I want to address a simple way to help fight victim blaming in rape and abuse culture with just a simple English lesson. Julia Penelope brilliantly dissects this issue with 5 sentences.
1. John beat Mary.
2. Mary was beaten by John.
3. Mary was beaten.
4. Mary was battered.
5. Mary is a battered woman.
Let me explain why this is effective. In any basic english composition class, you're told to say what you mean, be direct, even get to the point. Now, the first sentence is good, but it starts with one noun, and ends with the next. Typically, you end with the noun that's the least important, Mary is not the least important. By the second sentence, you see John is now at the end, which means he's soon to be forgotten. By the third sentence, John is gone, but it still lacks the point that's being asserted.
In the final sentence, Mary is the topic, and her being a battered women is the message being brought out. Yes, it's good to address the abuser, but never in the sentence of the victim. Let the attention be focused on the abused, and never lose track of that mindset.
