Dear Editor,

RE: Safety advice isn’t ‘blaming the victim’ by Claudette Sandecki

The vast majority of rapes and sexual assaults are perpetrated by someone known to the victim, making ‘safety advice’ a moot point.

Why did the RCMP in Clyde River, Nunavut (or any other group who has released tips targeting women on how to deter sexual assault or rape) not also release a list targeting men with tips on how not to sexually assault or rape women?

There needs to be zero tolerance in society as a whole for sexual violence. The message is always ‘Don’t get raped’, when the message should be ‘Don’t rape’. Instead of teaching women the various ways that they can avoid being raped or sexually assaulted, would it not be more effective to teach men not to rape or sexually assault women? The strategy to stopping sexual violence cannot be based around coaching women on how to cleverly avoid harm, it needs to focus on stopping the men perpetrating the violence.

Rachel Caira

Terrace, B.C.