Ending rape not women’s responsibility

With the recent rash of rape cases in Norway, many are asking questions as to why, how and by who these attacks are being perpetrated.  Much media attention has been paid to the ethnicity of the rapists, suggesting that Norwegian women are being raped by foreigners of Arab or African descent.  When a sensationalized issue like this begins circulating it can be hard to slow down long enough to look at the big picture.  How will Norway, politically and socially, respond to the recent rise in rape cases and attempts?
As an American I’m quite familiar with the topic of rape as well as fear-based reporting in the media.  While some rapes do happen on deserted streets at night or in the early morning (as did one in my hometown in the month of December) I hope that Norway will remember that most rapes happen between intimate partners and acquaintances, often in the context of alcohol consumption.  These are the rapes that are least likely to be reported, and therefore, more media attention is paid to the gruesome story of stranger rape happening in dark alleys.

 
As these cases develop I hope that Norwegians will pledge two things: to suspend judgment and assumption until more facts are gathered, and most importantly, to support survivors of rape.  As many have pointed out, not enough is known about the recent rise in rape cases to begin making concrete conclusions.  To blame (dark-skinned) immigrant men after being provided little (and possibly inaccurate) information will not prevent more rapes from occurring, but will only further divisions between races and classes.  In a country known for its kindness to refugees and asylum seekers, jumping to conclusions will result in only sad and increasingly upsetting consequences.
Maybe even more importantly, I hope that Norwegians will commit to support rape survivors and their families in productive, preventative ways.  Support comes in multiple forms, such as strict sentencing for rapists, commitment and training by local police forces to actively combat the threat of rape, support groups and counseling for rape survivors and their families, awareness raising campaigns and rigorous analysis of rape trends and patterns.  It is likely that Norway, as a progressive and well-informed country, will pursue all of the above mentioned avenues in seeking to prevent further rapes.  However, it is important that the last two examples are represented strongly in this effort, as in many countries, including my own, they are usually left behind while other tactics are highlighted.

Awareness raising campaigns open avenues for dialogue about tough issues like rape and promote consciousness regarding less reported types of sexual assault: acquaintance rape, marital rape, and incest.  These campaigns can give participants the ability to work towards preventing rape and become involved as advocates against sexual violence. Rape prevention campaigns are organized and structured to include people in prevention who would not otherwise have the opportunity or knowledge of how to do so. This is especially true for men, who may not know how to show their support of rape survivors without an organized venue, but who all know what it is like to be a son, a father, a brother, a nephew, an uncle, a friend or a partner to a female he loves.

Another important aspect of consciousness-raising is learning how not to unintentionally shift the responsibility for preventing rape on to potential victims.  It is important to for women to be empowered and to stay safe, but when the focus remains solely on what women must do to keep themselves from being raped (e.g. not walk at night, carry an alarm, not wear revealing clothing) it takes the blame off of the perpetrator.  Women should not be held responsible for preventing rape.  Society and communities, including institutional organizations, men, politicians and legal systems should recognize their role in the prevention of sexual assault and work in conjunction with empowered women to end it by all means necessary.  The poster featured with this article gives a good example of how rape prevention often becomes the responsibility of women who have been or could potentially be victimized.

Norway has the ability to combat these recent rapes in a pro-social, informed way.  In-depth research and investigating, as well as accurate reporting by the media is necessary.  Investigations into the recent assaults, as well as under-reported rapes, will give anti-rape campaigns the correct information they need to address this serious social issue, as well as provide Norwegian citizens with an accurate and balanced assessment of the facts.  Rape is everyone’s problem.  How Norway chooses to deal with rape prevention in their country will affect all of their citizens, not just rape survivors and perpetrators.