I'm glad I'd seen that list before, because that page is all but unreadable. (Possibly something was failing to load, but black text on a multi-colored, nearly half black background == fail).
I definitely agree with all of that, yet I am also tired of people who have done various things equivalent to walking down a dark alley alone at night automatically being treated as poor spotless blameless victims, who weren't at all responsible for anything, and anyone who thinks they might have made better choices being a terrible horrible no good very bad person who obviously thinks they deserved whatever they got. It's not all or nothing. It's not exclusively -- or even primarily -- about sexual assault; it's a pattern I've seen in several situations lately. I don't really want to get into particulars, because it's not about those specific situations so much as the response pattern; if it weren't a pattern, I wouldn't care.
Because everything in the entire world is either purest white or darkest black, don't you know? You're either with us, or you're a horrible animal that should be chained up.
That list is one aspect of the issue, and gets, IMO, a great deal of attention.
Another aspect of issue can be summed up by, "And what happens when the Other Guy willfully violates that list?" ~That~ question doesn't get as much attention as it needs to, I think.
The world will be a better place when that list is universally followed. Until then,... what?
Because everyone knows that criminal offenders are nice misunderstood people who can merely be told, "Hey, committing an intimate crime of violence is BAD, mmmkay?" NOT. Evil exists, and there are people out there who like and enjoy hurting others and getting away with it.
Crime prevention is a big part of my job. We talk about the crime triangle: a crime occurs when a motivated offender is colocated with a suitable victim in the absence of adequate guardianship. This provides several avenues by which to pursue crime prevention; this is not an exclusive list.
-- reduce offender motivation (specific and general deterrence, the classic Bentham/Beccaria debate in criminology) -- keep offenders out (access control, gated communities, social etiquette about having people in private space with you, etc.) -- target hardening for victims (situational awareness, self defense classes, concealed weapons permits, Model Mugging, etc.) -- keep victims away from offenders (behavior modification) -- environmental changes that encourage guardianship (lights, cameras, sight lines, trimming shrubbery) -- direct guardianship (buddy system, escort service, guards, police) -- incapacitate offenders (reporting, arrest, prosecution, corrections)
We can deter the offender. We can provide adequate guardianship (which is where college campuses are often massive fail). But without paying at least some attention to the "victim" leg of the tripod, we fail to do all that we can to prevent this type of crime.
However, most of the burden falls on the would-be victim (who has to carry an access card; restrict their movements to safe areas; learn how to recognize safe areas; call for an escort; ad nauseum).
Much of the rest falls on society as a sunk cost. For example, I remain bitterly amused that much of San Diego is poorly lit because of concerns about "light pollution" and the needs of astronomers. What about the needs of the public to not be victims of crime?
With respect to sexual assault in particular, the offenders we are trying to stop are typically NOT convicted criminals, but established members of the community. Assaults by a person known to you, however casually, are far more likely than assaults by strangers.
One problem with offender education, even jokingly as in the link described, is that this is effectively a training program for motivated offenders. They are already motivated to study the fundamentals of their crime. No need to give them the Cliff Notes version. ("Elevators? Oh, that's a good idea!")
As for the blame game, I would be remiss if I didn't point out that fear of crime is a classic tool of repression and social control. If I were female, I'd be a little sick and tired of people telling me that I had to modify my behavior to avoid falling victim to the predators.
It can be much safer to walk down a dark alley alone at night than to:
-- accept a ride home from an acquaintance -- go drinking in mixed company without friends along -- go on a first date without a safety call -- let someone in to use the bathroom or allow a service worker to enter your home when you are alone -- stay in any hotel or motel alone without adequately blocking the door against master key access
All of the above are far more dangerous scenarios than that hypothetical alleyway in which both Batman and the myth of personal responsibility for being the victim of violent crime were born.
Please credit Lawrence Cohen and Marcus Felson's "Routine Activities Theory" first laid out in 1979. The concept comes from the academic field of environmental criminology.
Probably literally, though no one I know has been recently, and also metaphorically. This is about the pattern I see of the majority absolving people of all responsibility for their poor decisions when the consequences thereof turn out to be disproportionate, and excoriating anyone who does not do so.
