The Navy’s new sexual assault prevention tips include advice like, “If you pull over to help someone with car problems, remember not to assault them!” and “You can’t have sex with someone unless they are awake!” The list has been both controversial and confusing:
The posting on the Navy’s official Facebook page was met with hundreds of confused and dismayed comments, but Navy officials confirmed last week that the tips were in fact a legitimate part of the service branch’s ongoing bid to stop sexual assaults among its ranks.
“As sad as it is, you’d be surprised how many people need to be told these seemingly basic things,” the Navy said. “It’s everyone’s responsibility to stop sexual assault.”
A Navy spokeswoman tried to explain the genesis of the list:
Spokeswoman Lt. Alana Garas acknowledged that the poster was published with “insufficient context,” and later noted that the tips weren’t conceived by the branch’s own Sexual Assault Prevention and Response department, but rather pulled from a feminist blog called TumblinFeminist.
The point, according to several blogs and news stories about the tips, is an attempt to shift away from a blame-the-victim mentality surrounding sexual assault, in which women are often told how to avoid becoming victims — by not traveling alone at night or drinking too much, for example.
What do you think, tumblr?
I think this is delightful and it’s about time we stop blaming the victims.
