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How to Respond to Victim Shaming Comments

Summary: Victim shaming has become a serious issue in the United States and women across the country are doing their best to end this issue while also combating abuse.

In the United States, victim shaming has become a very real problem. We have all heard the shaming comment of “She asked for it.” Many people say this when a woman is attacked or raped after seeing how she was dressed or how inebriated she was when the incident occurred. Groups across the country are doing their best to end victim shaming while also fighting abuse and rape.

One woman put together five important points to respond to such a comment as “She asked for it” in a recent video. We have embedded the video in this post for you to watch. It is very poignant and should be watched by both men and women.

The woman in the video ends her speech with the following statement, which tries to convince victims that they are not at fault for being abused, assaulted or raped or had photos stolen and posted online:

“I just wanted to say to all my babes out there, if you were assaulted it was absolutely not your fault. If you were raped, it was not your fault. There was nothing that you did to invite that. If you had photos stolen, photos of you distributed, it wasn’t your fault. You have a right to be sexual with your partner in ways that you consent to and no more than that. If you were harassed by someone, it’s not your fault. If you were abused by someone, it’s not your fault. You have a right to safety and respect no matter what. Every time I see someone blame the victim, it just eats me up inside. You deserve so much better. Thanks for watching babes, I’ll see you next time.”

Jim Vassallo: Jim is a freelance writer based out of the suburbs of Philadelphia in New Jersey. Jim earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and minor in Journalism from Rowan University in 2008. While in school he was the Assistant Sports Director at WGLS for two years and the Sports Director for one year. He also covered the football, baseball, softball and both basketball teams for the school newspaper 'The Whit.' Jim lives in New Jersey with his wife Nicole, son Tony and dog Phoebe.

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