In the aftermath of the Cornell rape investigation, the national conversation has once again veered toward scrutinizing the victim's behavior rather than the alleged perpetrators. Marine veteran Joslin Joseph, writing in a new commentary, argues that this focus is misplaced and that the only cause of rape is a rapist.
Joseph, a former Marine who served in Iraq and a graduate of Harvard and Ohio State, recounts two personal incidents that shaped his perspective. In the Marines, a fellow servicewoman confided in him that she had been sexually assaulted by a higher-ranking Marine after a night of drinking. Joseph reported the incident, but the complaint was dropped when she was warned that pursuing it would lead to charges for underage drinking, possessing alcohol in the barracks, and fraternization. The response from leadership was dismissive: “It is he said/she said. And she never should have put herself in that position.”
Later, at an Ohio State Halloween party, a woman in a revealing costume was groped by a male attendee. When Joseph left, his girlfriend remarked, “Well what did she expect showing up like that?” These experiences, Joseph argues, illustrate a pervasive culture that blames women for the violence committed against them.
The Cornell case has become a political flashpoint, with figures like Sunny Hostin of “The View” facing criticism for discussing the legal challenges of prosecuting rape when evidence is contradictory. President Trump has weighed in, claiming the accused — dubbed the “Cornell 7” — won’t get a fair shake because the investigator also prosecuted him. Joseph notes that the university and district attorney likely failed to do enough, but the broader issue remains the systemic reluctance to hold men accountable.
Joseph draws on his time at Baylor University, where he witnessed the university’s efforts to cover up sexual assaults by football players. Conversations with donors and alumni often veered into victim-blaming or conspiracy theories, including claims that the scandal was a smear campaign by jealous University of Texas fans. The pattern, he says, is consistent: a lack of accountability for men.
“We live in an era where people are freaking about masculinity in this country,” Joseph writes. “Some in the manosphere have taken a stance that women need protecting. We can’t have trans women playing sports because we need to protect the women. But somehow, we can’t work to hold ourselves accountable from protecting women from rape by men.”
The change in attitude that should have come with the #MeToo movement must start with men, Joseph argues. Whether a man claims to be a feminist or an “alpha male,” the responsibility lies with him to make the right choices: to heed a “no,” to not take advantage, and to speak up when something is wrong. Several of the accused in the Cornell case said they were uncomfortable; Joseph insists that speaking up is not optional.
While the full truth of the Cornell incident may never be known, Joseph calls for a fundamental shift in how we raise boys. “We can finally start doing the right thing and teaching young men and boys this situation,” he writes. “And teach that the only cause of rape is a rapist and that is an easy choice to make in any situation.”
Joseph’s commentary adds to the ongoing debate over consent and accountability, one that has also seen security veterans warn about democratic norms and peer pressure driving student self-censorship. As the nation grapples with these issues, Joseph’s message is clear: the onus must be on men, not women, to prevent rape.
