Personal Theory & Reflection ESSAY
prissjimenez
Gendersexualviolence.pptxGender & Sexual Violence
Sexual Objectification
Sexual objectification is the reduction of a person to his or her sex appeal.
Both men and women are objectified in popular culture.
Gay men are objectified more than heterosexual men.
Women overall are objectified much more than men.
There’s now so much competition for attention that media content has learned that more is better. This has extended to more sex in the media, and women are conventionally portrayed as sex objects and sexually objectified.
Can you think of examples of sexual objectification in any shows or films you’ve recently watched? Who was sexually objectified? After hearing the responses, do the students’ examples confirm the book’s findings (i.e., that women are objectified more than men and that gay men are objectified more than heterosexual men)? Why or why not?
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The Heterosexual Male Gaze
Media privileges male desire and assumes a heterosexual male gaze.
Content is designed to appeal to a hypothetical heterosexual man.
Men undergo a process of sexual subjectification.
They are told what their internal thoughts and feelings should be.
This privilege of male desire leads to a heterosexual male gaze. Can you think of how this gaze can negatively impact men?
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Self-Objectifying
The heterosexual male gaze means that women are regularly exposed to idealized images of female bodies.
Many women self-objectify.
They internalize the idea that their physical attractiveness determines their worth.
During sex, worrying about how you look can translate into a process called spectating.
Instructor Note: You can build from the previous slide by now discussing how the heterosexual male gaze can negatively impact women. You should also discuss how gay and bisexual men in same-sex encounters can be positioned as the objectifier, the objectified, or both. Heterosexual men are less likely to be sexually objectified than others are.
How can the heterosexual male gaze impact women? How can it impact men? Do you think there are negative consequences to the heterosexual male gaze for men? For women? If yes, how so?
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Sexual Scripts
A sexual script refers to the social rules that guide sexual interaction.
The scripts of both mixed-sex and same-sex couples have a somewhat rigid ascending order of intimacy.
Sexual scripts are also gendered.
The masculine role is assertive.
The feminine role is responsive.
This creates a push-and-resist dynamic, whereby it’s normal for men to push for sexual activity and for women to stop or slow it down.
Instructor Note: Here you can discuss how our views on gender also shape how our sexual interactions are expected to go.
Can you develop a sexual script for a mixed-sex couple? Are there any gendered dynamics within the script? If yes, how so?
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Sexual Violence
In the United States, one in three women and one in sex men have experienced sexual violence.
Acquaintance rape: rape by a person who is known to the victim
Stranger rape: rape by a person who the victim does not know
Perpetrator: a person who has committed a crime
Men are the vast majority of perpetrators, representing 97 percent of people arrested for sexual assault.
Instructor Note: Here you should address how the push-and-resist dynamic can lead to sexual violence. You can also review how sexual assault is relatively new in terms of being identified as a crime, yet sexual violence is pervasive. There is still much work to be done surrounding victim blaming.
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Rape Culture
Rape culture refers to an environment that facilitates sexual assault by justifying, naturalizing, and even glorifying sexual pressure, coercion, and violence.
Rape culture views men as naturally aggressive and women as inherently vulnerable to men.
It encourages, and can even compel, men to enact the push-and-resist dynamic.
The media also reflects rape culture in terms of its programming and coverage of sexual force and sexual assault.
The push-and-resist dynamic is also very important here, as the idea of “she’s playing hard to get” can be encouraged by rape culture and then normalized. Rape culture again ties into a gendered binary and is depicted by how we talk about genders. Penises become hard and “hammer” or “pound” during intercourse and vulvas and vaginas are pictures as passive, like a flower or a hole.
Do you think rape culture exists in the United States? Why or why not? What are some examples of rape culture that you encounter in your daily lives?
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Rape Language
Commonly used language that dehumanizes and diminishes women & girls to useable and disposable objects.
Pervasive examples of language contributing to rape culture are the use of violent descriptors for sex with a woman.
smashed, hit that, slammed, screwed, banged, slayed, rammed, drilled, nailed, pounded, plowed, tapped, beat, etc.
Male Socialization
Defining manhood as "dominant" and sexually aggressive vs. womanhood as "submissive" and sexually passive.
Trivializing sexual assault (“Boys will be boys!”)
Tolerance of sexual harassment
Culture of male entitlement
Pressure on men to “score”
Expectation that men are sexually driven and always “want it” devalues male experiencing sexual assault
Rape Myths
Widely held, inaccurate beliefs about rape.
Myths of rape give people a false sense of security by legitimizing sexual assault or denying that it even occurs.
They often do this by blaming the victim for their experience or making excuses and minimizing their assault.
“Idealized” Rape Scenarios & Rape Myths
While approximately 85% of rapes are perpetrated by someone known to the victim (Tjaden & Theonnes, 2000), our society offers preferential sympathy to victims of stranger rape.
