CNN: How do I raise a boy not to be a rapist?

Submitted by mens_issues on Fri, 2013-03-22 20:07

CNN hits bottom in the title* for this article by assuming that the default for boys is to grow up to be rapists. Excerpt:

'In the aftermath of the guilty verdict in Steubenville, Ohio, parents should be taking this opportunity to ask themselves this painful question. But what parent can even contemplate that a child they love could so callously disregard someone's basic human rights? At the same time, the media is filled with experts chastising parents for not being involved with their kids and wanting to be a friend instead of a parent.
...
We must talk to our kids as possible perpetrators and bystanders. And our advice about what to say has got to go beyond, "How would you feel if this happened to your mother or sister?" First, no one has any idea what the perpetrator's relationship is like with those women in his life, but it's not a huge leap to think he doesn't hold a great deal of respect for them. Second, these boys have dehumanized their victim. In that moment, they don't care.'

---
* Ed. update: CNN has since changed the title of the article, possibly in response to reader reaction. Google "CNN How do I raise a boy not to be a rapist?" to see the many places this article has already been referred to by its original title.

Like0 Dislike0

Comments

Whole article, while in imploring parents to discuss this topic with their kids (a good idea, really), nonetheless discusses it entirely from the standpoint of only-boys-do-such-things.

Well either she's only reading her news from very limited sources or choosing to see only what she wants, because it's not hard to find reports of women behaving very badly in this department. But it's an age-old phenom: See what you want and not the rest.

Like0 Dislike0
Submitted by Matt on Sat, 2013-03-23 01:32

Oh, and I'm waiting for CNN to provide the other side of the story next. It should be called "How do I raise a girl not to make false accusations." Do I hear crickets chirping?

Time for some male positive media.

Like0 Dislike0
Submitted by mens_issues on Sat, 2013-03-23 01:52

I noticed that CNN changed the headline to "How do you talk to your son about rape?" Maybe they realized the first one was too inflammatory after reading the comments?

And yes, in a sense it is a good thing for parents to talk about, but the talk shouldn't assume that boys are out to be rapists by default. Avoiding situations where false accusations may occur should also be a topic, as well as avoiding situations where THEY may be victimized. Underage drinking at parties or elsewhere seems to be a prime example of such a situation to avoid, as well as keeping away from girls who are drunk.

Like0 Dislike0
Submitted by mens_issues on Sat, 2013-03-23 01:56

... while they've shown they're responsive to reader feedback, I doubt they changed the headline willingly. After all, if they really had felt the new article title was right, why didn't they pick it the first time?

But they also lost on the coverage of the Steubenville rape trial. Possibly this whole article has something to do with the widespread public reaction (which was very negative) to their style of coverage, a reaction I agree with. CNN spent a lot of time talking abt how tragic it was the two boys in the case were now convicted rapists and would have to register as sex offenders for life. And for time in jail? One guy bought one year and the other two, both in a juvie center. Justice was not done. They committed rape and ought to be punished accordingly, and I don't buy any passes due to their age. I was 16 and 17 and knew plenty of other guys that age then and we didn't go around raping drunk girls. No excuses. They got off way light to say the least. So if CNN wants to now score PR points for their terrible handling of the reporting of that case, they cannot succeed by turning around and painting all boys as rapists who need to be raised specifically NOT to be rapists.

Two wrongs don't make a right. What CNN should've done was apologize for their mishandling of their reporting and say they won't mess it up again. Instead, they rush to do what's so commonly done: throw men under the bus. Now no one's happy.

Like0 Dislike0
Submitted by Matt on Sat, 2013-03-23 02:53

How do you raise a person not to be a gender feminist who engages in misandrist Witch-Hunting of Males?

Like0 Dislike0
Submitted by MR on Sat, 2013-03-23 12:45

Feminist bloggers have been all over this story and it makes me wonder if they're doing this to divert attention away from the Jodi Arias trial.

Like0 Dislike0
Submitted by Mastodon on Sat, 2013-03-23 16:29