# Poster on tips to avoid sexual assault. Does it provide good advice, or does it blame the victim? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 9, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poster-on-tips-to-avoid-sexual-assault-does-it-provide-good-advice-or-does-it-blame-the-victim/665835 "2013-08-09T20:44:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poster-on-tips-to-avoid-sexual-assault-does-it-provide-good-advice-or-does-it-blame-the-victim/665835/81 "2013-08-13T13:30:45Z")
> [@boozilu](#): > > I don’t mind the poster but maybe there should be another one in the men’s restroom to remind them of things like: > > - don’t go along with harassment/assault by other guys just because they are your friends or you don’t want to look weak > - if a woman says she’s not interested, move on > - if you see a woman being assaulted, intervene or call 911 > - think about how your mother/daughter/sister would feel in that situation > > I think we do a terrible job of teaching our young men how to act responsibly, with the whole “boys will be boys” things. We should have high expectations of both genders. I think this is an awesome idea. I don’t have a problem with the poster, but as other women have said, most assaults don’t happen in secluded parking lots, and you can follow every single rule and still get assaulted. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poster-on-tips-to-avoid-sexual-assault-does-it-provide-good-advice-or-does-it-blame-the-victim/665835/82 "2013-08-13T13:32:44Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > However, lets say you invite a woman back up to your place for “coffee.” In the morning, you discover that your iPhone is gone, your wallet has been lifted - along with a few hundred in cash. She grabbed the little bit of jewelry you had out, including a really nice watch that had been a gift from your parents. A week or so later, you discover that your identity has been stolen. > > Is that your fault for leaving your iPhone, wallet, and watch on the bedstand? Do you need to be told not to do that, because, you know, she might take it? Why did you have that much in cash on you? And who leave their social security card in their wallet nowadays - that’s asking for ID theft! Are you culpable? - after all, you invited this woman into your home, you left your valuables out where she could grab them. > > (By the way, something very like that happened to my brother in law.) If such a thing were to happen to anyone I wouldn’t say it was their “fault”. The fault almost always lies with the person actually committing the crime. But that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have prevented it by not leaving their valuables around, and it doesn’t mean it would be a bad idea to make people aware of the fact that it may be in their interests to be more careful with their valuables when they have strangers around. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poster-on-tips-to-avoid-sexual-assault-does-it-provide-good-advice-or-does-it-blame-the-victim/665835/83 "2013-08-13T13:36:25Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > If it is true that clothing plays a part in motivating sexual assaults or rapes, then certainly the focus should be on changing whatever it is in potential rapists that makes them behave that way. But that doesn’t mean it would be sensible to not make potential victims aware that their choices can make some possibilities more likely. They can do what they want with that information. It is doubtful that clothes have that much impact in many situations. Going back to the types of rape that most commonly happen, they occur when the victim is known to the person. Which is less a “found her/him nearly naked in the dance floor”, and more “she is the coworker/neighbor/girlfriend”. In the first two, for sure, the rapist has most commonly seen the woman dressed in what would be considered “conservative” clothing (work clothes, casual clothes, t-shirts and jeans, etc.). Yet the victim was still raped. So… basically, most women wardrobe would seem to attract potential rapists, hence they should all just stay home? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poster-on-tips-to-avoid-sexual-assault-does-it-provide-good-advice-or-does-it-blame-the-victim/665835/84 "2013-08-13T13:43:53Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > If such a thing were to happen to anyone I wouldn’t say it was their “fault”. The fault almost always lies with the person actually committing the crime. But that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have prevented it by not leaving their valuables around, and it doesn’t mean it would be a bad idea to make people aware of the fact that it may be in their interests to be more careful with their valuables when they have strangers around. So, if I put posters up in the men’s room that say “how to avoid getting robbed” and include 1. Don’t carry an iPhone 2. Don’t carry cash 3. Don’t invite anyone into your house Those suggestions wouldn’t strike you as restrictive to your personal freedoms? Or when you take a woman home for the night, you think its a reasonable expectation that in the passion of undressing, you should lock your valuables in a safe, so she doesn’t have the opportunity to rob you? Because, honestly, that is what a lot of the suggestions to woman on rape avoidance sound like - restrictions on our freedom or unreasonable actions. The ones that aren’t blindingly obvious - like don’t walk down a dark alley by yourself and park in well lit areas. (how often, as a man, are you told not to walk down a dark alley by yourself or park in well lit areas to avoid getting mugged? Is that advice on the back of your bathroom stalls?) And there proportionally is too much education on “how to avoid being raped” compared to teaching men “hey, that’s behavior is not ok.” ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poster-on-tips-to-avoid-sexual-assault-does-it-provide-good-advice-or-does-it-blame-the-victim/665835/85 "2013-08-13T13:49:22Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > To some extent, it’s everyone’s responsibility to play a part in keeping themselves safe. To use an analogy I mentioned earlier: if you get murdered or beaten for wearing a sports team shirt or a certain colour of bandana in the wrong place, it goes without saying that the assailant is responsible for their actions and has committed murder or some kind of assault. But that doesn’t mean it’s wrong to say that you made a poor choice in what you wore, and where. It doesn’t excuse the crime _in any way_, but if you can say with some certainty that it wouldn’t have happened had you not been there with the clothing or accessories you did, maybe it’s worth considering your choices too. > > If it is true that clothing plays a part in motivating sexual assaults or rapes, then certainly the focus should be on changing whatever it is in potential rapists that makes them behave that way. But that doesn’t mean it would be sensible to not make potential victims aware that their choices can make some possibilities more likely. They can do what they want with that information. The problem is that those choices can have real impact on a person’s life. It’s not just about not wearing fuck-me pumps and a micro mini to a drunken frat party full of strangers. Those rules on that poster would suggest a woman shouldn’t work late at the office, either alone (how can she get to her car?) or with a male co-worker, unless she knows him “well”. She shouldn’t go on business trips alone, or with a male coworker. She shouldn’t walk across the corporate campus after dark to get a file in another building, or even through a dark, semi-deserted office building. There are pretty significant limits on your personal life, as well: she shouldn’t walk in a neighborhood after dark, she shouldn’t live anywhere where she won’t be able to park within sight of her front door, she should only socialize in small groups where she knows everyone. She basically has to be able to afford to join a gym or buy home equipment to even exercise, because it’s pretty much dark outside within a couple hours after the end of the workday most of the year. It’s well and good to say “they can do what they want with this information”, but it’s not clear to me that any of those precautions really make that big of a difference. They are almost superstitions that women follow to make sure it’s clear we didn’t “want it” because we have this idea that sexual assault is something that happens when women are stupid and don’t take responsibility. ---
**Author:** ![Tequila\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a6a055/32.png) [@Tequila\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tequila_Party)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poster-on-tips-to-avoid-sexual-assault-does-it-provide-good-advice-or-does-it-blame-the-victim/665835/86 "2013-08-13T14:21:05Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > Best to be viewed as a parody, since women seem to want more rights to wear less and at the same time stricter laws on sexual assault. Lol. Ya, because men just can’t help themselves around scantily clad women (Like the time my 68 yr old friend was raped, while wearing a pair of sweat pants and shirt covered in paint!) and thus are positively _forced_ into becoming rapists. I feel your pain bro. ETA Also, what **Dangerosa** said. All these “good” suggestions would mean you need to live in a fucking bubble. Limit your contact to only those who share your same values? You’d never go to another gathering of anything (concert, party, reunion) again. No just keep me away from those who feel like they can’t fucking control themselves because I wore a halter top. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poster-on-tips-to-avoid-sexual-assault-does-it-provide-good-advice-or-does-it-blame-the-victim/665835/87 "2013-08-13T14:28:14Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > The problem is that those choices can have real impact on a person’s life. It’s not just about not wearing fuck-me pumps and a micro mini to a drunken frat party full of strangers. Those rules on that poster would suggest a woman shouldn’t work late at the office, either alone (how can she get to her car?) or with a male co-worker, unless she knows him “well”. And unfortunately, a well-meaning sign advising women not to do all these things sets women up for shame and guilt when they’ve been attacked after they’ve committed the cardinal sin of not avoiding a “secluded area”, for instance. That’s the problem with these posters. It’s not that they blame victims directly. But they promote the attitude that if you do X, Y, and Z, you’ll be safe. If you end up being attacked, well, it might’ve been because you didn’t do X, Y, and Z correctly. With so much focus on common sense, the implication is that victims become victims because they’ve failed in some way. Maybe this is true in many cases, but to think a restroom poster is going to fix what is a symptom of the human condition is laughable. