LIGHT OF DAY

A writer offers an exploration of sexual assault, including the forces that permit and encourage it, paired with a holistic approach to reducing its occurrence. 

McDonald (UnHoly Orders, 1996) believes that the time for a serious revision of the way people combat and even think about sexual assault is upon us: “Society is now ready to dialogue.” The regnant strategy, which largely focuses on the problem from the perspective of law enforcement, is simply too limiting—the mere “adjudication of law” has proved simplistically insufficient. Instead, the author proposes a much more proactive plan that emphasizes preventive measures; addresses the mindsets that make victims more vulnerable and that catalyze predators; and identifies the features of societal culture that make sexual assault more likely. In short, this entails a prioritization of “merciful healing” (“Proactive mercy in respect to crime pattern prevention is richer than the donation model of charity. The whole of society is responsible for reducing malfeasance”). McDonald articulates in lucid, accessible prose ways to promote the empowerment of would-be victims that focus not only on defensive safety in the narrow sense, but also the disadvantages that make women vulnerable, including chauvinistic bias, economic insecurity, and an insufficiently robust understanding of consent. The author also looks to the offenders as well, discussing their predictable patterns of behavior, the likelihood they suffered abuse, and the role of pornography in the normalization of sexual violence and objectification. McDonald’s treatment of a sensitive subject is impressively nuanced, and she covers a dizzying array of topics with great concision. The author’s recommendations are deeply humane, seeking not only justice for victims, but also a world less likely to produce predators—who are not born with but largely learn violent tendencies. She also proposes a more realistic interpretation of gender equality that doesn’t entail indiscriminate sameness, thereby ignoring advantages men may have over women: “Privileged dualism denies diversity.” This is an important contribution to a timely discussion that deserves a wide audience. 

A thoughtful, rigorous, and comprehensive look at sexual crimes brimming with insights and humanity.