‘How to avoid sexual assault’: This Twitter thread brilliantly trolls ‘advice’ women are given

Warning: This story contains themes of sexual assault that some readers may find distressing.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on August 19, 2021

Men are often quick with advice about how to deal with sexual assault when anyone brings up the topic. The blame is almost always placed on women, and this means that men are rarely held accountable for their actions. A recent survey found that among U.K. women aged 18-24, 86% said they had been sexually harassed in public spaces, with 3% saying they didn't recall experiencing sexually harassing behavior. The remaining 11% chose not to answer the question, reported The Guardian. It just shows how vulnerable women are and how the solutions men offer are often insulting.

Twitter user Raeli Nicole Williams, who goes by the handle @xcrazyraerae, posted a satirical thread that flips the advice men often dole out. The thread starts, "How to avoid sexual assault," but Williams' tweets are all advice to men on how not to sexually assault someone; it's both hilarious and also as straightforward as one can get on not sexually assaulting others. She had come up with the idea after constantly hearing men hand out absurd advice. “I have a sarcastic personality and just started snapping back when people would say those kinds of things to remind people that sexual assault is a male problem instead of a female problem,” Williams told Bored Panda. Many read the first tweets and jumped the gun, but she told them carefully read the tweets. “They didn’t understand it at first and definitely came at me. I just had to remind them to take the time to read it, and after that, they understood the comedy I was going for.”

She added that the root cause of sexual violence comes down to patriarchy and the idea that men are superior. "There is a deep-rooted idea that women are meant to serve men and that men can do no wrong. Therefore, the blame for assault is directed at women rather than men,” said the author. She added that it has also made it hard for men to report sexual assault because they are seen as strong and superior.

When someone explicitly asked if the thread was a joke, she replied, "Yes, and no. Like it’s a joke reflecting how stupid the 'advice' is that women are given to sexual assault but at the same time it’s not a joke because ppl literally need to follow these rules but don’t lmao."

If you are being subjected to sexual assault, or know of anyone who is in the United States, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673)