In Chapter 14, our class went over the topic of violence, abuse, and harassment against women. Although it was brief, the discussion we had and the video we watched were very impactful. Violence against women is a serious issue that sometimes makes people uncomfortable when talked about, but it is important. In this paper, I would like to discuss the different types of violence, the cycle of abuse, and how you can help fight the stigma of this abuse being a “women’s issue.”
Violence is categorized into 3 groups by the World Health Organization. The first category is self-directed violence. Self-directed violence is what it sounds like: violence done to oneself by oneself. Some examples would be suicidal behavior, cutting oneself, burning oneself, and self-mutilation. Self-directed violence occurs most often in adolescent females who will usually have a history of self-abuse. WHO’s second category is interpersonal violence. Interpersonal violence is violence that is inflicted upon someone by another person. In most cases of interpersonal violence against women, the perpetrator is normally a partner or family member, but strangers are also included under this category. This category is where domestic abuse, stalking, child abuse, rape, and incest fall under. The last group is collective violence. Collective violence is violence directed at a specific group of people, nation, or population. Examples of this type of violence would be terrorism, trafficking, or organized violent crime. The cycle of abuse is all about power and control. You will usually begin in the “honeymoon period,” where the abuser is kind, makes promises, and gives gifts. During this phase, the abuser uses apologies and kindness in order to keep the victim in the relationship with them. The next phase of the cycle is when tension begins to build. The abuser expresses persistent anger, aggression, and yelling. This tension can come from the smallest of disagreements, not only large-scale disagreements. The last phase is the explosion. This is when the abuse occurs; the abuser will use intimidation, physical violence, threats, or emotional abuse. After the explosion, the cycle continues back to the honeymoon period and so on. There are multiple forms of abuse that are fueled by the need for power and control. Isolation, economic abuse, sexual abuse, using children, and even using male privilege are all other forms of abuse that one may utilize. Even if someone is not considered an “abuser,” any person may still use these abusive tactics without realizing they are being manipulative. A great example of this is when a person gives their partner the silent treatment. This is a form of emotional abuse that gives the user more control over the situation and their partner. When discussing abuse, you will normally picture black eyes and broken bones, but emotional abuse is real and even if it does not leave a physical mark, it is still just as damaging to a person as physical abuse. The Tedx Talks video truly impacted me when going over this chapter in class. …show more content…
Jackson Katz stated that society needs to shift its view of violence against women from a “women’s issue” to a men’s issue. It was inspiring to hear the perspective of a man who has dedicated his life to gender violence prevention. I agree with the point he made in his video; one of the best ways to prevent gender violence is for men to talk about it with other men. Sadly, when women try to speak up about domestic abuse and gender violence, some men will often shut out what they are saying. This may not be because they do not care, but because they view it as a “women’s issue” and something that they have no role in. Katz brings to light that not only is it not a women’s issue, but it is more so a men’s issue. While abuse by women does occur, violence by men is by far more common. This male violence is not solely directed towards women, but also young boys. Katz suggests that a small way all men can combat gender violence is by shutting down abusive narrative. If a man hears another man speaking in a manner than dehumanizes women or in a violent way towards women, then he should speak up and let the other man know that that is unacceptable. Do not stay silent in teachable moments or moments of oppression. This topic was
Violence is categorized into 3 groups by the World Health Organization. The first category is self-directed violence. Self-directed violence is what it sounds like: violence done to oneself by oneself. Some examples would be suicidal behavior, cutting oneself, burning oneself, and self-mutilation. Self-directed violence occurs most often in adolescent females who will usually have a history of self-abuse. WHO’s second category is interpersonal violence. Interpersonal violence is violence that is inflicted upon someone by another person. In most cases of interpersonal violence against women, the perpetrator is normally a partner or family member, but strangers are also included under this category. This category is where domestic abuse, stalking, child abuse, rape, and incest fall under. The last group is collective violence. Collective violence is violence directed at a specific group of people, nation, or population. Examples of this type of violence would be terrorism, trafficking, or organized violent crime. The cycle of abuse is all about power and control. You will usually begin in the “honeymoon period,” where the abuser is kind, makes promises, and gives gifts. During this phase, the abuser uses apologies and kindness in order to keep the victim in the relationship with them. The next phase of the cycle is when tension begins to build. The abuser expresses persistent anger, aggression, and yelling. This tension can come from the smallest of disagreements, not only large-scale disagreements. The last phase is the explosion. This is when the abuse occurs; the abuser will use intimidation, physical violence, threats, or emotional abuse. After the explosion, the cycle continues back to the honeymoon period and so on. There are multiple forms of abuse that are fueled by the need for power and control. Isolation, economic abuse, sexual abuse, using children, and even using male privilege are all other forms of abuse that one may utilize. Even if someone is not considered an “abuser,” any person may still use these abusive tactics without realizing they are being manipulative. A great example of this is when a person gives their partner the silent treatment. This is a form of emotional abuse that gives the user more control over the situation and their partner. When discussing abuse, you will normally picture black eyes and broken bones, but emotional abuse is real and even if it does not leave a physical mark, it is still just as damaging to a person as physical abuse. The Tedx Talks video truly impacted me when going over this chapter in class. …show more content…
Jackson Katz stated that society needs to shift its view of violence against women from a “women’s issue” to a men’s issue. It was inspiring to hear the perspective of a man who has dedicated his life to gender violence prevention. I agree with the point he made in his video; one of the best ways to prevent gender violence is for men to talk about it with other men. Sadly, when women try to speak up about domestic abuse and gender violence, some men will often shut out what they are saying. This may not be because they do not care, but because they view it as a “women’s issue” and something that they have no role in. Katz brings to light that not only is it not a women’s issue, but it is more so a men’s issue. While abuse by women does occur, violence by men is by far more common. This male violence is not solely directed towards women, but also young boys. Katz suggests that a small way all men can combat gender violence is by shutting down abusive narrative. If a man hears another man speaking in a manner than dehumanizes women or in a violent way towards women, then he should speak up and let the other man know that that is unacceptable. Do not stay silent in teachable moments or moments of oppression. This topic was