If we don’t understand predators, we will never understand sexual violence. Do we, perhaps unintentionally, blame the deeds of perpetrators on the nature of the garments of their victims?
Over Labor Day Weekend of 2022, Boulder’s University Hill neighborhood encountered a series of sexual crimes, leaving residents in fear. The suspect entered the homes of university students in search of, and in some cases committing, sexual acts with sleeping individuals.
Boulder Police arrested a 17-year-old male, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 2 years in the youth department of corrections. Although he had been accused of preying on innocent women, some may wonder if the victim played a part by wearing certain clothing.
A majority of British men surveyed by the U.K. news organization The Independent said women are more likely to be sexually harassed or assaulted if they are wearing revealing clothing or participating in actions that could be sexualized. But should we be grouping all types of men together without understanding their previous actions, psyche and life experiences? When it comes to sexual violence, are the opinions of men able to place the blame on women?
Insinuating assumptions like “But what was she wearing?” and “Well, she asked for it” place the attention and blame on the victim and whether her clothing was provocative — when in reality, perpetrators act regardless of how their victim is dressed or acts. Clothing doesn’t matter; evil intentions do.
Contrary to present beliefs, people are sexually assaulted or raped wearing a wide variety of clothing. Examples on both national and global levels provide evidence that there is no one pattern or mold to victims of sexual crimes. A harsh reality is that even clothing articles such as a children’s t-shirt or a pair of running shorts are among the collection of victim attire. The Dove Center’s 2022 exhibit, “What Were You Wearing,” highlights the various garments of victims in order to dispel the myth that clothing invites sexual assault. Aggressors do not single out certain targets due to the way they are dressed.
Take the incidents that happened around the CU Boulder campus. There is a reason that what the victim was wearing was not reported: it is not relevant to the crime committed.
Consider that if a female dresses a certain way she may actually exude confidence in the eyes of the perpetrator, and that may be a deterrent when looking for their target. By contrast, a woman that is wearing baggy clothing may feel less confident about her body. In the offenders’ eyes, this can be seen as a vulnerability that would allow and influence them to take advantage of the individual. If abusers favored victims wearing provocative clothing over others, wouldn’t we see a substantial number of cases where this was true? The reality is that we don’t; the “pattern” of victims is unexplainable other than the fact that the majority are female.
The Rape Crisis Center describes sexual assault as “violence and control.” As perpetrators seek an individual, they will be able to physically and emotionally dominate. Clothing choice has very little to do with it.
A large portion of the understanding behind these sexual acts has to do with the individual at fault. According to a study conducted by Walden University, offenders desire to “possess and control” their victims.
Assault cases often contain evidence that the perpetrator is motivated by a sense of superiority, not by the victim’s appearance. The bleak reality is that offenders can and will seek anyone who can satisfy their cravings for female domination.
According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 81% of women report experiencing some form of sexual harassment in their lifetime, and 1 in 5 women in the United States have experienced completed or attempted rape.
These alarming statistics about sexual violence toward women ignited the creation of the #metoo movement that gained traction in 2017 after going viral online. This movement is essential in raising awareness of widespread sexual violence and ensuring that victims and survivors are not alone in their experience. This movement holds perpetrators accountable for their actions rather than letting them use clothing as a victim-blaming tool.
After all, the only one in control of whether or not an act is committed is the perpetrator. And if our society is insinuating that “tempting” clothing is part of the problem, then it may very well be that society is in fact, the problem.
Madison McNutt lives in Boulder.
