I don't like this trend of sanitizing rape and other sexual abuse as "sexual misconduct" in headlines

[Veliladon]

I was catching up on Max Landis articles after that other thread on him and one of the headlines have him accused of "sexual misconduct". So I put "sexual misconduct" in quotes and ran it through Google News. Yep. It's used a lot for sexual assault cases.

Sexual misconduct gives the impression of either unprofessional but consensual or at worst being a sex pest. This is a totally wrong impression when someone is accused of raping, sexually, and emotionally abusing eight women. I think it really needs to stop and that when people are sexually assaulted we need to confront it head on.

 

[kadotsu]

You know that most outlets do this to soften the blow for traumatized people.

 

[MIMIC]

I'm an attorney (in administrative law) and I prosecute cases dealing with this often. Legally-speaking, it's referred to as "sexual misconduct" a majority of the time (by statute/law).

 

[Nugnip]

You know that most outlets do this to soften the blow for traumatized people.

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This, that's the reason. There are words that can be traumatizing for survivors. It's better to use the legal term.

 

[Shining Star]

You know that most outlets do this to soften the blow for traumatized people.

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Yes it is better to not just throw that word around.

 

[Veliladon]

You know that most outlets do this to soften the blow for traumatized people.

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I did not. Thank you!

 

[entremet]

I'm an attorney (in administrative law) and I prosecute cases dealing with this often. Legally-speaking, it's referred to as "sexual misconduct" a majority of the time (by statute/law).

Click to shrink...

Bingo. It's a legal definition, OP.

 

[MIMIC]

Bingo. It's a legal definition, OP.

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Ironically, whenever I tell any of my friends about a case I'm dealing with, I always say it's a case about "sexual assault" and not sex misconduct (probably to be more clear about what the case is about). I do get the OP's point, though. But again....the law's the law *shrugs*

 

[JayC3]

As the OP's question has been answered, the thread is locked at their request.