Rape Crisis Scotland

Dressing up the causes of sexual violence

The row sparked last week following comments made by the Rector of a Scottish Secondary school highlights once more the need to raise awareness of the myths that lead to women being held culpable for rape – in particular, the idea that revealing dress is somehow “provocative”.

The controversy followed warnings to female pupils that by dressing in short skirts or other clothing of a skimpy nature, they would risk distracting the boys, whose rampant hormones might render them unable to concentrate. A dress code for school is one thing – integral to the regulatory framework of many schools, and applicable to every pupil, not just those who are female. However, the conflation of this idea with notions of “provocation” and “risky behaviour” is at best misguided – and at worst very damaging, in particular to women who have been sexually assaulted.

To suggest that girls and women, through the choices they exercise in the clothes they select, can influence the behaviour of the opposite gender is to assign them a degree of control which they simply do not have. Directing instructions made on this basis only to girls reinforces the myth that it is principally women who bear responsibility for sexual conduct, and for controlling the sexual impulses of men and boys. It is a fallacy and an insult to men to suggest that male sexuality is some kind of compelling animal force far more powerful than its female counterpart, and to hold this view is to absolve men, at least in part, from the responsibility for their sexual choices, leaving women no alternative other than to shoulder the blame for the rapes and sexual assaults of which they themselves are the victims.

We have to be able to make the distinction between what is appropriate dress for school or work without once more blaming women for sexual violence. The experience of rape complainers in court offers abundant evidence of the damage that these prejudicial attitudes can do.

Blaming sexual violence on “raging hormones”, “inappropriate thoughts”, or “mixed signals” and advocating caution and cover-ups on the part of women and girls as the solution removes the focus from where it really belongs – on the attitudes and behaviour of boys and the men they will become. The role of education in making positive changes in this regard is absolutely crucial. By complementing lessons on healthy relationships of the sort that currently feature in PSE classes with others that teach young men to respect women, that no one is “entitled” to sex, and that clothes are simply clothes and not some kind of coded invitation, that only yes ever means yes – but that no always means no – we can make significant and vital steps towards making this happen.

Men and boys are central to the fight against sexual violence and can be powerful communicators of the messages we need to get across in order to makes the attitudinal and culture changes necessary to eradicate it. If we are serious about ending sexual violence, we must forget about the perils of the mini-skirt, and start examining the real causes of sexual violence – and challenging the attitudes of those who commit it.

There have been 5 comments so far

1. CS

   26 Aug 11, 8:54pm

   #sigh# Another school year starts, and a whole new batch of schools jump on the bandwagon of weird and wonderful clothing rules (trousers only seems to be a common one; wonder if they`re specifying against leggings / combats?!). What lesson does this teach boys? (Y`know, that old idea that school`s about educating children?) That girls are lower on the social strata than them, where their wardrobe has to be dictated by PTA`s and Head-teachers? That boys are so devoid of self control that they`ll harm girls unless such girls are adequately covered. In Iran, it`s seen as evil dictat from narcisstic rulers, here, it`s all about `protection` of girls from sexual violence, and of male teachers from false allegations, or male pupils incapable of decency. Get a grip, schools, parents, and Local Authorities. Autocracy does not lead to well rounded, healthy, happy young adults.

2. L

   20 Jun 11, 12:07pm

   Ian Scott, sorry I do not understand your point, at all. I hope it is not representative of all men(?). I went to a school with a very strict uniform policy (knee length kilt and knee length socks,etc) but the old myths linked to the `naughty` Catholic schoolgirl prevailed. By all means, I believe school pupils should wear uniform. Some schools have stricter policies than others. I think it`s incredibly insulting to assume that boys are not sentiant beings, their behaviour is controlled by what is, a very small part of their anatomy. Adolescence is a steep learning curve for young people. To imply that what girls wear is responsible for the behaviour of violent men is a dangerous lesson to teach our young men. What they need to be taught is to be responsible for their own behaviour, that their is no excuse for violence. Young girls need to be taught that their bodies are theirs, and that they will not be blamed should they be sexually victimised.

3. Ian Scott

   19 Jan 11, 2:15am

   I'm sorry to have to point out that all that the rector said was that female pupils wearing short skirts might distract the male pupils. He didn't suggest that they would be raped, he simply suggested that the males would be more likely to look at them. It's ALSO ridiculous to claim that women have no control over how males view them. "To suggest that girls and women, through the choices they exercise in the clothes they select, can influence the behaviour of the opposite gender is to assign them a degree of control which they simply do not have." Absurd. Consider a girl wearing a full-body veil against a girl wearing virtually nothing; I can tell you who is going to get more attention. What is certainly NOT true is that in cases WHERE RAPES ARE ACTUALLY OCCURRING, clothing is a dominant factor, because as we all (should) know, close to 100% of rapes are perpetrated by someone known to the victim, and so the idea that women who go out in short skirts on a night out are asking for it is absurd. However, that is NOT to say that in general cases, where rape is NOT occurring, the women (or indeed men) wearing less will be getting more attention. Suggesting that "people wearing fewer clothes are more likely to be looked at" is NOT the same as suggesting that "people wearing fewer clothes are more likely to be raped". Rape is a big enough problem as it is; don't try and conflate this rector's comments about "distracted pupils" with some idiots' comments about rapists. Thanks

4. Jennifer Drew

   28 Sep 10, 8:00pm

   Yet another man in a position of authority and power repeats the misogynistic myth that women not men are responsible for preventing male violence being committed against them. When will that old, old misogynistic myth be finally laid to rest - I refer of course to the myth that male sexuality is supposedly biologically driven and once a male is 'aroused' he is supposedly incapable of controlling his body. We must never forget rape and male sexual violence against women is a choice and hence male perpetrators make an informed and free choice to commit said violence against women. Women however, do not have the 'free choice' of preventing male violence being committed against them. If women did have 'this free choice' then the numbers of males committing rape and not being prosecuted would dramatically reduce. Males who commit rape and/or other forms of sexual violence against women do so because they view women as dehumanised beings whose sole purpose is to sexually service men. Rape is both male domination and male sexual aggression and because it is interconnected with male belief in sexual access to women and girls 24/7 this is one reason why so many men believe they have not committed rape but merely acted in accordance with the male sexual script.

5. CS

   20 Sep 10, 9:33pm

   Totally agree,when I heard about this rectors comments in the news,I was astounded. Just goes to show how much the recent ad campaign is in dire need.

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