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poster-on-tips-to-avoid-sexual-assault-does-it-provide-good-advice-or-does-it-blame-the-victim/665835/88 "2013-08-13T15:05:57Z")
> [@you\_with\_the\_face](#): > > And unfortunately, a well-meaning sign advising women not to do all these things sets women up for shame and guilt when they’ve been attacked after they’ve committed the cardinal sin of not avoiding a “secluded area”, for instance. So roughly how do you think this works out? How many women see the well-meaning sign? How many are not attacked by acting on its suggestions? How many are subsequently attacked after ignoring the suggestions? How many of them feel “shame and guilt?” ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poster-on-tips-to-avoid-sexual-assault-does-it-provide-good-advice-or-does-it-blame-the-victim/665835/89 "2013-08-13T15:40:39Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > So roughly how do you think this works out? How many women see the well-meaning sign? How many are not attacked by acting on its suggestions? How many are subsequently attacked after ignoring the suggestions? How many of them feel “shame and guilt?” Plenty of women see the poster. Presumably, any woman who has the need to use that particularly restroom will. Of that fraction who see it, I suspect close to none will feel compelled to change their behaviors because of it. Most of them probably already keep such tips in mind already (except the last one, because it’s absurdly impractical), and of those who don’t, it is highly unlikely a a 5-second glance at a 8x10 sign in a restroom is going to be eradicating years worth of habits and practices. How many are subsequently attacked after ignoring the suggestions? If the restroom is on a military base, probably a decent number. But this is the wrong question to be asking. _How many of these rapes could have been prevented had these women followed these poster suggestions?_ You don’t know the answer to this question do you? Just like the suggestion that women refrain from wearing sexy clothes, it’s an idea based on a lazy assumption. Not any evidence at all. If you read, watch, or listen to the accounts of actual rape victims attacked while on active duty, it’s pretty damn obvious these ladies are assaulted by men who aren’t going to be stymied by an attended drink or a non-secluded area. Are you seriously asking how many women feel “shame and guilt” after rape? Seriously? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poster-on-tips-to-avoid-sexual-assault-does-it-provide-good-advice-or-does-it-blame-the-victim/665835/90 "2013-08-13T15:44:58Z")
> [@boozilu](#): > > I don’t mind the poster but maybe there should be another one in the men’s restroom to remind them of things like: > > - don’t go along with harassment/assault by other guys just because they are your friends or you don’t want to look weak > - if a woman says she’s not interested, move on > - if you see a woman being assaulted, intervene or call 911 > - think about how your mother/daughter/sister would feel in that situation > > I think we do a terrible job of teaching our young men how to act responsibly, with the whole “boys will be boys” things. We should have high expectations of both genders. I don’t know about that- in my old neighborhood, every boy knew that, if he crossed any lines with a girl, he would eventually get his butt kicked by her father and brothers. That was a pretty good deterrent. But somehow, I’m not sure you’d like that method. Which reminds me of a quote by former NFL ofensive lineman Conrad Dobler: > **[Conrad Dobler Quotes (Author of They Call Me Dirty)](https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/785657.Conrad_Dobler)** > > 1 quote from Conrad Dobler: 'When guys come over to date my daughter, I'm going to tell them, "I want you to go out and have a very good time with my daughter. I want you to enjoy yourself and have her home on time. If you abuse her in any way, I'm... ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poster-on-tips-to-avoid-sexual-assault-does-it-provide-good-advice-or-does-it-blame-the-victim/665835/91 "2013-08-13T15:46:24Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > I think that rapists and perpetrators of sexual assault know what they are doing, but often genuinely believe it’s not or should not be that big of a deal. They may figure things like “She’s easy anyway, so how can she complain about one more raindrop in a storm,” or “In the end it’s just bad sex, what’s the big deal about some bad sex?” Or, “I’ve gotten away with it before, and probably will this time too.” ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poster-on-tips-to-avoid-sexual-assault-does-it-provide-good-advice-or-does-it-blame-the-victim/665835/92 "2013-08-13T15:49:54Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > If such a thing were to happen to anyone I wouldn’t say it was their “fault”. The fault almost always lies with the person actually committing the crime. But that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have prevented it by not leaving their valuables around, and it doesn’t mean it would be a bad idea to make people aware of the fact that it may be in their interests to be more careful with their valuables when they have strangers around. And also to not invite strangers into their house, especially if you’re intoxicated. How did he know she wasn’t planning to do something to him that was worse than stealing from him? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poster-on-tips-to-avoid-sexual-assault-does-it-provide-good-advice-or-does-it-blame-the-victim/665835/93 "2013-08-13T15:52:58Z")
