To 'good stuff' and others who think this is common sense: Do some research on rape before making silly statements. Rapists DO NOT CARE what a person looks like - rape is about power and control, not about sex; sex just happens to be a part of it. Old people, so-called "ugly" people, young people, people dressed in short skirts, people dressed in loads of clothing, men, women, and children have been raped.

And suggesting that it's somehow a woman's fault if she gets raped whilst wearing a short skirt... is like saying that if those men I've seen in my city centre recently wearing shorts get raped then it's their fault, or if someone has money in their pocket and gets robbed it's their fault, or if someone drives a decent car and it gets broken into then it's their fault.

And having worn a short skirt before being raped doesn't make the effects of it any less. It's no wonder there's such a low conviction rate with dopey attitudes such as the kind I've seen on here

Due to the fact that the Telegraph has recently pulled this article from their site, we have added link to an interview with the study author, and edited the item to reflect the updated status of this story.

Best,
Steph
Online Community Team

Readers please disregard this article as it is nothing but complete rubbish. The conclusions of the study was the exact opposite of what this author would have you believe. PLease check out http://www.feministing.com/archives/016540.html
if you dont believe me.

Current is an extremely interesting channel. Please take this down - it is not worthy of you and only serves to perpetuate ideas that are fundamentally wrong.

Who is the idiot "science writer" that is unable to understand simple scientific findings? Please remove this article. You're representing it as factual information, and it is everything but.

The research that was cited for the story done by Sophia Shaw in no way supported the claims the author of the story made. According to Shaw,
"We found no evidence that that women who are more outgoing are more likely to be raped, this is completely inaccurate, we found no difference whatsoever. The alcohol thing is also completely wrong: if anything, we found that men reported they were willing to go further with women who are completely sober...

When I saw the article my heart completely sank, and it made me really angry, given how sensitive this subject is. To be making claims like the Telegraph did, in my name, places all the blame on women, which is not what we were doing at all. I just felt really angry about how wrong they'd got this study."

The Telegraph (who originally posted this story) not only created false news but resorted to victim-blaming for the sake of getting a "good story" and that is completely heinous (not to mention illegal) and I demand the article be taken down.

Pure blasphemy, if you ask me. How sad that the focus is on the victim's appearance and behaviors. The truth is all kinds of people are raped in all types of circumstances. Isn't the real issue of rape about control? The focus of research needs be more on what drives perpetrators to commit such demeaning acts of violence? Let's look at societal norms, family dynamics, etc, rather than what women are doing 'wrong'.

Thank you, current, for removing the picture.

This post is outrageous and should be taken down IMMEDIATELY.

Not ok.

As someone mentioned before, this article is completely inaccurate and does not at all represent the findings of the study. I attached the quote from the scientist regarding this article.

This article is astounding in its lack of integrity and should be replaced with a public apology for its ineptitude in journalism. As earlier responders noted, the "scientists" was a one psychology student, and the arguments the author of the article tried to support are ridiculous and not based on the student's work whatsoever. If the editors wish to leave this article, fine, but the picture at the head of the article is beyond revolting and should be removed immediately.

Telegraph should be ashamed of themselves.

It is not interesting. It is not true. Many would like to believe it true but it is not. Should be taken off not to dis the person who put it up but to let Telegraph, it should not print trash just to sell papers.

Denelian - I agree, one big problem with articles, and attitudes, like this is that they encourage an excuse based mindset. If you bring boys up to believe that they 'just can't help themselves' then they will behave like that as men.

dormouse - Write to the editor and complain, I did. I asked for a public apology and that they stop employing who ever it was as their science correspondent. One or two complaints will usually be ignored (because there is always someone who will complain about anything and everything) but LOTS of complaings usually make a mark.

The picture accompanying this article should be removed. The content of the article (which is a gross misinterpretation of the actual study) is disgusting enough. It is extremely upsetting for a rape survivor.

reports like this one make me *really* angry.

why?

because there is *exactly* one reason people get raped.
it has NOTHING to do with their behavior, how they dress, what they drink, where they go, how much makeup/hair-product/whatever they are displaying -

no, there is *ONE reason people get raped.

and the reason is BECAUSE SOMEBODY RAPED THEM.

(and, i have to say - if men are so fraking incapable of controling themselves, why the hell are they running the world? because this is the discourse that happens whenever some is raped by a man [it doesn't happen when a *woman* rapes someone, only when a man rapes someone] - the chain always goes "look at what the victim was wearing/eating/drinking/doing/ whatever - HE COULDN'T HELP HIMSELF"
and seriously, if men cannot "help" themselves and have this little control over their actions, they should *NEVER* be allowed to have any position of power - not in politics, or business, or at home; they can't control themselves! but since men *CAN* control themselves, can't we *please* stop saying this shite? stop saying that someone was raped because a "man could not control himself"? as i said - this excuse is never used when *women* rape, and it needs to STOP)

I'm with Kirsty 38. The "scientist" is an MSc student (OK she studies science, so she's a scientist but not a quotable one, even though her research is valid as far as it goes - but no further) who almost completely contradicts the whole article.

the research is based on opinions in interview, which the author herself admits is not the best data source - but it's what was available. Any conclusions must be tentative.

Why does such an august organ as the Telegraph stoop to levels which would be thought "dodgy" for the Daily Mail?

According to the student who carried out this work (reported on Ben Goldacre's Bad Science column, http://www.badscience.net/2009/07/asking-for-it/#more-1250), the above account is a gross misrepresentation of what she actually found. The research is tentative, there was no link found between being outgoing and being raped, the link found with alcohol was inverted (men were found to be more likely to go further with a sober woman) and the link found with provocative dress was not statistically significiative (ie. likely to be down to chance.)

Ouch. Isn't the above picture from Irreversible? It was shot in a single take lasting nearly 10 minutes. That rape scene scared me for life.

Ditto abbym0308, analysing rape from this angle bypasses the key issues that need addressing.

This is a load of crap. The way the conclusions they've drawn from this study are reported in this article are misleading and bad for public consciousness. Is it right to blame women who wearing provocative clothing or being outgoing for rape? No. Is it right to suggest "ordinary men" are coercive and near-rapists based on a study of 101 rugby players? No.

It's these kinds of reports that are so damaging to dealing responsibly and openly with the issue of rape. By demonising men and blaming the victims we'll never be able to have an effective discussion about rape.

Also, being outgoing can lead to being raped?

Only if by "outgoing" they mean you GO OUTSIDE sometime. If this study is really trying to say that shy women are less likely to be assaulted than confident women, I call BS.

Just because they tested men's sexual responses to women who were dressed more provocatively does not mean that this study truly represents sexual assault cases.

The only research on rape that I've read about, including the mandatory talks about sexual assault I was given even in high school, all discussed how clothing has less to do with rape than society believes it does. Also, most instances of sexual assault are pre-planned, sometimes with the intention to drug the victim.

How can we possibly say that revealing clothing causes men to commit uncontrollable actions, such as rape, when the assault itself is usually planned?

Isn't this common sense?

By definition, provocatively = serving or tending to provoke, excite, or stimulate

If a woman didn't excite/stimulate a "man" (used loosely, because of my disapproval), why would he even do it in the first place?