Steubenville-Inspired Program Teaches Teen Jocks Not to Instagram Rape

A U.S. Attorney is starting a program in West Virginia that will teach high school athletes to use social media “responsibly” so as to prevent Steubenville 2.0. Why teach kids not to rape when you could teach them not to get caught?

Trent Mays, one of the two ex-high school football players convicted of raping an underage West Virginia girl last summer, was also convicted of using his phone to photograph the girl naked. Repeat after me, kids: if he hadn’t documented the deed, he might’ve gotten off easier!

While introducing his program Thursday, which will be rolled out this month at 11 high schools, U.S. Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld’s said that the combination of alcohol, smartphones and social media was “extremely volatile.”

The rape case “definitely played a role in causing us to think, ‘Who do we need to focus upon?'” Ihlenfeld told the AP. “We thought, ‘Let’s start calling athletic directors and coaches to see if they’re interested.’ That investment of time hopefully will pay dividends down the road, not only because you hope the kids are going to stay out of trouble. Social media creates so many distractions off the field for coaches. Maybe we can help them avoid that situation as well.”

Repeat after me, kids: social media leads to rape, not entitlement or lack of communication or disregard for consent or preconceived notions about what kind of girls deserve what they get.

Ihlenfeld said the Steubenville case “was eye opening – one night with high school students involved with alcohol, (smartphones) and social media, how that can change the lives of those involved forever.”