Sexual Assault & SVU

Right now I'm watching season 8 of SVU. I don't really feel weird about watching SVU while I'm doing a blogathon for RAINN. However, some people might think it's weird.

When I started training to become a rape crisis counselor, I found out that a lot of people who work at that center aren't fans of SVU. I understand their thinking, in part. They worry about people being triggered by episodes & that certainly happens.

I think that SVU brings to light the issue of rape. It's there, so why shouldn't it be present on TV? The show doesn't present a fair representation of rape, seeing as the most common perpetrator is someone the survivor knows, not a stranger. There are lots of representational discrepancies, but in the end the show is informative.

(And have I mentioned Mariska Hargitay is amazing?)

This is probably something that should be left for another time, when I can really write about how I feel. Maybe I'll still keep it on tap for a future entry.

Basically, I'm just sayin' that I'm watching SVU.

Oh! Also! Olivia Benson, the main female character on the show, was sexually assaulted during season 9 (2007-2008). The continuity can get a bit screwed up because sometimes episodes are filmed in one order & aired in another, but in season 10 they showed Olivia going to individual & group counseling & having flashbacks. Word is there might be more flashbacks in the up & coming season. It's nice (so not the right word, but you know what I mean) to see a continuing portrayal of a survivor on the show, instead of the glimpses there are during a case.