These rape prevention tips with a twist are going viral, for good reason

Carry a rape whistle. If you find that you are about to rape someone, blow the whistle until someone comes to stop you.

So goes one of the "rape prevention" tips that have gone viral after being picked up by the humour site 9gag and comedian Sarah Silverman.

The twist behind the 10 tips, in case you had not noticed, is that they are all aimed at men.

The list first appeared in a 2011 blog from the group for the Washington State Coalition against domestic violence. It was created by the author's co-worker and inspired by a chain email aimed at men titled "fifty ways to prevent yourself from being a rapist".

The post implores: "As I was reading, I couldn’t decide if I should laugh or be horrified by the reality that violence prevention tips are always aimed at what the targeted person should do (judgement strongly implied) to protect themselves," the post says. "If you experienced rape... you don’t need rape prevention tips. It is the rapist and the culture around us that excuses, supports, and looks away that we must change."

Here are the rape prevention tips in full:

1. Don’t put drugs in women’s drinks.

2. When you see a woman walking by herself, leave her alone.

3. If you pull over to help a woman whose car has broken down, remember not to rape her.

4. If you are in an elevator and a woman gets in, don’t rape her.

5. When you encounter a woman who is asleep, the safest course of action is to not rape her.

6. Never creep into a woman’s home through an unlocked door or window, or spring out at her from between parked cars, or rape her.

7. Remember, people go to the laundry room to do their laundry. Do not attempt to molest someone who is alone in a laundry room.

8. Use the Buddy System! If it is inconvenient for you to stop yourself from raping women, ask a trusted friend to accompany you at all times.

9. Carry a rape whistle. If you find that you are about to rape someone, blow the whistle until someone comes to stop you.

10. Don’t forget: Honesty is the best policy. When asking a woman out on a date, don’t pretend that you are interested in her as a person; tell her straight up that you expect to be raping her later. If you don’t communicate your intentions, the woman may take it as a sign that you do not plan to rape her.

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