Stalking Youtube...

So, I decided to stalk YouTube today.  I couldn't decide what to focus on, what topic to bring up.

I liked discussing the What Would You Do video I posted yesterday and thought, "hmm, what else is there?"

Thus, the stalking. 

Now, I'm sure many of you know how to use the search function on YouTube.  I decided to make a random pick and when I added "wwyd" into the search bar, imagine my surprise when I spotted "abusive boyfriend" among the choices.

Well, I found my topic.  Which is actually something I find lumped together with Domestic Violence, which is not always the case.  Or at least, not always as it is defined.  What I find especially disheartening is that many victims of abuse find themselves isolated and alone. 

However, in the video the female victim has a number of people willing to come to her defense.  But this is a scenario where the abuse is happening in public.  Who helps her then? Who would be willing to help her? Behind closed doors, the situation is different. 

The abuser has more power, more control.  What does he have to fear his power being undermined or taken from him?  The abused has no reprieve, no relief.  There is no freedom.  There is no choice, merely the illusion of one. 

Anything can happen, anything at all, and the abused would be too dependent and too afraid to resist.  But out in the open, events work differently. 

This is the "expected" norm. Woman abused + public = "HERO HELPERS"!!!

But what if the roles were reversed?

Men are, sadly, not given the same consideration as their female counterparts.

Men are just as vulnerable to abuse. 

The problem is that men are emasculated in our society.  They are taught that it is shameful to be weak.  That, to be anything, but "a man", is to be ridiculed and humiliated.  It is the same as saying "boys should not play with dolls." 

The Double Standard.  At. It's. Finest. 

Men can be hurt.  Women can be hurt.  But why are we concerned only with the latter when both suffer, when both can be victims?

If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, consider these sources:

National Domestic Violence Hotline

http://domestic-violence.laws.com/domestic-violence-hotline

WWYD - A Sexy Female/Male Noobie Bartender Are Been Sexually Harassed By...

Today, I had to attend a class seminar for work. 

The main topic was sexual harassment.  It's company policy.  But why?  Why is this still a thing? It should be common courtesy to be able to go to work and not have to worry about being harassed.  Men and women should not have to suffer at work because of individuals who don't know the meaning of the word "no". 

It's not that hard a concept to understand.  No means no.

But it doesn't end there.  It's still a thing in the work force.  In the video above, What Would You Do is a television show that conducts a number of social experiments to see what would happen in public with certain scenarios.

This video is specific to sexual harassment for both genders.  I like that it shows that not only are women vulnerable to sexual harassment but men as well.  We seem to have this misconception that men are not vulnerable to unwanted sexual advances. 

I'm kind of concerned that we need to be reminded of what qualifies as "Sexual Harassment".  That was the first slide of the presentation. Do you know the definition of sexual harassment? I didn't know whether to laugh or cry or scream. 

That was the power of my disbelief.  People need to be reminded what sexual harassment is. 

It makes me frightened.  If people are not aware or do nothing in the face of sexual harassment, what about when actions escalate?  Will you react then?  Will you do nothing then?  When it's probably too late?

This brings back a memory of my time in undergrad, where the police chief had advised us to scream, "fire!" or carry a whistle if we ever felt we were at risk for assault.  He explained that we had a higher chance of help coming to us than if we screamed, "rape!"

What kind of society do we live in that a fire is more likely to gain attention than assault?  What kind of country do we live in if we are willing to endure sexual harassment for a pay check? 

At some point, we will have no choice but look upon the horror we've inflicted upon ourselves and wonder...

What. Have. We. Done?

And is it too late to fix it...