Please, Don’t Blame Children for their Rapes

July 31, 2004

Rape is illegal everywhere but the enforcement of laws is not consistent. For example, men who rape are given more harsh punishments than women. Unfortunately it will be a long time before this changes.

Women or men who rape… anyone, deserve the same harsh punishment.

The rape of a child is especially heinous. A child can only understand the assault through a child’s inexperience. Think about this, rarely do adults understand their rapes so how can a child?

It is especially important that we not place blame on the child. Incredibly, this is more common than believed. Family members too often blame the child and the secret is rarely made public. This is easy to do because the child cannot speak for themselves and if they do, they are not believed.

Based on personal experience this is true. What could a six year old do when molested and raped in a small garage by a thirteen year old girl? What could he do after telling his parents but  was not believed. How could he handle the shame after being blamed by his mother for the attacks on him? 

What did he think as he looked back at his mother while being lead away to a small garage across the street?  How much hurt did he feel after seeing his mother turn around and walk back into the house?

Remember:

There is no place in our society for rape… of any kind against any person, no matter the age. Rape is wrong and must be punished.

Rape of a child takes that child’s innocence away.

There must not be any blame placed on the victim of rape. Blame is unjust and wrong. A child never invites rape. the rapist is in control.

A raped person is a victim, it is not their fault and are never responsible. 

Rape is a violation of a person and their rights as a human being. It is also evil.

It is not the right of a rapist to rape… there must not be any rationalization that rape of any kind is acceptable.

A raped child is too often condemned to a life of shame, embarrassment, pain, guilt, depression and sadness.

Every child has the right to expect protection and nurturing from his mother and when she fails to do this, she aids and abets the rapist and becomes a rapist herself.