Violence Against Women: Video Analysis

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, …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