Originally Posted by
John2
OK.
Just to clarify, when children are abused by *****philes, you don't understand why they don't "say no"?
Do you see how asking why they "didn't say no" might look like a suggestion it is in some way their responsibility and might be perceived as victim blaming?
A huge reason the child abuse scandal in Rotherham went on for so long was because these vulnerable young girls were perceived as "p*ki sh*ggers" - a commonly used term to suggest they were choosing these relationships consensually. White working class people in Rotherham judged these girls back then as being consenting participants, not as victims. This was the common position of the public and the authorities, it is why the abuse was tolerated back then. We (rightly) give the authorities a hard time, but many of the people now most vocally outraged were just as guilty as perceiving these victims as in some way "asking for it".
I just think we need to learn those lessons and not ever do anything that might suggest victims of ***ual assault could have done something to stop it, because that ignores the incredible power adults have over children as authority figures. Victims have to deal with not only the fall out of the ***ual assault, but also feeling like they are being judged to be responsible for not doing more about it. These 16 and 17 year old girls have enough to deal with as it is.