April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and in honor of that Rachel Edidin has dedicated a series of articles to the issue of sexual assault as a plot device in comic books. The most recent installment offers some advice on creators considering a storyline in that direction:
2. Here are some questions to ask yourself if you’re considering including a sexual assault in a story:-Why do I want to write a story involving sexual assault? If it’s because you think it’ll raise ratings, make your story more “mature,” or identify you as sensitive to women’s issues, think again. If you are an assault survivor writing to exorcize inner demons, seriously consider whether this particular story is the best context in which to work out your issues. I don’t say this to discourage any survivors from telling their stories–something I think is vitally important–but I do want to stress that a fiction story may not be the most appropriate context for doing so, particularly if it involves other people’s characters or plotlines (as in a shared-universe superhero comic).
Some of the worst stories out there come from genuinely concerned individuals who want to raise readers’ awareness of sexual assault issues. Remember that something that you care passionately about or that has affected you deeply and personally may not be the best subject for a fictional story, since it’ll be very hard to separate yourself from your work enough to get a decent perspective.
-How will it affect the development of my characters? Even though sexual assault is a big deal, it’s rarely the single defining experience of a survivor’s life. Using it as a shortcut to character development is a cheap and ultimately ineffective trick, and it’ll come back to haunt you later.
-How will it affect continuity? Will it matter? Why, or why not? “Because rape is a big deal” is not a good enough reason.
-How much do you actually know about sexual assault? Are you a sexual assault survivor? Do you have close friends who are? Have you ever sat in on a rape trial? Have you ever spoken with a perpetrator? If not, odds are pretty good that you have a flawed understanding of the factors surrounding sexual assault, and you’re going to need to do some serious research to write about it without falling into stereotypes.
More tips at the link, as well as previous installments.
April 10th, 2007 at 10:57 am
Can anyone explain the odd choice of “survivor”? Is the murder + suicide rate really that high compared to other victims of crime?
Or is it an attempt to dance around the word “victim”?
April 10th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
Brushing off my long-disused years of experience as a rape awareness activist, from when I was in college …
A “survivor” is a victim of sexual abuse or sexual assault who has taken back control over his or her life, by realizing that the rape or molestation they suffered was not their fault, and by taking the steps necessary to recover from the physical and emotional injuries that they suffered.
It’s meant to be an empowering term, but for most of the victims who choose to refer to themselves as “survivors,” it also tends to carry a certain sense of obligation, since these are victims who have no intention of becoming victims again, and many of them feel that they owe it to other victims to help them become “survivors” as well.
April 10th, 2007 at 7:24 pm
Thanks.
April 11th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
Thanks for the plug! For anyone interested, this series will be continuing semiweekly throughout April. There’s also a lot of discussion going on at the official Inside Out forum, at http://www.girl-wonder.org/forums/viewforum.php?f=22 .
And Kirk–thanks for that clarification regarding the term “survivor.” I want to add, from a nit-picky editorial perspective, that it really doesn’t have to mean someone who’s been through a life-threatening ordeal. It’s perfectly accurate and appropriate to describe someone as having survived a violent assault, or junior high school, or a particularly difficult day, as long as they’re alive at the end of it.
April 12th, 2007 at 4:47 pm
Well no, it isn’t. “survivor” implies that there was a non-negligible chance of dying and it didn’t happen. Otherwise it’s pointless to apply the label, as it’s use implies that this is a/the most noteworthy feature. They way you use it, everyone who hasn’t had the most relaxing carefree day ever is a survivor and probably everyone’s a breather and a eater and whatever else you can think of.
Once more: “survivor” necessitates a noticable group of “non-survivors”, otherwise it’s a distinction without a difference. Kirk’s definition stretches that already, as it’s hard to imagine there is a group who wants to become victims again. But as there are – perplexingly – indeed people who assume their becoming victims of a crime is their fault, sure.
If you stretch it to “particularly difficult day”, you’re in lala-land.
That said, use whatever feelgood terms you like, but kindly don’t pretend it’s anything but modern-day vodoo.
April 13th, 2007 at 5:56 am
You know somebody’s gotta do it:
Survivor.
- a person or thing that survives.
- a person who continues to function or prosper in spite of opposition, hardship, or setbacks.
Survive.
- to remain alive or in existence.
- to carry on despite hardships or trauma; persevere
Clearly no one is using the term improperly, Anonymarkus. Besides that, people really ARE killed in sexual crimes, so your argument is worthless.
April 13th, 2007 at 6:16 am
@Markus-
I was illustrating colloquial use of the term “survive” or “survivor,” which are much more flexible than you assume. You may not be comfortable with language drift, or with the idea of usage dictating meaning, but both are realities you’re gonna have to face if you ever plan to communicate effectively in English.
I’m not going to argue my point any further, because it seems pretty clear that you’re more interested in indulging your own masturbatory pedantry than in an actual discussion. Have fun.
April 13th, 2007 at 7:43 am
Hi, Markus! Well done for prioritising your pointless hairsplitting of the experience of people who have experienced sexual assault.
April 13th, 2007 at 7:44 am
Sorry, that should have been “over the experience of people who have experienced sexual assault.”