h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Through a rapist's eyes - A2548622
Author: Hoon - U238187

Please can I have some feedback on this entry. In the course of my work, I often have to deal with women who have been attacked, the after-effects can be life destroying.

I'm very surprised at these results, because they suggest that rapists are people who wander the streets intent on rape and picking out strangers to attack. I understood that most rapes are carried out by close friends or associates of the victim.

This entry appears to be remarkably similar to this: http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/rape.htm

...except with US references taken out and replaced with UK ones.

Hoon - although I do not doubt the well meaning sentiment, since this is not your own work, can you please remove this from Peer Review - there should be a remove button on the entry itself, or an 'x' on the entry line within Peer Review?

Stay ,
WD

In fact, looking at the Snopes site, not only is this entry not your own work, but virtually everything in it is completely untrue.

The word that Snopes used to describe it is "hogwash".

What are yopu talking about Gnomon? Not my own work? Of course it's not my own work. It states quite clearly at the top of the entry it is taken from the results of a survey carried out by the Metropolitan Police Force. The results of which have been circulated throughout the country to wardens, police officers, and social services alike!

OK, Hoon, I'll explain it simply. The work is a piece of fiction. It was not taken from a survey done by any police force. It was invented by someone and circulated on the internet. You copied it from there without checking the source.

The information in the entry is completely untrue and dangerously so, because it misleads people on the dangers of rape and what they should do to avoid it.

Perhaps instead of just appropriating something you have read and repeating it, you should do some research into the topic. Contact a real police department and get their views. Or a Rape Crisis Centre. I'm sure they'd be delighted to collaborate with you on a topic like this.

How unfortunate.

Any scouts endorse a removal of Entry from PR?

HELL

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/hs_safesecure6.html

That is the Home Office's advice on violent crime, it's pretty good advice actually.

It is a useful techinique to cross-reference information in an entry to Peer Review just to check that it is correct - it takes seconds to do, and ensures that any information - especially on a topic as important as this, is not just correct, but doesn't endanger persons.

Hoon, as I have posted before, although this is well meaning, as Gnomon has correctly pointed out, and as the Snopes site says:

'So, to sum up, is avoiding a rape a matter of wearing your hair short and eschewing overalls? Hardly.'

Stay ,
WD