Controversy

[howeird]

I'll put this here even though most of my friends who have a strong opinion  on the subject have defected to Facebook. 

It is a puzzlement. If a woman posts sexually suggestive pictures of herself online, is it "her fault" if she is stalked or in some other way harassed?

I have a problem with the concept of fault here, but not in the politically correct feminist way. I personally have no problem with any adults posting any images of themselves online. I don't take it as an invitation to anything. If I find the images sufficiently attractive, I might comment to that effect, and I might link a friend or three to the images.

Some people won't take any notice of the images at all, some will explode with moral outrage, some will be attracted enough to want to find out more about the person and a few will want to meet the person.

There are socially acceptable ways of reaching out to a person whose online images attract you, and for the unacceptable ones, IMHO this is why we have law enforcement.

Law enforcement may counsel the person to take down the images, but that is rather short-sighted. It's harder to catch a fish without bait.

Comments

[wolfen-dancer.livejournal.com]

I am in agreement with you with all you have written here.

The same argument seems to be raised about how women dress and resulting harassment/stalking/assault. "Well she was wearing a short skirt, she was asking for it." Even in court that doesn't fly. Usually. And there, too, seems to be the counsel to "maybe not dress that way." But here, again, it is short-sighted.

Telling a person to take down the images that they have posted, or telling them to dress differently still does not change the mentality within the other person that will take that sort of thing as an open invitation to treat them in that manner. That person will continue to act on those impulses. True, one target will be removed, but they'll just move on to the next and continue abusing.

[yourbob.livejournal.com]

Frankly, I can't see "she/he asked for it" being an excuse for stalking or assault even if a the perp has a video recording of the victim yelling into the camera "come and get me asshole." There is NO excuse for stalking/assault/rape. Period. Ever. No matter how someone begs and pleads for it.

However, I do get frustrated when someone dresses provocatively (knowingly) and gets pissed off over the equivalent of (reasonable) wolf whistles or stares. THAT they're asking for. And yes, even those too can go into harassment, but 45 seconds of it as she passes a construction site (to use a cliche) is not harassment. IMHO.

[lironess.livejournal.com]

Like I said a woman should be able to walk naked down the street and only have to fear that someone may throw a blanket over her.