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Monday, May 06, 2013

Elizabeth Smart: Abstinence Education Teaches Rape Victims They’re Worthless, Dirty, And Filthy

Elizabeth Smart became a household name after she was kidnapped from her home in Salt Lake City, UT at the age of 14 and held in captivity for nine months. She was forced into a polygamous marriage, tethered to a metal cable, and raped daily until she was rescued from her captors nine months later. Smart was recovered while she and her kidnappers were walking down a suburban street, leading many Americans who followed her story on the national news to wonder: Why didn’t she just run away as soon as she was brought outside?

Speaking to an audience at Johns Hopkins about issues of human trafficking and sexual violence, Smart recently offered an answer to that question. She explained that some human trafficking victims don’t run away because they feel worthless after being raped, particularly if they have been raised in conservative cultures that push abstinence-only education and emphasize sexual purity:

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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hmmm. I never really thought about that aspect of abstinence based teaching. She has a good point.

Anonymous said...

wouldn't the basic instinct to flee kick in if you had been abducted and raped?

Anonymous said...

1131 post

How would you have any idea what is going through someones mind after such a horrible event???

Anonymous said...

11:31-She's blond you know.

Anonymous said...

2:45, then just lay back and enjoy it.