Interesting thread, this. One thing I’d like to comment on though is,
When did it become cool to blame the victim?
[list][*]I punched my wife in the face the other day. Serves her right, she should learn not to burn dinner.[/*]
[*]I had my phone stolen last night, it’s my own fault, I left it on the table in the pub and took my eyes off it for a minute.[/*]
[*]My sister was raped last week, the lad said she was wearing a miniskirt, she was asking for it.[/*][/list]
There are things you can do to minimise the risk of becoming a victim, and a lot of it boils down to common sense (and a number of people have got into hot water for daring to suggest this). You don’t walk into a rough part of town late at light waving an iPad around, as a random example. It’s “asking” for trouble.
But, should that trouble arise, it’s not your fault. It’s not your fault that some scumbag decides to lift your iPhone to pay for his next fix, it’s not acceptable that someone should inflict violence upon someone else because of how they’re dressed. Unless you’re actively touting bother then you can be as reckless / naive as you like and without thieves, thugs and arseholes these crimes will never happen.
Should the girl in the OP have been more careful around strange dogs? Almost certainly (assuming she even saw it, she apparently “startled” the dog, did they startle each other?) But is the girl to blame for the incident? Absolutely not, and shame on anyone who is suggesting otherwise.