> [@you\_with\_the\_face](#): > > And unfortunately, a well-meaning sign advising women not to do all these things sets women up for shame and guilt when they’ve been attacked after they’ve committed the cardinal sin of not avoiding a “secluded area”, for instance. > > That’s the problem with these posters. It’s not that they blame victims directly. But they promote the attitude that if you do X, Y, and Z, you’ll be safe. If you end up being attacked, well, it might’ve been because you didn’t do X, Y, and Z correctly. With so much focus on common sense, the implication is that victims become victims because they’ve failed in some way. Maybe this is true in many cases, but to think a restroom poster is going to fix what is a symptom of the human condition is laughable. The poster is probably useless, but it shouldn’t be offensive, any more than it should be offensive to ME if a TV commercial with McGruff the Crime Dog tells me, “Don’t flash money in public.” Or if Smokey the Bear tells me in a radio ad to be very careful with fire. Now, I’m already old enough and smart enough to say “No duh” to such ads. But if I ever do get robbed after counting out some money on a subway car at night, is McGruff going to make me feel guilty??? Am I going to cry that, “It’s all MY fault, because I didn’t listen to McGruff”??? Or, if my house ever catches fire, will I remember Smokey’s ad and think, “Everybody’s judging me, they all think it was my fault”??? No, and that was NEVER the intention of the ad. When people try to offer common sense advice, the object is NOT to make us feel guilty if something bad happens to us! ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poster-on-tips-to-avoid-sexual-assault-does-it-provide-good-advice-or-does-it-blame-the-victim/665835/94 "2013-08-13T15:53:32Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > I don’t know about that- in my old neighborhood, every boy knew that, if he crossed any lines with a girl, he would eventually get his butt kicked by her father and brothers. That was a pretty good deterrent. > > But somehow, I’m not sure you’d like that method. > Which reminds me of a quote by former NFL ofensive lineman Conrad Dobler: > > [Conrad Dobler Quotes (Author of They Call Me Dirty)](https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/785657.Conrad_Dobler) I think it works out well for girls with fathers and brothers. Not so well for those without, as their vulnerability is very visible and they get the concentrated attention of every Tom, Dick and Harry who has convinced himself that only women with fathers and brothers deserve bodily autonomy, and that a lack of protectors indicates a woman is not worth protecting. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poster-on-tips-to-avoid-sexual-assault-does-it-provide-good-advice-or-does-it-blame-the-victim/665835/95 "2013-08-13T15:55:17Z")
> [@you\_with\_the\_face](#): > > What jumps out at me about the poster is not victim blaming, but rather the lazy thinking that it is based on. Agreed. All I see in that poster is the lukewarm outcome of a political decision some higher ups made. -“We had some unfavourable press reviews on how woman unfriendly we are. Anyone have any ideas on what we could do about it?” -“Well, we could demand a male-to-female ratio of 50 % on all staff levels. We could change our culture entirely so that macho cameradie is frowned upon.” -“Nah, we don’t have the time or the money for that. We just need to show the the naggers we made an effort. Yes, Mike, you had an idea? A poster, and only in the womens’ restroom? With an internal number on it so we keep any trouble indoors? Brilliant. See that it gets done. There, that wasn’t so hard. Now, next on the agenda…” ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poster-on-tips-to-avoid-sexual-assault-does-it-provide-good-advice-or-does-it-blame-the-victim/665835/96 "2013-08-13T16:14:05Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Now, I’m already old enough and smart enough to say “No duh” to such ads. But if I ever do get robbed after counting out some money on a subway car at night, is McGruff going to make me feel guilty??? Am I going to cry that, “It’s all MY fault, because I didn’t listen to McGruff”??? Or, if my house ever catches fire, will I remember Smokey’s ad and think, “Everybody’s judging me, they all think it was my fault”??? Maybe if you were raped, you would walk that shit off in a dispassionate manner and not blame yourself for being stupid, overly trusting, or reckless. But most rape victims probably can’t say the same thing. Guess they are stupid for not being as calm and rational as you are, huh? ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poster-on-tips-to-avoid-sexual-assault-does-it-provide-good-advice-or-does-it-blame-the-victim/665835/97 "2013-08-13T16:25:18Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > They know. There may be some heavy-duty internal rationalizations going on but these men know what they are doing. That strikes me as reductive and dogmatic. I think it’s actually along the lines of the thing I was talking about: “these men,” as if they’re a special breed of monster, instead of everyday dumbasses who can actually be dealt with. Obviously they know what they’re doing in the sense that they’re acting intentionally to get something - they know they’re committing the physical acts they’re committing - but what I said is that they don’t know that when we say “sexual assault,” we’re talking about the shit they’re doing. They are not, by and large, accomplished statutory construers. For instance, I’m not saying they would deny (with anonymity assured or to their buddies, or whatever) the statement “[I had sexual intercourse with someone, even though they did not want to, because they were too intoxicated (on alcohol or drugs) to resist my sexual advances (e.g., removing their clothes)](http://www.wcsap.org/sites/www.wcsap.org/files/uploads/webinars/SV%20on%20Campus/Repeat%20Rape.pdf)” if that was what they had done (which about 5% of men said they had). In that sense, sure, they know what they’re doing. What I’m saying is that even after you get them to admit that, if you then say to them “have you ever raped anybody” the overwhelming majority say no, without it occurring to them that they’ve just admitted it (or that they’d try to, or have tried to, etc.) before they denied it. They don’t understand. I’m sure most of them tell themselves they’re the shit because they’re “bad boys,” but they don’t know that they’re actually the bad guys. They think “these men” are the bad guys. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poster-on-tips-to-avoid-sexual-assault-does-it-provide-good-advice-or-does-it-blame-the-victim/665835/98 "2013-08-13T17:01:34Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > And also to not invite strangers into their house, especially if you’re intoxicated. How did he know she wasn’t planning to do something to him that was worse than stealing from him? In my hypothetical, she isn’t specified to be a stranger, nor is it specified either party has been drinking. In the case of my brother in law, she wasn’t and he hadn’t - it also wasn’t “coffee” it was “I broke up with my boyfriend, can I crash on your couch.” ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poster-on-tips-to-avoid-sexual-assault-does-it-provide-good-advice-or-does-it-blame-the-victim/665835/99 "2013-08-13T17:10:38Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Now, I’m already old enough and smart enough to say “No duh” to such ads. But if I ever do get robbed after counting out some money on a subway car at night, is McGruff going to make me feel guilty??? Am I going to cry that, “It’s all MY fault, because I didn’t listen to McGruff”??? Or, if my house ever catches fire, will I remember Smokey’s ad and think, “Everybody’s judging me, they all think it was my fault”??? THAT’S it. That sort of sums up why this is patronizing (or condescending - thanks Manda Jo) The McGruff ads are aimed at CHILDREN, presumably the rape ads are aimed at grown women who hold jobs in the facility. (Smokey is about wildfire prevention, not about home fire safety - and when was the last time you were educated about home fire safety with a poster on the back of a bathroom stall - for that matter, when was the last time you were educated about home fire safety - for me, it was about sixth grade - oh, and my insurance agent saying we got a discount for a fire extinguisher under the sink). ---
**Author:** ![hildea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ebca7d/32.png) [@hildea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hildea)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poster-on-tips-to-avoid-sexual-assault-does-it-provide-good-advice-or-does-it-blame-the-victim/665835/100 "2013-08-13T19:39:32Z")
> [@Interrobang](#): > > I’m curious as to whether there has been research into the effectiveness of this type of message. If so, has anything been determined as to what specific messages and/or styles of presentation are most effective (in the sense of reducing number and/or likelihood of assaults)? I haven’t seen anything on results of \*this \*kind of message, but after a campaign targeted towards potential rapists in Vancouver, the sexual assualt rate dropped by about 10% (after increasing several years in a row before). Source: [‘Don’t Be That Guy’ ad campaign cuts Vancouver sex assaults by 10 per cent in 2011 - The Globe and Mail](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/dont-be-that-guy-ad-campaign-cuts-vancouver-sex-assaults-by-10-per-cent-in-2011/article1359241/), more about the campaign: [http://www.edmontonpolice.ca/CommunityPolicing/PersonalPropertyCrimes/SexualAssault/Dontbethatguy.aspx](http://www.edmontonpolice.ca/CommunityPolicing/PersonalPropertyCrimes/SexualAssault/Dontbethatguy.aspx) So a similar campaign, describing some typical situations of sexual assault and reinforcing the message that _this is not OK_ seems more sensible to me. Or there’s always [#safetytipsforladies](https://twitter.com/search?q=%23safetytipsforladies&src=hash) 😃 Advice like “Since most rapes are committed on the body, consider becoming a disincorporated being of pure azure light” and “Most women know their rapist, so make sure to never know anyone. Ever” do seem extremely effective, although slightly less practical than the ones on the poster. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poster-on-tips-to-avoid-sexual-assault-does-it-provide-good-advice-or-does-it-blame-the-victim/665835.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poster-on-tips-to-avoid-sexual-assault-does-it-provide-good-advice-or-does-it-blame-the-victim/665835.md?page=6)