TW: Rape. Hoo boy, trigger warning

Statistically speaking, one in six women will be raped in her lifetime. This is just the statistic we know; it doesn't account for the fact that right now, reporting rape is a minefield all of its own, and many women choose not to subject themselves to that process. I do not know how many of my friends have been raped. I know that five of them are safe because of me, if you trust statistics. So you know. There's that.

Seanan McGuire, writing here on why her books explicitly do not include rape

Jesus fucking Christ.
Jesus fucking Christ.

"I know that five of them are safe because of me, if you trust statistics."

This is an utterly chilling way to think about it, and it hurts because it doesn't actually work like that. Bone deep ache that maybe it would be worth having been Damaged if it meant one-two-three-four-five others would be safe.

But statistics don't work like that, they're not to be trusted, and sexual assault is not a finite resource. Maybe as few as 1/6th of my female¹ have been raped. Maybe as few as 1/3rd have experienced sexual assault. I would be shocked, and happy, to learn that true.

(Happy that "only" 16% of the women in my life have been damaged irrevocably. I heavily suspect it is more.)

"I know that five of them are safe because of me, if you trust statistics."

Sometimes words are too true to easily recover from.

I don't really know where I'm going with this. I'm just reeling, I think.

~Sor
MOOP!

1: FAAB, female-identifying, formerly female-identifying, whatever.

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