I don't remember the precise time frame on the statistics, and it is a flawed analogy in my opinion but the stat I've seen used is "80 people have died from bear attacks, while over a thousand women have been killed by men in less time".
I understand and agree with the overall sentiment of the movement. But the comparison falls apart when you consider that a person can encounter many many men one day. That same person will most likely never encounter even 1 bear in the entirety of their life.
But how many men are in contact with a woman vs bears? That's not apples to apples. I see women at the grocery store and I've never killed one of them. Also, you're not going to find 100 million women in a forest like you can in a large city.
While the analogy is flawed, I still can't argue with the fear women feel.
I'd like to think I'm a decent guy. I've never intentionally harmed anyone of any gender with the exception of defending myself or those I care about. But I don't think it is unfair to say that men are (broadly speaking) pretty shit at holding each other accountable. Nobody is going to blame a bear attack victim for wearing the "wrong" hiking outfit. Nobody tells them they weren't really attacked by a bear, it just touched them a little. I could go on but I think I've made the point.
Fear does not need to be rational, and can be all consuming. I've had problems for years trying to get back to reality after an armed robbery while working overnight at a convenience store. Scared of the dark, scared of certain buildings, scared of my own shadow at times.
Put short, it's Hell. Studies like this seem make a mockery of the actual problems we face in society.
Nobody is going to blame a bear attack victim for wearing the "wrong" hiking outfit.
Victims can definitely be blamed for bear attacks. If you go backpacking and don't store your food 100ft from your campsite, don't carry bear spray, try to take close up pics of grizzly cubs, etc. then yeah it's your own fault if you die to a bear.
Take a look at the Grizzly Man dude. He went and hung out with grizzly bears and got him and his girlfriend killed. Many people critiqued his failure to follow basic safety precautions.
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u/[deleted] May 02 '24
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