Stranger rape is epitomized by virginal or pure victims that are blitz attacked by deranged strangers lurking in the shadows before physically attacking their victim (Coller & Resick,1987).
In addition, these victims are presumed to fight off their attackers, who possess a weapon, with sheer force and report the details of their rape immediately to the police.
Myths & Realities
Myth: Sexual assault is an act of lust and passion that can’t be controlled.
Fact: Sexual assault is about power and control and is not motivated by sexual gratification.
Myth: If a victim of sexual assault does not fight back, they must have thought the assault was not that bad or they wanted it.
Fact: Many survivors experience tonic immobility or a “freeze response” during an assault where they physically cannot move or speak.
Myth: A lot of victims lie about being raped or give false reports.
Fact: Only about 2% of rapes are falsely reported, the same percentage as for other felonies.
Myth: A person cannot sexually assault their partner or spouse.
Fact: Nearly 1 in 10 women have experienced rape by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
Myth: People that have been sexually assaulted will be hysterical and crying.
Fact: Everyone responds differently to trauma- some may laugh, some may cry, and others will not show any emotions.
Myth: Men are not victims of sexual violence.
Fact: 1 in 6 of all men have experienced some form of unwanted sexual contact in their lifetime.
Victim Blaming
Occurs when the victim of a crime or any wrongful act is held entirely or partially responsible for the harm done to them.
Rape is the only crime where the defendant has to prove his/her innocence.
The defendant is also exposed to secondary victimization through victim blaming
Victim blaming is common, and many victims fear coming forward.
Only one out of every three sexual assaults is reported to the police.
Of those reported, only 2 percent will ever lead to a conviction
What Does Victim Blaming Look Like?
Circumstances:
Why was she alone? Where was she? What did she expect?
Behavior:
She asked for it. What was she wearing? She was drunk. They we were already making out etc.
Defense:
She should have been more careful. She should have fought back. Why didn’t she scream for help?
Relationship/Past:
It’s not rape if they’re together. She said yes every other time. They hooked up before.
Disbelief:
She just wants attention. She is having morning after regret. Why didn’t she report it sooner?
For men:
You can’t rape the willing. That’s every man’s fantasy. Guys always want sex.
How Media Contributes to Rape Culture
Sexual assault “jokes” and dismissive attitudes toward harassment
Storylines where sex/romance/”getting the girl” is a reward for being a “good guy”
Victim blaming news stories
Gratuitous gendered violence in movies and television
Refusing to take rape accusations seriously
Teaching women to avoid getting raped instead of teaching men not to rape
Perpetuating the "stranger rape myth"
Rape Culture in Prevention Campaigns
Focus on victim perpetuates rape culture
Focus on perpetrator addresses rape culture
Sexual Danger
One in four senior women reports being sexually assaulted in college.
Gay men and bisexual women are more likely than heterosexual women to report being assaulted.
Bisexual men are almost as likely as heterosexual women to be assaulted.
Sexual scripts of hookup and rape culture make coercive behaviors look and feel normal. In addition, the fact that many hookups are pursued while students are drunk means consent is more difficult to obtain and puts all students at risk of perpetrating rape. With students primarily focused on their own pleasure and not focusing on their partner’s well-being, high rates of coercion seem likely.
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Hookup Culture Is a Rape Culture
The sexual scripts of hookup culture make coercive behaviors look and feel normal.
It makes a feminized interest in, and concern for, one’s partner off-script.
It camouflages the behavior of rapists, and it also puts all students at risk of perpetuating rape.
It makes it difficult for campus activists fighting sexual violence to hold colleges accountable.
How is hookup culture a rape culture? How can our college campuses change from a hookup culture? What steps are needed?
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“In a rape culture most people assume that sexual violence is a fact of life, inevitable as death or taxes. This violence, however, is neither biologically nor divinely ordained. Much of what we accept as inevitable is in fact the expression of values and attitudes that can change.”
Bystander Intervention
The only person responsible for committing sexual assault is a perpetrator, but we can look out for each other’s safety.
Giving someone a safe ride home, explaining that a rape joke isn’t funny, getting security involved when someone is behaving aggressively
Choosing to step in can affect the way those around you think about and respond to sexual violence.
How to Combat Rape Culture
Avoid using language that objectifies or degrades
Speak out if you hear someone else making an offensive joke or trivializing rape
If a friend says they have been raped, take him/her seriously and be supportive
Think critically about the media’s messages about women, men, relationships, and violence
Be respectful of others’ physical space even in casual situations
Always communicate with sexual partners and do not assume consent
Contact RAINN Sexual Assault Hotline 24/7 by phone or online chat- Free and Confidential
1-800-656-4673 www.online.rainn.org
