Sexual Violence: A Sociological Analysis

The stigma around sexual violence, especially concerning women, is a concealed problem that is evident in today 's world but is not discussed and analyzed as it should be. It is incredibly important to be able to understand why this problem exists. According RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) one out of every six American women have been a victim of attempted or completed rape. Why is women violence accepted as a norm? I argue that this issue is on a societal level more so than any other with ideas such as the feminist theory and exemplifying why. I contend that the continued normalization of woman sexual violence, particularly rape, is a consequence of the patriarchal structure of our society and the social hierarchy that exists …show more content…
Within this theory, it explains that the the inferior group has consensus but it is artificial and forced. In our case, women have, in a sense, accepted that they are not the more dominant group but it is not because they want to, it is just the way society was …show more content…
Our minds are wrapped around with patriarchal ideas that many of us are not even aware of. First off, culture, traditions and our home environment greatly influences us and the way we think. At an extremely young age, boys are told not to cry when they are hurt where as it is perfectly normal if a girl cries.Growing up, boys are told to protect and fight for themselves, while girls should be more reserved and are known to be not as strong hence the term “ you hit like a girl”. This widely known phrase is a pure example of the inequality between the two genders and the superiority of men over women. In the media, we are influenced by songs that we listen to everyday by artists who objectify women sexually in a very demeaning manner. In movies, we are shown how the man is the”knight in shining armour” who always comes to save the damsel in distress. This implants the ideas that women rely on men to save them in situations where they cannot save themselves and are seen as vulnerable. Women are also greatly sexualized, romanticized and eroticized in society. in the media more than men (MacKinnon, C. A.). With all these stereotypes that children see while growing up, it starts to stick into their brains what they can do or they cannot. We as society, without even realizing at times feed into the stereotypes and further push the gap between men and women. It 's not just men and society that are the