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'Dads should talk to sons about rape' - politician

NTB/The Local
NTB/The Local - [email protected]
'Dads should talk to sons about rape' - politician
Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen/Scanpix (file)

Socialist Left Party politician Akhtar Chaudhry has called on fathers to talk to their sons about rape, saying that it is not enough to prepare girls on how to defend themselves.

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Akhtar Chaudhry, a deputy speaker in the Norwegian parliament, argued in an article in the Dagbladet daily on March 8th, International Women's Day, that the issue of rape needs to be addressed with male family members and that responsibility for preventing the crime can not rest with females alone.

Chaudhry underlined that it is imperative for parents to talk to their sons and explain the importance of respecting girls' boundaries. He considers it especially important for fathers to give a clear signal on the issue to their sons.

"I have sons and have taken this up with them. I will ensure that they receive a clear message from me to have respect for other people and their boundaries. It's easy to think that 'they know this'. But we have a responsibility to underline for our sons that all sexual harassment is unacceptable and explain to them just how offensive a violation can feel."

He argued that many more people should talk to their sons, brothers, friends, sports buddies and work colleagues - not just about rape, but about all types of sexual harassment and about violence in general.

"It is boys and men who rape, and it is those we need to focus on. No man can take responsibility for another man's deeds. But we men can and must engage in this social problem and ensure that our sons do not commit the next crime," he said, underlining that it is also a case of "protecting" boys from becoming perpetrators.

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