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Challenging attitudes to rape
04/03/2008
An information campaign designed to help change public attitudes to rape will be launched later this year, backed by nearly £200,000 of Government funding.
The 'This is not an invitation to rape me' campaign will challenge myths around who's to blame for rape - including that a woman is responsible if she's dressed in a certain way, if she has been drinking and that women can't be raped by someone they know.
The campaign is being developed by Rape Crisis Scotland following research, focus groups, an online survey and consultations with stakeholders.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said:
"It is hard to believe that in a modern Scotland there are people who still think that if a woman is dressed in a certain way or has been drinking it's her own fault if she is raped.
"Similarly, people who believe that a woman can't be raped by her husband or someone else she knows are wrong. A person doesn't have to use physical force to make it rape. We need to make sure that is clear. That is why we are currently consulting on changes to the legal framework to make sure it is up to date and robust.
"However, the very fact that, as recent research shows, over a quarter of people think a woman bears some of the responsibility if she's wearing revealing clothing means we need to bring public attitudes into the 21st century.
"That's why the Government has agreed to provide nearly £200,000 to allow Rape Crisis Scotland to embark on this powerful campaign designed to challenge these attitudes and make clear that the victim is never to blame."
Sandy Brindley from Rape Crisis Scotland said:
"Rape is a crime which can have a devastating effect, yet far too often women are blamed for what has happened. Studies into public attitudes consistently show that many people blame women for rape if we have been flirting, are dressed in revealing clothing or are known to have had many sexual partners.
"What this means is that at least some of the people sitting in juries in rape trials are likely to hold these kinds of attitudes. Efforts have been made in the past few years to improve legal responses to rape. Legal change on its own, however, is not enough. What is needed is concerted effort to challenge women blaming attitudes to rape within Scottish society.
"Far too many people still think women are "asking for it". We hope that our new campaign - the first of its kind in Scotland - will make people start to challenge their own and other people's attitudes to rape".
Scottish Government research in 2007 showed that:
- 27 per cent of people think a woman can be at least partly responsible if she was drunk at the time of the attack
- 26 per cent thought a woman bore some responsibility if she wore revealing clothing
- 32 per cent say there should be some burden of responsibility if a woman is flirting
- 18 per cent think rape can be a woman's fault if she is known to have had many sexual partners
The Scottish Government is currently consulting on the Scottish Law Commission's review of the legislation around rape and sexual offences, with the aim of bringing a bill to Parliament this year.
Rape Crisis Scotland is a charity which provides support to women who have been raped or sexual abused, and which works to change attitudes to rape and other forms of sexual violence.