Victim blaming vs being responsible

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CrinklyCrustacean
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04 Jul 2014, 9:28 am

If a drunk girl is raped at a party and someone says "Oh, she shouldn't have been so drunk," this is classed as blaming the victim.
If my house gets burgled and someone says, "You shouldn't have left all the doors and windows wide open when you went out," it isn't classed as blaming the victim, and 99% of people would think I was an idiot for not locking up my home.
In both cases raping and burgling is never okay so neither the sobriety of the girl nor the security of the house is relevant.

Why do people regard one situation as victim-blaming and the other not, even though the same logic applies to both scenarios?



blue_bean
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04 Jul 2014, 11:17 am

Obviously the same logic doesn't apply to both scenarios. The two crimes can't really be compared to one another. Burglary is burglary and pretty much straight up, whereas rape has a whole heap of political, sexist and social controversies attached.

I'm inclined to think people (that care) would see that you feel stupid for not ensuring the safety of your valuables, and therefore not say anything to place blame on you. People who blame the victim are usually people who are detached from the situation and can't empathise (strangers, people online etc). People who have no idea what it's like to be a victim of either crime.



Sweetleaf
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04 Jul 2014, 5:50 pm

I would think it is sort of blaming the victim, leaving your house unlocked is not the same thing as giving people permission to take your things besides that even if you do lock up if someone is intent on breaking in they'll find a way.


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