What About the Statistics?

I read a lot....A LOT of stuff all around the internet. What disturbs me most aren't the ignorant articles that people write about violence against women, it is the commentary that men and women (mostly men) write in response.

I continue to see three main arguments surrounding domestic violence and sexual assault statistics:

1. that they are inflated by advocates
2. that there is an abundance of false allegations, and
3. men and women commit violent acts at the same rate

Now, I could go on reciting statistics and quotes from the CDC and other websites, but if you already disbelieve the sources, then those numbers are irrelevant. And sometimes statistics can show whatever you want them to. As a researcher, I understand that.

But sometimes, common sense is the best knowledge, sometimes.

Think for a moment, or two moments, back as far as you can about crimes. Who were your serial killers? Who were your college campus stalkers? Who were the robbers? Who did the drive-bys? Who came and killed his family or someone else's family? Who kidnapped? Who went to war and tortured? Who did you see on the news? Who fills the prisons? Is it men? Has this changed?

Now think again. How long have women had the right to vote? I ask this because that was the beginning of women having any rights at all. What happened to women before this time?

Think some more. What benefits are derived by making false allegations of domestic violence and rape? A house, a car, money? Is that worth it?

Talk to a rape victim and see what pleasure she received from reporting the rape and having the perpetrator punished by the law. Talk to her and see...that there is no justice.

If a rape victim isn't walking around with torn clothes, ripped panties, a tear-stained face, bruises, and semen dripping from her vagina then there is no justice that can be achieved for her. Because of this, women won't report it. Why should they? Who wants to get fucked all over again by a different set of people?

The statistics do not represent the actual number of victims. It never will. The number is too high to imagine. And people don't want to believe that this world is that cruel. People don't want to believe that this is reality in the United States. Maybe only bad Black people in war torn countries assault their women.

Instead of attacking the statistics and supposed false allegations, think about how you can be a part of the solution to stopping violence, period.