Every year millions of men, women, and children are subjected to sexual violence around the world. Women are at a greater risk of sexual assault crimes than men. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 35 percent of women worldwide have been victims of sexual violence. Studies have shown that the experience of sexual assault has a long-lasting impact on the mental and physical well-being of the survivor. Unfortunately, many survivors of sexual assault crimes fail to receive the required medico-legal and community support needed to deal with the trauma of assault. One of the leading barriers to providing justice and support to sexual assault survivors is the prevalence of victim-blaming attitudes. Research indicates that it is common for friends, family members, and legal personnel to shift the blame for sexual assault from the perpetrator to the victim, especially when the victim does not appear to conform to stereotypical gender norms. In addition, men display greater victim-blaming attitudes than women do. The fear of stigmatization and the fear of blame render many victims of sexual assault silent and thus results in lower reporting rates for crimes such as rape and sexual assault and a low rate of successful persecution of perpetrators of sexual violence. 

This course about victim blaming and gender sensitivity aims to help students and professionals explore how and why the victims of sexual assault are blamed for being sexually exploited. By the end of this course, students and professionals will be equipped to identify, challenge, and prevent victim-blaming attitudes in their workplaces and communities.

The main learning objectives of the course are as follows:

1. To understand sexual assault, rape, and associated concepts.

2. To examine the concept of victim blaming rape victims.

3. To increase knowledge of common victim-blaming behaviors and attitudes

4. To deconstruct common victim-blaming narratives

5. To understand the impact on the victim