more the merrier!

Thanks again for helping us get this far - your support is really vital in making this a success

Best

MNHQ

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