Woman Studies
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN OR GENDERED VIOLENCE (FIRST IMAGE IS A HAND WITH “STOP THE VIOLENCE” SECOND IMAGE IS AN IMAGE OF A MAN SHOOTING A WOMAN THE WORD “BITCH” ON IT. IT WAS A COMMON T-SHIRT STYLE FOR THE COMPANY “BITCH SKATEBOARDS” AND ILLUSTRATES HOW WE NORMALIZE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN. )
WHAT IS GENDERED VIOLENCE?
• AGGRESSION TARGETED TOWARDS A SPECIFIC GENDER, SPECIFICALLY WOMEN.
• DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT AND AGGRESSION ARE WOMEN.
• VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN OR GENDERED VIOLENCE ARE INTERCHANGEABLE TERMS.
SEXUAL ASSAULT IN U.S.
• 1 IN 6 WOMEN AND 1 IN 33 MEN WILL BE ASSAULTED IN THEIR LIFETIME.
SEE THE LINK BELOW FOR MORE DATA ON ASSAULTS;
HTTPS://WWW.RAINN.ORG/GET-INFORMATION/STATISTICS/FREQUENCY-OF-SEXUAL-ASSAULT
• RAPE CAN HAPPEN AT ANY AGE, I USED TO VOLUNTEER IN THE HOSPITAL WHEN VICTIMS WOULD ARRIVE AFTER AN ASSAULT FOR A RAPE KIT AND I HAVE WORKED WITH SURVIVORS AS YOUNG AS 5 (1/3 OF JUVENILE RAPES
ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 6) AND AS OLD AS 80. HOWEVER, 80% OF SEXUAL ASSAULTS OCCUR TO WOMEN
UNDER 30.
• WOMEN AGES 16-19 ARE FOUR TIMES MORE LIKELY THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION OF BEING ASSAULTED.
• USE THE WEB ADDRESS BELOW TO SEE WHO VICTIMS ARE:
HTTPS://WWW.RAINN.ORG/GET-INFORMATION/STATISTICS/SEXUAL-ASSAULT-VICTIMS
SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THE U.S.
• YOUTH OR PERCEIVED BEAUTY IS NOT A REASON YOUNGER WOMEN ARE AT GREATER RISK OF ASSAULT.
• TYPICALLY YOUNGER WOMEN ARE IN SITUATIONS THAT MAKE ATTACKS MORE COMMON SUCH AS FAMILY MEMBERS OR INDIVIDUALS IN THE HOME, DATING SITUATIONS, PEOPLE IN POSITIONS OF
POWER OVER YOUNG WOMAN, HIGH RISK BEHAVIORS SUCH AS DRINKING/PARTIES, FEAR OF
TELLING PARENTS OR POLICE DUE TO RETRIBUTION BY ATTACKER AT SCHOOL OR THEY’LL GET IN
TROUBLE BY THEIR PARENTS
• YOUNGER MEN ARE MORE OFTEN ATTACKERS MAKING YOUNGER WOMEN MORE AT RISK. • GO TO THIS LINK AND EXPLORE MORE ABOUT VICTIMS AND OFFENDERS: HTTPS://WWW.RAINN.ORG/GET-
INFORMATION/STATISTICS/SEXUAL-ASSAULT-OFFENDERS
FORMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT
SEXUAL HARASSMENT- INTENSE AND REPEATED SEXUAL HARASSMENT
TOUCHING- UNWANTED TOUCHING, GROPING, ETC.
SEXUAL ASSAULT- GROPING, TOUCHING, NON-VAGINAL/ANAL PENETRATION
RAPE- VAGINAL AND/OR ANAL PENETRATION
MOLESTATION- ANY FORM OF SEXUAL ASSAULT TO A MINOR
FORMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT DATE RAPE- RAPE IN A DATING SITUATION
GANG RAPE- MORE THAN ONE ATTACKER
SPOUSAL RAPE- SPOUSE RAPES A SPOUSE (IT BECAME ILLEGAL IN ALL 50
STATES IN 1993. SEE: HTTP://TIME.COM/3975175/SPOUSAL-RAPE-CASE-
HISTORY/
CONVERSION RAPE- RAPE DONE TO “CONVERT” THE VICTIM FROM THEIR
PERCEIVED OR ACTUAL SEXUAL ORIENTATION
* 4 OUT OF 10 RAPES HAPPEN IN A VICTIMS HOME AND 2/3 OF RAPES OCCUR BY
SOMEONE THE VICTIM KNOWS.
