Why Do We Treat Rape Survivors Differently Than Survivors of Other Crimes?

The ‘Believe Survivors’ Series

You don’t want to ‘believe survivors’ but do you question the believability of those reporting theft, mugging, or violence?

Do you find the phrase ‘believe survivors’ to be divisive? I want you to ask yourself why. Before we dive deeper into that —

Jolene is a retail employee at a boutique in her small town, and this morning she was robbed! She recognized the robber as 19-year-old Sven Hasenfeffer, an exchange student who is staying in her town for the summer. Sven referenced having a gun, but did not pull it out, Jolene told the police. She handed over the little bit of cash from the register — he took it and left.

When Jolene reports this to the police, they are interested in all the info she can offer. They appreciate details and they do what they can to locate Sven. Sven has not left fingerprints and after some digging, the police find out that his name was not even Sven in the first place and they don’t really have a way to find him, but they insist they will be looking into it.

There is no evidence other than Jolene’s story. Do the police believe Jolene? Yeah — why wouldn’t they? She reported a crime. Do you believe her?

Missy is on a trip to Greece. Her family was worried about her traveling alone and she is devastated to go to the police to report that on the last day of her trip, a man mugged her in a back alley. She was hit in the face, but there isn’t much of a mark — she provides a basic description and hopes the police will find the man, especially as he took her grandma’s golden ring.

There is no evidence other than Missy’s story. Do the police believe Missy? Yes, why wouldn’t they? She reported a crime. Do you believe her?

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