A Wisconsin school district has apologized for suggesting girls and women are to blame for their own sexual assault.
Students at Bradford High School in Kenosha were shown a video in class Dec. 17 that depicted a sexual assault and then asked to explain what the victim could have done to prevent the attack, reported WITI-TV.
"What could have Melissa have done differently to avoid her sexual assault?" the questionnaire asked. "Provide at least four examples."
The school district pulled the assignment three days later, and administrators have apologized for blaming victims of sexual violence.
"We live in a culture that does blame victims for the hurt and the harm in their lives," said Carmen Pitre, the president of Sojourner Family Peace Center in Milwaukee. "Our message at Sojourner -- and our partner agencies -- is that it's never your fault."
Pitre credited the school district for educating students on sexual and domestic violence, but said the focus on the question was misplaced.
"The first question could have been, 'What do you think leads a person to use force and to believe force is appropriate to use?'" Pitre said.
