For All Those Problematic S.A. "Romance" Books

A Problematic Trope

***Sensitive content alert (SA, PTSD)

In any rape scenes in general, I cannot believe the amount of victim blaming there is in the comments. It is the victim's fault he or she was raped? People always blame the victim which is why S.A. survivors have such a difficult time reporting the heinous crime that was committed against them. "Oh that's why she should've worn this. Oh that's why she shouldn't have talked to a strange man. Oh she shouldn't have been in his room," etc. etc. instead of blaming the only person who's at fault for rape, THE RAPIST AND ONLY THE RAPIST. 

Sometimes people may argue that they were not victim-blaming, but rather they were just stating things that they do to stay safe from supposedly S.A., or that they did not mean to victim-blame. Look, you are victim blaming, even if it is indirectly or you do not "mean to", when you say the victim should/could have done this and that to stay safe and prevent the rape even though rape is only the rapist's fault. Just like a murder is only a murderer's fault. Nobody asks to be raped just like nobody ever asks to be murdered. Is it that difficult to understand? 

Sure you should keep your guards up, but you can be at a close family friend's house, know them for a very long time, have had referred to your rapist as "brother" for the longest time and still be raped. What else is a woman supposed to do to protect herself??? Lock herself in a room? Saying that the rape could have been prevented if, for example, she did not stay in his room IS VICTIM BLAMING. THESE TYPES OF COMMENTS CONTRIBUTE TO RAPE CULTURE. 

I am sure many of these people still will not either understand or accept the fact that this is victim blaming. Please get an education, because people like you are dangerous for society, women's rights and S.A. survivors. 🙏 IT IS NEVER HER FAULT, NO MATTER WHAT!!!

Why can't society teach men (because rapists are mostly men) that it is never acceptable to harass or S.A. a woman no matter what? Why can't men be taught to treat women with equal respect as men? Imagine if a man was in the victim's scenario (again, I am using this case because rapists are mostly straight men, but of course women and members of the LGBTQ+ communities can also be rapists). Would he have done the same to him? Would people still have the same comments for them? 

Instead of telling women to take these "precautionary measures" why doesn't society drill it into men's heads that S.A. is highly immoral and a heinous crime, and they will face serious consequences for it? Do the rapists in most of these kinds of Wattpad books ever face any consequences for their actions?? Nope. The victim stays silent due to shame, fear, or other reasons. In the end, they end up happily together and everything is "fine."

It is even more difficult when certain communities are not very open to discussing and educating the youth about sex and related topics. They will most likely start blaming the victim instead and making his/her trauma worse.

I will repeat myself here for like the tenth time, ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION CANNOT INCAPACITATE SOMEONE TO THE POINT THEY DON'T REALIZE THEY'RE S.A.'ING SOMEONE. THE RAPIST KNEW WHAT HE/SHE WAS DOING! IT IS NO EXCUSE TO JUSTIFY RAPE!!!

He/she didn't make a conscious decision to do it and he/she didn't remember it, but he/she knew what he/she was doing at the moment.

See this video:

In some of these books, perhaps inspired by some problematic '80s movies, if the victim is a woman and she becomes pregnant through the rape by chance, the rapist has the audacity after what he did to her to just declare that he will marry her!

SERIOUSLY?? YOU WANT TO MARRY HER?? YOU RAPED HER AND YOU WANT TO MARRY HER??? WHEN WILL YOU START RESPECTING WOMEN?? YOU TRAUMATIZED HER, SCARRED HER FOR LIFE AND NOW YOU WANT TO MARRY HER?? WHY DON'T YOU ASK HER WHAT SHE WANTS?? LEARN TO RESPECT WOMEN!!! CAN A MAN BE MORE DISGUSTING???

MARRIAGE DOES NOT RESOLVE THE FACT THAT HE RAPED HER AND IT WAS A TRAUMATIC EVENT FOR HER. MARRIAGE DOES NOT ABSOLVE HIM OF HIS CRIME. HIS ACTIONS ARE NOT REDEEMABLE!!! BEING NICE TO HER, FEELING SORRY, OR TAKING CARE OF HER AND THE BABY DO NOT COUNT AS REDEMPTION. HE SHOULD CONFESS TO HIS CRIME AND GET PUNISHED BY THE COURT. THAT IS THE ONLY JUSTICE FOR THE VICTIM! HE SHOULD NEVER GO NEAR HER EVER AGAIN!!! YOU WANT HER TO SEE YOUR FACE, HER RAPIST'S FACE, EVERYDAY FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE?? WTF?????

Something is seriously wrong with you people who actually ship the leads in these kinds of books (I do not want to call them a "couple"). These rapists never redeem themselves. Never confess to the heinous crime that they have committed. Never face any consequences for their crime. Yet you guys have such disgusting and twisted minds that you are willing to ignore the fact that he raped her and the trauma she must have gone through just because he felt sorry and was nice to her afterwards??? You guys need serious help if you actually rooted for these absolutely messed up relationships or if you think it is ok if this happens in real life as well!

How come the only option left for her after pregnancy is to marry her rapist?

Also, some of these books make the victim's trauma seem very insignificant. It takes years or even a lifetime for victims to heal from these things and some unfortunately never do. A lifetime is not enough for them to heal sometimes. Why do these kinds of rape romance books trivialize PTSD??? Do you realize how damaging these stories are for young people???

It is romanticizing rape if she married him and ended up happy. Basically, what these books say is that if you are raped and got pregnant the only option left for you is to marry your rapist. Then who knows with enough time you will fall in love with him too. Then you will live happily ever after with the man who S.A.'ed you and never faced any consequences for it.

There is NO explanation or justification for them ending up together.

I cannot believe I have to say these things in 2021. More importantly, I cannot believe people write these kinds of books in 2021.

Books like these contribute to rape culture and should be taken down immediately, or the author should take responsibility and acknowledge the problematic content to warn readers, especially young readers, that these things are not okay in and do not apply to the real world. 

Maybe some of these authors are too young and uninformed about this topic, therefore my suggestion would be to write about something you know about or at the very least do a little bit of research.

Some may argue well people are not perfect, so what if the character is imperfect? The issue is not whether the character is or is not perfect. The problem lies with the way the situation is dealt with by the author, the way the story is written. Do they sympathize with the rapist? Do they somehow try to justify it? Is the victim's trauma or anguish portrayed realistically? Or do they underestimate their hardships? Do they write a problematic plot as wrong (For example, if the victim decided to be with her rapist for whatever reason.), or do they write it as if it were normal and healthy?

I am not saying you cannot write rape romance but at the very least take ownership of it and let your audience know that that is what it is instead of trivializing such a sensitive issue.

I want all authors who write rape romances to be responsible and put disclaimers warning the readers about these contents and acknowledging these stories are purely fictional which would show that they are aware that these things would NOT be okay at all in real life and so the audience also knows it would not be okay in real life.

P.S. I don't care if anyone gets offended by my words, because if you are, then you need help! Also, I won't reply to any verbal abuse or people looking to start unnecessary fights. Comment if you have something legitimate to say.