VICTIM’S GUILT
Due to their public shaming, many sexual assault victims begin to feel guilty after their attack. In many instances and in the instance of Emma O'Donovan, victims feel responsibility of ruining their rapists’ lives. The group of boys who raped Emma were the town’s heroes, they were on the school’s football (soccer) team, they all had seemingly bright futures and big plans. After Emma met with the police regarding the photos of herself, she called each of her assailants. She didn’t want this situation to be blown out of proportion, she wanted to keep things quiet. She didn’t want any of them to hate her or blame her, because talking to the police wasn’t her idea. If it was up to her, she probably never would’ve come forward or filed a complaint. However, that didn’t happen and when news of Emma’s assault broke, reporters and journalists became relentless, they bombarded her, her family and her rapists. Seeing how her rapists were being talked about and questioned made Emma feel as if she has ruined their lives. She felt like she ruined their chances at any kind of successful future and she saw it as all her fault.
VICTIM ISOLATION
After hearing the truth of what had happened to Emma, many of her friends and most of her family felt uncomfortable around her and didn’t…show more content… She was not able to speak. She was not able to give explicit, verbal consent and because of this, she was unquestionably raped. It is not okay to touch a person in any context without verbal consent. The absence of no is not consent, certain body language is not consent, previous sexual activity is not consent, nonverbal communication is not consent, silence is not consent, appearance is not consent, passiveness is not consent, incapacitation is not consent! If the word “YES” does not come out of your partners mouth, then you are not able to pass GO. Consent is a basic human right, respect your partner and their
