The Queensland Government has taken a leaf out of ALAC New Zealand’s book, launching a new victim-blaming campaign.
The “Safer Drinking Cultures” programme aims to address binge drinking among young people. Unfortunately, they’ve decided to go with the old saw “Women drink, and get raped. Therefore, women should stop drinking in order to prevent rape.”
The “Don’t Kid Yourself” advertisement started airing this week.
The ad shows clips of an evening, all in reverse:
– a young man assaulting a young woman in a dark alley
– teenagers yahooing around at the end of an evening
– teenagers drinking and jumping around at a pool party
– the young woman getting ready for the night out
– the father giving the young woman a carton of alcohol
The voiceover:
“67% of teenagers have been abused or assaulted whilst under the influence of alcohol. Don’t kid yourself. Buy your children alcohol, and they could pay the price.”
I don’t have to tell you that there is no sign of an advertisement depicting a young man assaulting a young woman and advising the parents of boys to avoid giving him alcohol, lest they rape someone and go to jail. (OK, the jail part’s unlikely, but still.)
For an example of how the Queensland government can and has offered anti-alcohol PSAs without playing the rape blame game, check out “Angie”:
Categories: gender & feminism, violence
Grabbing somebody is Assault, and sexual touch makes it Sexual Assault. Stop minimising this. #rapeculture101 
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Yairs. Well put. It’s at least a consistently unrealistic picture of kiddies as passive-drinkers:
I’m sure no teenagers ever think about getting their hands on and drinking vast amounts of booze without their parents suggesting the idea.
I’ve also got to give the QLD government credit for frankly promoting kiddie-drinking with an ad like this. I await in vain the public service announcement that uses young actors who aren’t good looking, thin, and glamorous.
Wow.
It’s actually Sexual Violence Awareness Month in Queensland, with one focus being raising guys awareness that “she was drunk” is an abuse excuse. Especially important with Schoolies Week starting next week.
Way to totally contradict and undermine what actual sexual safety groups are doing.
Well, that was…nauseating. So if you choose to go out and attack someone, it’s your victim’s parents fault? Okay then!
Also, I wish the second one made slightly more sense, but promoting self-confidence and happiness gets my vote hands down.
67% of teenagers have been abused or assaulted and they’re worrying about the alcohol? Wouldn’t you think they’d be trying to lock up the parties responsible for the assaults and abuse?