SEXUAL ASSAULT IS ABOUT FORMS OF POWER
• POWER- SEXUAL ASSAULT IS MORE ABOUT POWER AND LESS ABOUT SEX. TO SEXUALLY VIOLATE SOMEONE IS A WAY IN
WHICH ONE CAN USE POWER. IT CAN INVOLVE INTIMIDATION
AND HUMILIATION, BUT COERCION IS A MAIN COMPONENT IN
DATE RAPE.
• CONTROL- WHETHER IT BE COERCIVE USE OF CONTROL AND INFLUENCE SUCH AS IN DATE RAPE OR PHYSICAL CONTROL,
CONTROL IS USED IN SEXUAL ABUSE
BARRIERS TO JUSTICE
• RE-TRAUMATIZED- THE PROCESS OF A SEXUAL ASSAULT KIT, BEING INTERVIEWED AND RELIVING THE HORRORS TO STRANGERS IS OFTEN
TRAUMATIZING
• FEAR OF NOT BEING BELIEVED- BECAUSE OF THE VAST AMOUNT OF “RAPE MYTHS” IN OUR CULTURE, MANY VICTIMS FEAR THAT THEY WILL NOT
BE BELIEVED OR EVEN BE BLAMED
• LOW PROSECUTION- THE AMOUNT OF ASSAULTS THAT ARE REPORTED IS LOW AND THE PROSECUTION OF THEM EVEN LOWER. SEE NEXT SLIDE.
BARRIERS TO JUSTICE
BUT AREN’T THERE FALSE REPORTS?
• THE RANGE OF FALSE REPORTING IS VERY SMALL, BETWEEN 2-8%, AND ACCORDING TO THE FBI IT IS 3%, THE RATE FOR ALL FALSE REPORTS OF
CRIMES.
• (FALSE REPORTS: MOVING BEYOND THE ISSUE TO SUCCESSFULLY INVESTIGATE AND PROSECUTE NON-STRANGER SEXUAL ASSAULT).
• BY FOCUSING ON THE VERY RARE FALSE REPORTS, IT PUTS THE BLAME BACK ON THE VICTIM AND MAKES IT THEIR BURDEN TO “PROVE” THE
RAPE.
RAPE CULTURE AND CULTURAL ATTITUDES
• BLAME THE VICTIM- THE QUESTION IN ALMOST NEVER, WHY DO PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY MEN, RAPE, BUT WHAT WAS THE VICTIM DOING.
• WE DON’T ASK THIS QUESTION WHEN SOMEONE IS HIT BY A DRUNK DRIVER AT 2:00 A.M. BUT IT IS ALMOST ALWAYS A QUESTION IN SEXUAL ASSAULT.
• ACCEPT RAPE MYTHS- PERPETUATING AND ACCEPTING MYTHS SUCH AS WOMEN CAUSE MEN TO RAPE BY THEIR CLOTHES, DANCING, BEING PROVOCATIVE, ETC.
• WHAT SOMEONE WEARS, DOES, FLIRTS, ETC. DOES NOT MAKE SOMEONE RAPE. THE BLAME IS ON THE PERPETRATOR.
RAPE CULTURE AND CULTURAL ATTITUDES
•MAKE TALKING ABOUT RAPE DIFFICULT OR TRIVIALIZE IT- MEDIA AND POPULAR CULTURE GLAMORIZES AND MIXES THE LINE BETWEEN SEX AND RAPE FREQUENTLY AND IS USED GRATUITOUSLY IN MANY CASES.
•THE MEDIA ALSO FOCUSES ON VICTIM BLAMING AND MYTHS MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO TALK ABOUT.
RAPE CULTURE AND CULTURAL ATTITUDES
Glamorize violence against women- these are images, mainly from the media, like the one above of a
simulated gang rape that was an ad by Calvin Klien for
men’s jeans.
Warning Some of These “Ads” May Cause Triggers: Use this link to view more “ads” that use violence against women
in the form of sexual assault and domestic violence to sell
products.
SEXUAL ASSAULT GLOBALLY • NOT A UNIVERSAL PHENOMENA- SEXUAL ASSAULT DOES NOT HAPPEN IN ALL
SOCIETIES AND PLACES ON THE PLANET TODAY OR HISTORICALLY (EX. NAVAJO TRIBES HAD
NO SEXUAL ASSAULT UNTIL SETTLERS “RECONDITIONED” THE PRECEIVED “FEMININE”
NATIVES TO BE MORE MASCULINE AND PATRIARCHAL).
• HIGH LEVEL OF PATRIARCHY HIGHER SEXUAL ASSAULT- THE HIGHER LEVEL OF PATRIARCHY A SOCIETY HAS AND THE LESS WOMEN’S RIGHTS, THE HIGHER LEVEL
OF SEXUAL ASSAULT. FOR INSTANCE, IN COUNTRIES SUCH AS YEMEN AND IRAQ THE
PRACTICE OF HONOR KILLINGS IS STILL A FORM OF JUSTICE IN SOME RURAL COMMUNITIES.
