Can you see rape happening in a crowd?

Sometimes people and media wonder how it is possible that an assault or a rape can take place in a crowd. It can seem strange. Knowing that a lot of people who get raped get paralyzed, what is referred to as "frozen fright", together with knowledge that a rape doesn't always happen with a penis, but can be fingers in a vagina or anus, can help us understand that a rape can happen in a concert crowd or on the dance floor.

The video about the new sexual offense legislation shows us that we can use the new legislation to talk about what is and what is not mutuality. It also shows us that we need to discuss masculinities. Out of the people that commit sexual crime the vast majority are men, but that doesn't mean a lot of men commit such crimes. Take the opportunity to believe that boys and young men can be a part of that work, that they can be a part of the solution and not primarily a problem. But they need to get involved. Dare to Care can be one way to get more people to be part of a longterm change.

About mutuality and masculinity

Emotional first aid

To take the person seriously, to not depreciate what they have been through and listen more than speaking, are good prerequisites for support. Try to motivate the person to report what has happened to the police, but you are not obligated to report it yourself.
- Introduce yourself and that your help is meant as an offer
- Listen more than speaking yourself
- Show the person that you believe them and what they're telling you. Your task is not to investigate the crime, but to support the person.
- Offer a positive approach, for example by saying that it's good that the person is sharing their story and asking for support.
- Don't try to solve the situation. Put your energy into referring the person to someone who can help in the long run.

Emotional first aid

At events, the police and other security staff sometimes have cards with checklists for sexual assault on one side and rape on the other.

See the checklists for sexual assault and rape that the police uses.

Checklist for rape and sexual assault, used by the police

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