continued
There is a certain punitive edge to the idea that women who are raped or abused are somehow responsible for their troubles. I think it comes from under-developed misogynistic cultures and sub-cultures. For instance: I am told that in Sharia law if a woman is raped she can be sent to gaol for causing her own rape. The Islamic woman is stoned in a courtyard if she is found to be adulterous (I may be missing something here but little if anything is said about the male ). This seems to be the tendency of a lot of the posters on this thread is to blame the female - disregard the male. It is a misogynistic cultural path that would be a truly bad choice for Australia.

The Mum above whose daughter is raped for wearing trendy clothing is, according to certain posters’ thinking, somehow warranted because the male-sex drive is so powerful. The underlying idea on this thread also seems to be that there is a certain natural justice to it; a certain desirable punitive measure to it: that a person outside the family, outside the law system assigning themselves punitive powers (the rapist and sleazy males) to deal with any women who dares arouse their male sexual urges is reasonable. The men who are positing these opinions and attitudes are justifying rape and possibly enabling rapists, and I think, they are culpable.

Parents have to make sure their youngsters are “streetwise” - aware that there are predators, who have been convinced that women deserve it, etc, out there ready take advantage of those who are vulnerable or in vulnerable situations. That is just common sense. However, nothing will convince me that rape is justified. To do so would be to go down a very horrid path for women, parents and society. The re-action and the consequence to a harmless action such as wearing sexy clothing must be reasonable otherwise the re-action to women and consequence for women will become as unreasonable as certain other cultures.

Psychologists have enough trouble undoing rapists' harm without this blame-the-victim nonsense.

Yes Ronnie, I agree with your comments. However, I believe that it pays to be careful in order to avoid any unwanted circumstances as a result of certain behaviours. It is the responsibility of both men and women to behave appropriately in the presence of each other and accept responsibility for their actions. No behaviour condones rape.

Thank you for your honesty Sancho of the beast within.

It has also been discussed about the levels of testosterone which vary from the cultural diversity of the male species.

The animal kingdom gives out more of its secrets whereby only the strongest will survive.

Snooty_56 I am sorry but I don't think you do agree with my position. Yes it pays to be careful. However, I think it is the soul responsibility of the male to make sure the female is willing and able. Even if a girl has a few to many drinks, flirts and gives the fella the wrong idea and finds herself in an awkward position but says NO and indicates NO I think that a real man would accept the girl’s choice. This is being safe (avoiding complications), sensible and respectful. It is the person wanting to engage in intercourse or sexual activity (usually the male) responsibility to listen and respect the person they are with.

You say that they should "accept responsibility for their actions". You may be seen to be condoning rape otherwise you wouldn't have said "their" actions because it includes the female if she is a victim. If we seriously don't condone rape, there can't be talk of responsibility on the woman's part if she refuses advances. That is lawyer talk to excuse grubs with no self control.

Sheik Hilali did not have a point of any relevance in Australian society. His position is a leftover from an outdated misogynistic religion and unenlightened thinking. We need to work toward a culture where there are no excuses. Zero tolerance. I know that you do not condone rape under any circumstance because you said so but your post does suggest an ambiguity and there is no place for that in human relations.

Yes Ronnie, perhaps what I said was ambiguous. I find it interesting that you are representative of the males who can take total responsibility for their actions with regard to violence against women, of which rape is a part. Unfortunately in my personal experience the men who have been abusive towards me are ones who believe that it is a woman's fault alone if she is violated...regardless of what she is wearing. I suppose I am afraid for woman and young girls, like me, who have had to deal with men who are not prepared to accept responsibility for their actions. It certainly is an outdated belief that woman ask for what they get...even if their behaviour might be seen as provocative by the way they dresses. Thanks for your comment Ronnie.

Why don't we change the law a bit: make it an offense for a man to even approach a woman for sex: any woman, no matter what she is wearing, no matter how she is acting.

Make it clear, under the law, that only women can initiate any sexual contact. Any male initiated contact should be treated as sexual assault.

Then make it an offense for a man to have sex with a woman who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol - at all, like 0.02% of alcohol. After all if a P plate driver cannot be trusted to drive a car with any alcohol in their system, then men (and society) should assume that a young woman who has consumed any alcohol is incapable of giving informed consent, even if she is the one who makes the approach.

Maybe make it 0.05% blood alcohol level for women over 21, but unless men can prove, with a breathalyser print out countersigned by a witness and the women, then men will have no way of knowing if a woman can give informed consent.

Then make a few other changes: Make it so that any complainant cannot be cross examined, at all. After all, every thing that a woman says about sexual assault must be right.

Then change the burden of proof to that of the civil burden, that is, instead of 'beyond reasonable doubt' change the burden to 'on the balance of probabilities', but this would be just a way point: the next step would be to assume guilt and make the accused prove his innocence - beyond reasonable doubt.

Lets get those rape convictions in court up to where they should be - 100%.