IF A WOMAN IS RAPED, SHE IS MURDERED FOR DISGRACING THE FAMILY. PROSECUTION OF
SEXUAL ASSAULT IS EITHER NON-EXISTENT OR IF ON THE LAW BOOKS, IT DOESN’T OCCUR.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Leading Cause of Injury to Women
Domestic Violence accounts for
more injuries towards women than
car accidents, non-intimate violent
crime and all other types of crime
combined. (Image of bruised woman with mouth being covered to
denote silence.)
SHOCKING FACT:
• A WOMAN IS MORE LIKELY TO BE KILLED BY HER INTIMATE PARTNER THAN BY ANY OTHER PERSON!
• WE ARE TAUGHT AS WOMEN TO FEAR THE PREDATOR STRANGER AND YET THE NUMBER ONE RISK FACTOR FOR BEING MURDERED ARE THE
MEN WE ARE INTIMATE WITH.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON STATS GO TO:
HTTP://WWW.NCADV.ORG/LEARN/STATISTICS
TYPES OF ABUSE
• PHYSICAL- GRABBING, SHAKING, HITTING, SHOVING, SLAPPING, KICKING, BITING, PUNCHING, SPITTING, CHOKING, ETC.
• VERBAL- THE USE OF LANGUAGE, MOST OFTEN NAME CALLING AND VERBAL THREATS OF VIOLENCE
• PSYCHOLOGICAL- INTIMIDATION TACTICS USED TO BREAK DOWN THE VICTIM, OFTEN GETTING THE VICTIM TO THINK THEY ARE CRAZY AND THE PROBLEM IS THEIRS
• FINANCIAL- WITHHOLDING MONEY, PREVENTING THE VICTIM FROM GETTING A JOB OR EDUCATION
WHY DON’T THEY LEAVE?
• FEAR- LEAVING AN ABUSER IS THE MOST DANGEROUS TIME IN THE RELATIONSHIP
• CONFUSION- HOW CAN SOMEONE YOU LOVE AND IS SO NICE MOST OF TIME ACT LIKE THIS?
• FINANCIAL- NO MONEY OR SKILLS
• NO PLACE TO GO- NO FAMILY TO TURN TO OR YOU MAY PUT YOUR FAMILY IN DANGER AND NO MONEY TO GO ANYWHERE
WHY DON’T THEY LEAVE
• CHILDREN- AS BAD AS ABUSE IS, THERE IS STILL A STRONG CULTURAL AND FAMILIAL PRESSURE TO KEEP FAMILIES TOGETHER. THE GUILT OF TAKING
CHILDREN AWAY FROM THEIR FATHERS IS OFTEN EXTREME. KIDS ALSO HAVE
TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES, FRIENDS AND SCHOOLS– EVERYTHING FAMILIAR
WHY DON’T THEY LEAVE
• CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS ATTITUDES- OFTEN SUPPORT “STICKING IT OUT” AND DON’T BELIEVE IN DIVORCE
• THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AS A SERIOUS ISSUE IS A RECENT PHENOMENA. THE FIRST BATTERED WOMEN’S SHELTER IN THE U.S. OPENED IN 1974 BUT DID NOT OCCUR NATION WIDE UNTIL THE LATE 80’S WHEN LAWS BEGAN TO BE FORMED TO CRACK DOWN ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
• THERE ARE STILL MORE ANIMAL SHELTERS IN THE U.S. THAN BATTERED WOMEN’S SHELTERS
RED FLAGS- THINGS TO INDICATE YOU MAY BE IN A POTENTIALLY VIOLENT RELATIONSHIP
• POSSESSIVE- OF YOU AND YOUR TIME • JEALOUS- OF YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, PHONE CALLS, SOCIAL MEDIA • MONITORS YOU- HAS TO HAVE ALL YOUR TIME ACCOUNTED FOR AND WITH WHOM • ISOLATES YOU- DOESN’T WANT YOU TO BE WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND/OR FAMILY • DEROGATORY ATTITUDES TOWARDS WOMEN • DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE • CRUELTY TOWARDS ANIMALS
RESOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION OR IF YOU NEED HELP: HTTP://WWW.VICTIMSOFCRIME.ORG
• DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: HTTP://WWW.LAURASHOUSE.ORG/
• SEXUAL ASSAULT: HTTP://WWW.CSPINC.ORG/SEXUAL%20ASSAULT