TW: rape
A video showcasing “Anti-Rape” shorts has recently gone viral on Facebook, attracting over 34 million views and worldwide media attention.
(Photo credit: www.dailymail.co.uk)
AR-Wear describe themselves as “a clothing line offering wearable protection for when things go wrong”. The garment in the video is just a prototype, but shows the product to be a pair of slim fit shorts that can be worn under regular clothing. The shorts have a lock at the waist which can only be unlocked with a specific set of movements, making it impossible for anyone other than the wearer to remove them. The aim of the shorts is to protect people against sexual assault and providing peace of mind in scenarios which could make someone vulnerable, for example walking home alone.
A statement on the company’s Facebook page said “We encountered many challenges as we worked to design commercially viable prototypes that would retain a high level of defensive quality and be able to accommodate more varied body types (both female and male, as many of our supporters requested), while still being attractive and comfortable to wear.”
This innovation certainly has benefits and it is unsurprising that a large number of women have expressed interest in purchasing the shorts. Many women and girls carry personal alarms (Bristol students can pick them up for free at the Security Office) and it is not uncommon for women to hold items such as keys in their hand when walking home alone in case they are accosted and need a weapon.
Rape Crisis estimate that 85,000 women and 12,000 men are raped in England and Wales alone every year – that’s 11 every hour (not including children).
It’s no wonder that women are looking for ways to protect themselves against rape, as unfortunately, many women live in fear of being attacked. We all the know the feeling; constantly looking over your shoulder, avoiding certain “dodgy” routes and feeling unsafe, even in broad daylight.
Therefore, whilst it’s positive that efforts are being made to protect women, it doesn’t change the fact that rape culture still exists. Rape Crisis responded to 3000 phone calls every week in 2016, which of course doesn’t take into account the unknown number of people who do not speak out about their experiences and do not report rape.
According to statistics, rape also disproportionately affects minorities; Where ethnicity is known, 27% of Rape Crisis services users were Black or Ethnic Minority and 23% of all service users identified as Disabled.
There are also negative aspects to the so-called “Anti-Rape” shorts. The shorts cannot possibly act as a deterrent, because the attacker does not know you are wearing them. Moreover, by putting the focus on the victim, making it their responsibility to protect themselves from rape, the implicit message is “do not get raped” rather than “do not rape”, an issue discussed last week by Nancy.
Society should be stressing the importance of consent, educating girls and boys from a young age about healthy sexual relationships, not victim-blaming.
The shorts also do not take into account that 3 out of 4 rapes are committed by someone who is known to the victim. This means that you are less likely to be attacked in the street (when the shorts would probably be worn) than when you are off-guard and surrounded by those familiar to you.
Whilst I agree that the shorts are better than nothing, it still perpetuates the culture of making it the victim’s responsibility to “be careful”. Some people may feel “demonised” by consent workshops, believing they vilify men; but there would be no need for them if consent was fully understood by everyone. It should be compulsory for young people to be educated about consent in order to tackle this crisis.