We have become so desensitized to the occurrence of sexual assault and rape that it can cause even the best of us to fall into the trap of believing that these actions are simply part of the norm, and that females, individuals who are merely doomed to be the predominant victims, must always keep their actions in check to somehow prevent it from happening. This mindset in which the victim is at fault for their own violation is aptly known as victim blaming, and is more subconsciously present than many realize.
From a very young age, women are taught that male violence against them is warranted and inevitable should they fall out of line with an unspoken list of expected behaviors. Young girls are scolded for wearing “skimpy,” “revealing,” and “tight fitting” outfits. Young women are warned to never walk home alone at night, or if they do so, to carry some form of defense with them. They are told to check their words and behaviors should they “lead on” or send mixed signals. Women are told to never leave their drinks unattended, and to never be alone in a room with someone if you don’t “want something to happen.”
They are taught to live in a constant state of fear of not only the possibility of assault, but the consequences regarding the implication of being a victim of sexual assault. It is the victim who is blamed because this mindset and its accompanying rhetoric has subconsciously become the norm. It’s a way of speaking and behaving that society always and unquestionably teaches, therefore desensitizing people, regardless of who they are, to it.