时间:2025-04-04 04:49:57 来源:网络整理编辑:休閑
Republican Gov. John Kasich sparked controversy at a presidential campaign event in Watertown, New Y
Republican Gov. John Kasich sparked controversy at a presidential campaign event in Watertown, New York, on Friday when he told a young female college student who'd asked about campus sexual assault policy that she should avoid parties where a lot of alcohol is served.
Critics instantly cast the comment as victim-blaming. The Planned Parenthood Action Fund issued a statement from its vice president Dawn Laguens noting Kasich's callousness toward women.
SEE ALSO:Burden of truth: When no one believes your rape but you“John Kasich’s plan for combating sexual assault as president is to blame women who go to parties," she said. "John Kasich’s pattern of dismissing the concerns of women is disturbing enough."
That's a tempting take for partisan politics, but the truth is that Kasich's response had far more integrity before he mentioned the role of alcohol, perhaps the most fraught aspect of campus sexual assault.
While research shows that drinking is associated with "incapacitated rape," it has become impossible to discuss the connection because victims have long been blamed for their sexual assault, particularly when alcohol is involved.
The woman who posed the question, a first-year student at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, asked Kasich what he would do as president to "help me feel safer and more secure in regards to sexual violence."
Kasich then talked about his work on this issue in Ohio and listed several important policies:
In our state, we think that when you enroll, you ought to absolutely know that if something happens to you along the lines of sexual harassment or whatever, you have a place to go where there is a confidential reporting, where there is an ability for you to access a rape kit, where that is kept confidential, but where it gives you the opportunity to be able to pursue justice after you've had some time to reflect on it all. We are in the process of making sure that all higher education in our state, and this ought to be done in the country, that our co-eds know exactly what the rules are, what the opportunities are, what the confidential policies are so that you are not vulnerable, at risk and can be preyed upon. I have two 16-year-old daughters, and um, I don't even like to think about it.
The young woman replied, "It’s sad, but it’s something that I have to worry about."
That's when Kasich, who seemed to speak with conviction on the subject, began sounding less like an ally and more like a patronizing dad.
"Well I would also give you one bit of advice," he said. "Don't go to parties where there's a lot of alcohol."
His campaign later issued three tweets to counter the victim-blaming narrative. "Only one person is at fault in a sexual assault, and that's the assailant," read the first tweet.
Only one person is at fault in a sexual assault, and that's the assailant. 1/3
— John Kasich (@JohnKasich) April 15, 2016
While it's unclear what Kasich originally meant to imply, it makes sense to avoid parties where perpetrators might take advantage of binge drinking to rape someone — or are even known and expected to do just that. The problem is that this hyper-awareness puts an unfair burden on women, who should be able to attend any social function without fearing sexual assault.
That's why John Kasich has worked so hard to provide campuses with the tools they need to make sure victims have the necessary support. 2/3
— John Kasich (@JohnKasich) April 15, 2016
Victims needs to know we're doing everything we can to have their backs, and that's happening in Ohio under John Kasich's leadership. 3/3
— John Kasich (@JohnKasich) April 15, 2016
Kasich also isn't helped by the fact that his record on supporting a woman's right to control her body is arguably lacking.
He's signed legislation that defunded Planned Parenthood and prohibited rape crisis centers that receive state dollars from giving victims information about abortion clinics. It's unsurprising that his critics would immediately see his remarks on Friday as yet one more example of misogyny.
Yet there is a complicated relationship between rape and alcohol, and it's essential to find a way to talk about women, drinking and the risk of assault without placing blame.
A supportive reaction can make all the difference to a survivor: https://t.co/B3aIfzM5uS. #SAAPM
— RAINN (@RAINN01) April 15, 2016
A study published last year found that 15% of 483 female first-year students at a private university in the northeast said they'd been raped, or had experienced attempted rape, while incapacitated by drugs or alcohol during their first-year of college. One in six women also said they'd been raped while incapacitated between age 14 and before entering college. That experience was a key factor in predicting whether they would report the same type of assault in college.
While the results aren't nationally representative, they are in line with previous studies that show a connection between heavy drinking and marijuana use with the risk of sexual assault.
"We all need to agree that drinking to the point of intoxication is not 'asking' to be assaulted."
Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the study was that survey participants who’d been raped while incapacitated continued to associate alcohol with sexual enhancement.
Kate B. Carey, the study's co-author and a professor of behavioral and social sciences at Brown University, said women don’t always label sexual experiences as assault even if they didn’t consent, particularly if intoxication played a role. None of this means, however, that sexual assault is what happens when you drink too much or irresponsibly.
"We all need to agree that drinking to the point of intoxication is not 'asking' to be assaulted," Carey told Mashablelast year.
The public debate, however, must make space to hear these women's stories and understand the complex role alcohol played in their assault, because the victimization they're experiencing is not acceptable.
And perhaps if Kasich fields this question again, he can talk instead about predatory behavior and tell young men to also avoid boozy parties and always obtain consent from a potential sexual partner, regardless of how much she's had to drink.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
TopicsGenderElectionsPolitics
Man stumbles upon his phone background in real life2025-04-04 04:29
現役球員除詹姆斯之外,還有誰有望突破3萬分大關 ?(詹姆斯得分會超過第一)2025-04-04 03:53
(體育·國際足球)“紅”“藍”爭冠格局不變——20222025-04-04 03:36
詹姆斯這十個記錄 ,哪個更難被打破 ?現役的球員中哪個有機會能挑戰大部分 ?(現役nba球員對詹姆斯的評價)2025-04-04 03:29
Pole vaulter claims his penis is not to blame2025-04-04 03:14
NBA身材最壯的五位球星:詹姆斯落選 ,一人阿泰都忌憚三分!(詹姆斯三分球水平)2025-04-04 02:55
現役球員除了詹諾兩人以外,哪些人最有可能在生涯裏拿到3萬分?(眾球星對詹姆斯的評價)2025-04-04 02:52
法院禁令助歐超聯賽“解綁” ,皇薩牽頭不願英超獨大2025-04-04 02:12
This 'sh*tpost' bot makes terrible memes so you don't have to2025-04-04 02:10
2023泰國大師賽超級300明牌不加倍-韓國女雙也搞拆對試驗2025-04-04 02:05
This coloring book is here for all your relationship goals2025-04-04 04:45
大滿貫第22冠!德約科維奇加冕澳網十冠王並重回ATP世界第一(德約大滿貫決賽對手)2025-04-04 04:18
世界羽聯公布20232025-04-04 04:00
除了詹姆斯 ,NBA現役也就2人有望拿下30000分庫裏落選(球星對詹姆斯的評價)2025-04-04 03:32
Twitter grants everyone access to quality filter for tweet notifications2025-04-04 03:17
從5中0到3萬分 天王逆襲的背後是什麽(詹姆斯的三分能力)2025-04-04 03:14
世界羽聯巡回賽超級1000賽事馬來西亞公開賽今日開賽 泉州國手黃東萍衝擊混雙冠軍2025-04-04 03:09
2023年北京樓市怎麽走?2025-04-04 02:52
Balloon fanatic Tim Kaine is also, of course, very good at harmonica2025-04-04 02:36
2/3足球賽事前瞻:奧格斯堡vs勒沃庫森 ,切爾西vs富勒姆2025-04-04 02:26