Of course the world is dangerous. It is absolutely more dangerous because of attitudes of complacency towards bad behavior, especially rape. Whether it was your intention or not, your statements imply that a culturally acceptable danger is the ever-present threat of rape by men. Moreover, the onus of responsibility for a woman's safety is her own preventative measures. This type of rape culture, in which the threat of rape is accepted as pervasive and ubiquitous, is NOT OKAY. Plenty of women who have taken appropriate steps to protect themselves have been raped. More importantly, young people, male and female, should be entitled to do lots of things, including frequenting bars, without feeling emperilled of the pervasive threat of male rape. I'm sure you agree with this.
"What world does this lady live in where boys aren't told not to rape? " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steubenville_High_School_rape_c... http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-maryville-p... http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/24/roethlisberg.../ The notion that rape victims are in any way at fault for not taking the advice of "parents, coaches, teachers, or anyone else who cares about [them]" is so utterly offensive and outrageous that I am disappointed in myself for responding to it.
I was particularly struck by the author's desire to keep his diagnosis a secret due to the "stigma of mental illness." As a human being who exists in our national culture, I understand that stigma. As a neuroscientist, I am often baffled by this. My cousin's son was diagnosed with ADHD a few years ago, and it was impairing his ability to focus in school, and as a consequence some of his speech and language skills. So, after consulting with her pediatrician, she and her husband decided to try giving him medication for ADHD, which improved his performance in school dramatically. However, she felt ashamed and judged for that decision. I told her that if he were diagnosed with a liver disease, and a doctor prescribed medication for that disease, she would not feel judged at all for giving him that medicine. The same holds true for diseases of the brain. I wonder if the complexity and mystery of how the brain subserves cognition often obscures the fact that it is a biological organ, and is just as vulnerable to pathology and disease as other organs, including the liver.