Since I have no idea to what you are referring, I'm going to go with "no". Although it's quite possible that whatever-it-is is an example of either this pattern in action or someone else reacting to said pattern.
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Hmmmmm
Date: 2009-12-14 08:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-14 08:23 pm (UTC)and oodles less of "well, what did you expect"?
no subject
Date: 2009-12-14 08:36 pm (UTC)I definitely agree with all of that, yet I am also tired of people who have done various things equivalent to walking down a dark alley alone at night automatically being treated as poor spotless blameless victims, who weren't at all responsible for anything, and anyone who thinks they might have made better choices being a terrible horrible no good very bad person who obviously thinks they deserved whatever they got. It's not all or nothing. It's not exclusively -- or even primarily -- about sexual assault; it's a pattern I've seen in several situations lately. I don't really want to get into particulars, because it's not about those specific situations so much as the response pattern; if it weren't a pattern, I wouldn't care.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-14 10:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-14 08:36 pm (UTC)Another aspect of issue can be summed up by, "And what happens when the Other Guy willfully violates that list?" ~That~ question doesn't get as much attention as it needs to, I think.
The world will be a better place when that list is universally followed. Until then,... what?
no subject
Date: 2009-12-14 11:18 pm (UTC)Crime prevention is a big part of my job. We talk about the crime triangle: a crime occurs when a motivated offender is colocated with a suitable victim in the absence of adequate guardianship. This provides several avenues by which to pursue crime prevention; this is not an exclusive list.
-- reduce offender motivation (specific and general deterrence, the classic Bentham/Beccaria debate in criminology)
-- keep offenders out (access control, gated communities, social etiquette about having people in private space with you, etc.)
-- target hardening for victims (situational awareness, self defense classes, concealed weapons permits, Model Mugging, etc.)
-- keep victims away from offenders (behavior modification)
-- environmental changes that encourage guardianship (lights, cameras, sight lines, trimming shrubbery)
-- direct guardianship (buddy system, escort service, guards, police)
-- incapacitate offenders (reporting, arrest, prosecution, corrections)
We can deter the offender. We can provide adequate guardianship (which is where college campuses are often massive fail). But without paying at least some attention to the "victim" leg of the tripod, we fail to do all that we can to prevent this type of crime.
However, most of the burden falls on the would-be victim (who has to carry an access card; restrict their movements to safe areas; learn how to recognize safe areas; call for an escort; ad nauseum).
Much of the rest falls on society as a sunk cost. For example, I remain bitterly amused that much of San Diego is poorly lit because of concerns about "light pollution" and the needs of astronomers. What about the needs of the public to not be victims of crime?
With respect to sexual assault in particular, the offenders we are trying to stop are typically NOT convicted criminals, but established members of the community. Assaults by a person known to you, however casually, are far more likely than assaults by strangers.
One problem with offender education, even jokingly as in the link described, is that this is effectively a training program for motivated offenders. They are already motivated to study the fundamentals of their crime. No need to give them the Cliff Notes version. ("Elevators? Oh, that's a good idea!")
As for the blame game, I would be remiss if I didn't point out that fear of crime is a classic tool of repression and social control. If I were female, I'd be a little sick and tired of people telling me that I had to modify my behavior to avoid falling victim to the predators.
It can be much safer to walk down a dark alley alone at night than to:
-- accept a ride home from an acquaintance
-- go drinking in mixed company without friends along
-- go on a first date without a safety call
-- let someone in to use the bathroom or allow a service worker to enter your home when you are alone
-- stay in any hotel or motel alone without adequately blocking the door against master key access
All of the above are far more dangerous scenarios than that hypothetical alleyway in which both Batman and the myth of personal responsibility for being the victim of violent crime were born.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-14 11:24 pm (UTC)Oh, I like that! May I steal it?
no subject
Date: 2009-12-14 11:31 pm (UTC)http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/learningzone/rat.htm
no subject
Date: 2009-12-14 09:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-14 10:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-14 09:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-14 10:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-15 01:33 am (UTC)