The Unabridged Journals of Karissa Gupta

  TW: sexual assault, rape What were you wearing? How much did you have to drink? What were you doing out so late? Did you scream? Were you asking for it?   STOP! Stop asking these questions. They are all examples of victim blaming and thus suggest that the victim played a role in making the assault occur and should be held partly responsible. This is not the case, no one asks to be sexually assaulted. It’s the abuser’s fault and no one else’s. Moreover, by not holding the abuser fully accountable, we are silencing the victims and unconsciously continuing the cycle of abuse. This happens because by holding the victim accountable, we marginalise them and make it more challenging for them to speak up about what they faced and talking to others about it. By staying quiet, the abuser is not penalised and thus likely to repeat their actions again multiple times, to various other victims, making this cycle go on.  Is victim blaming even ‘real’?  YES! Unfortunately, vi...