BLAME (2018)

Eliana Patt
Acrylic on canvas.

BLAME represents the emotional and psychological effects the treatment of victims of
sexual assault has on those victims, on top of the assault itself. The use of “MY FAULT”
above the person (intended to be a vague figure) represents the self-blaming attitude
that many victims of sexual assault have towards their assault. The vague figure is
covering its eyes- symbolizing both crying and the defensive attitude that victims may
take after their assault- and being sucked down into a whirlpool. On the whirlpool, there
are several words and phrases, intended to represent both statistics about victims and
mentalities people have towards said victims. For example, the phrase “asking for it” is
on the near-outside of the whirlpool- showing that it is both a common phrase and a trap
that leads to further harm. Closer to the interior, in white, so as to stand out against the
dark vortex, are the letters PTSD, standing for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. PTSD is
included here because, according to RAINN, almost all women who are sexually
assaulted experience symptoms of PTSD roughly two weeks after they were sexually
assaulted, and nearly a third of women who are raped experience PTSD ¾ of a year
afterwards. “Drug abuse” is also one of the terms near the center of the vortex, as rape
victims are 3.4 times more likely to use marijuana, 6 times more likely to use cocaine,
and 10 times more likely to use other major drugs, on average, than someone who has
not been raped (RAINN). Lastly, ‘suicide’ is at the center of the whirlpool. Roughly one-
eighth of all women who are raped attempt suicide, according to RAINN. In addition,
according to RAINN, an American is sexually assaulted roughly every ninety-eight
seconds. 15% of all victims of seuxal assault are in between the ages of 12 and 17, and
1 out of every 6 women in the US will be a victim of rape over her lifetime (RAINN).
However, sexual assault is not just limited to women- 1 out of every 10 rape victims in
the US is male, and roughly 3% of all American men have been a victim to rape, in their
lifetime, currently totalling at roughly 4.7 million at any given moment (RAINN).

“Victims of Sexual Violence: Statistics.” Rainn.org, RAINN, www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence.

Accessed 12 Apr 2018