Victim Blaming Essay

Assigning blame has become an increasingly difficult and complex concept to understand, especially in our legal court system. I associate blame with being held responsible for the consequences of one’s intentional actions. In regards to sexual assault cases, I think the blame should not be placed on the victims, but rather on the perpetrators. Victim blaming justifies the perpetrator’s actions, discourages sexual assault reportings, and can have psychological effects on the victim.
Victim blaming refers to the victim being held responsible for the acts committed against them. Much of victim blaming stems from the traditional ideologies of gender, where women are perceived as inferior to men. These underlying views contribute to sexual assault cases involving female victims and male perpetrators, where the fault lies with the victim. The recent case involving a Stanford student, Brock Turner, who sexually assaulted an unconscious woman, Emily Doe, brought about much public controversy. Though Brock had clear motives for his actions and there was physical proof that he was at fault, allegations against the victim were constantly made. In the trial statement the victim writes, “I was told he hired a powerful attorney, expert witnesses, private investigators who were going to try and find details about my personal

Victims who were under the influence may feel as though their report won’t be validated since they chose to go out and chose to get drunk. Judge Lindsay Kushner made the claim that, “yes, you can drink yourself daft and you can use your body how you want, but if you do you are more likely to get raped.” But what must be noted is that the victim did not choose to get raped and the intent of rape ultimately lies with the perpetrator. This point of view emphasizes the traditional ideology of gender roles in sexual assault cases when women are the