Thread by @joshuabadge

A thread: the responses to Eurydice Dixon's assault and murder that are framed around women's personal responsibility and men's collective innocence contribute to the very factors which lead to violence against women #auspol #EurydiceDixon #YesAllMen

dailytelegraph.com.au/rendezview/thi…

The most consistent predictors of violence against women are factors associated with gender inequality. These gendered drivers of violence include (i) condoning men's violence, (ii) limiting women's independence, (iii) beliefs in rigid gender roles and (iv) male peer culture

Societies which condone violence through social norms i.e. widely held attitudes experience higher levels of violence against women. People condone violence in a number of ways: by excusing violence, trivialising it or shifting blame from the perpetrator to the victim

Violence is excused when it is attributed to external factors which propose that men cannot be held fully responsible for violent behaviour. Violence against women is often attributed men's mental health status i.e. an Autism diagnosis

In fact, a 2012 study found that the majority of media reports about violence against women portrayed perpetrators as individuals 'with problems' rather than a broader pattern in society

vichealth.vic.gov.au/search/victori…

Similarly, violence is trivialised when the impact of violence is viewed as not serious enough to warrant action. For instance, 17% of Australians believe that domestic violence is a 'private matter' to be 'handled by family'

Fewer than 1/2 of people who witness violence in social or workplace contexts report that they would say or do something in response. Anecdotally, this is an especially popular take from the #NotAllMen crowd who think that VAW is 'none of their business'

vichealth.vic.gov.au/media-and-reso…

You can see another kind of dismissive attitude here from @chmharvey: 'it's just the world we live in'. This suggests that violence against women is normal, simply a natural occurrence which should be expected (it isn't and shouldn't be)

dailytelegraph.com.au/rendezview/thi…

Further, and most importantly, violence is condoned by shifting blame from the perpetrator to the victim. Shockingly, 1/5 Australians believe that a woman is 'partly responsible' if she is raped while drunk. We can see parallels: she was walking home alone, she was out late etc

The underlying logic of these views is that women's behaviour is relevant to the acts of violence perpetrated against them—that women bear the responsibility for men's violence. This is what is meant by 'victim-blaming'

abc.net.au/news/2018-06-1…

Condoning violence (especially victim-blaming) contributes to another leading factor which leads to VAW: isolation. International research has shown that limits to women's independence and autonomy increase the probability of violence against women

Conversely, violence is less common in social settings where women have greater levels of independence. Access to support networks such as family and friends empower women with practical support and improves their participation in the public sphere

The evidence based approach aside, it's also a very simple ethical situation. Women have a right to go outside. They should be able to walk home alone, go out late, have a drink et al. They deserve to live their lives without fear

The answer is not to tell women that they need to modify their behaviour. This addresses the symptom but not the cause. And of course, women *already* do this. Eurydice did. The answer is to challenge the causes of violence: rigid gender hierarchies and men's peer culture

Societies which enforce rigid distinctions between the roles of men and women i.e. breadwinner/caregiver consistently exhibit significantly higher levels of violence against women

dro.deakin.edu.au/view/DU:300104…

Research has consistently found that men who hold traditional, hierarchical views about gender roles are more likely to perpetrate violence against women

jstor.org/stable/3600302

Further, people who generally believe that men and women have specific and distinct characteristics are more likely to condone, tolerate or excuse violence against women

who.int/violence_injur…

Which leads us to the crux of the #NotAllMen issue: men's peer culture. Peer relations can be important sources of support and friendship, but they are often characterised by aggressive forms of masculinity that encourage hostility toward women

vichealth.vic.gov.au/media-and-reso…

When men are encouraged to privilege their relationships with other men over those with women, they may be more likely to excuse other men's violent and disrespectful behaviour

vichealth.vic.gov.au/media-and-reso…

Further, an emphasis on sexual conquest and aggression in men's socialisation through peer relations may lead to increased violence. Of course, men may be reluctant to challenge the disrespectful or violent behaviour of their friends because they fear rejection

This #NotAllMen perspective is mistaken. Men are *overwhelmingly* the perpetrators of violence against women, children & other men. In fact 95% of all survivors of violence report experiencing threats or physical and sexual assault from a male perpetrator

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by @PeterJCrows view original on Twitter

This behaviour *must* be challenged by other men. Men's violence against women is a men's issue, and that issue is a peer culture that supports and tolerates violence. #NotAllMen are violent, but most men do not challenge these norms. So yes, absolutely #YesAllMen

The typical response to Dixon's assault and murder is backwards. Instead of condoning violence against women and attempting to modify women's behaviour, it is men and men's peer culture which needs to be changed

It is critical that we challenge the condoning of violence against women i.e. trivialising, excusing, shifting blame. Instead, we must promote women's independence, autonomy and participation in public life

At the same time, it is essential that men challenge the toxic behaviour of their peers. We must foster positive personal identities which challenge stereotypes and traditional roles. The result is a safer, less violence society for everyone /fin