Stanford removes 'victim-blaming' online material on women and alcohol

University in limelight over Brock Turner sexual assault
case pulls part of a webpage amid criticism that it promoted
rape culture

SamTLevin
Wednesday 24 August 2016 21.45 BST

Stanford University has removed part of a “Female Bodies and Alcohol” webpage that critics said promoted “victim-blaming” and rape culture on a campus that has faced intense scrutiny surrounding sexual assault.

The elite northern California college – which received widespread attention after former athlete Brock Turner sexually assaulted an unconscious woman – adopted a controversial new policy this week banning liquor from campus parties.

Many said the rule change was a tone-deaf and dangerous response to sexual assault, and now students are further criticizing the university for publishing an educational page that they say perpetuates the idea that women should shoulder some of the blame when they are assaulted while intoxicated.

The “Female Bodies and Alcohol” page, a sub-section of the university’s “Alcohol and Drug Info” site, explains why a “woman will get drunk faster than a man consuming the same amount of alcohol”.

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