A police campaign to crack down on sexual assault has been criticized for suggesting that rape is the victim’s fault.
Sussex Police has created a poster saying: “Which one of your mates is most vulnerable on a night out? The one you leave behind.
“Many sexual assaults could be prevented. Stick together and don’t let your friend leave with a stranger or go off on their own.”
The poster has received a negative reception on Twitter with people saying it suggests women and their friends are responsible for preventing sexual abuse, rather than the perpetrators.
Katie Russell of national charity Rape Crisis said: “We appreciate that in general it's not bad advice to encourage people not to leave their friends alone on a night out.
According to Sussex Police, "it is vital to be aware of vulnerability." As if this awareness isn't already holding back women every day.
— Glosswitch (@glosswitch) April 8, 2015
“However, the particular text and imagery of this campaign unfortunately falls into the tradition of a lot of similar campaigns which are targeted very much at victims and potential victims of sexual violence, rather than those who really have the power to prevent it - perpetrators and potential perpetrators.”
She said the police would be better off using their resources to target young men with messages about consent, and added that the poster could be damaging for sexual abuse victims:
“There's always a concern for us with campaigns like this that survivors of sexual abuse will see it and either be triggered by it, or find that it reinforces their own feelings of shame and self-blame and will make them less likely to speak to the police or seek specialist services.”
Sussex Police has said it will not change the posters, and created them after “months of research and talking to partner agencies and people working within the night-time economy”.
The force insisted that “door supervisors, taxi drivers, bar staff and groups of friends or the wider public need to take responsibility to protect others from those who may cause them harm”.
Chief Inspector Katy Woolford said: "We would be failing in our response if, as with any other crime, we did not recognise that there are victims and urge them to take steps to minimise risks and help safeguard others from becoming victims.
“This is the first time we have taken such an approach to raise awareness, with the first phase urging friends to stay together and look after each other, so that no one is left alone or goes off with a stranger.
"It is vital to be aware of vulnerability so that steps can be taken to guard against it. Friends and bystanders can play a key role in this, learning to recognize where their intervention may prevent a crime taking place."
It follows a Transport for London campaign which asked women to take a selfie of themselves when they got home after a night out, using the hashtag #HomeSafeSelfie.
That campaign was criticised for encouraging women to put their whereabouts on social media, and also for similarly suggesting that women are responsible for making sure they aren't sexually assaulted.
Update 9/4/2015: A petition for Sussex Police to withdraw its poster has started on Change.org.
June Eric-Udorie, who started the campaign, writes: "We shouldn't be focusing on a victim's behavior, but rather, telling rapists not to rape. Walking home is not a crime - rape is."
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