Men who perpetrate domestic and sexual violence are *made*, not born. Their use of violence is the unsurprising outcome of widespread social conditions. They use violence not because of some hardwired disposition but because of the gendered norms and inequalities around them. 1/4
The violence that some men use is the predictable result of the lessons about manhood they absorb as they grow up, the sexist peer cultures in which they participate, and the gender inequalities & other conditions that are woven into their everyday lives. 2/4
So if we want to stop making perpetrators, we have to change the social conditions which produce them. That is what primary prevention is: changing the cultural, and material, and structural conditions which drive violence. To prevent initial perpetration & victimisation. 3/4
Putting perpetrators in the picture: This Briefing Paper (4pp) on domestic and sexual violence from the QUT Centre for Justice, by Michael Flood and Lula Dembele, calls for reframing how this violence is understood, measured, and addressed. research.qut.edu.au/centre-for-jus…@DLulabele 4/4
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Feminism: is a movement aimed at ending patriarchal power structures and social norms, not a mere celebration of ‘choice’. By Dr Meagan Tyler. 1/6 theconversation.com/no-feminism-is…
Women make choices, yes, but these are shaped by wider social conditions. Choices are hollow when structural conditions and cultural norms are highly limiting.
A choice-focused pseudo-feminism doesn’t demand real social change, and it undermines calls for collective action. 2/6
“Instead of resistance, we now have activities that were once held up as archetypes of women’s subordinate status being presented as liberating personal choices.” 3/6
Louise Perry note that, on average, men desire casual sex more than women do, and hook-up culture is one solution. Women are encouraged to close the gap by imitating male sexuality, having sex “like a man”. Some women like this, but for many it’s unpleasant, even distressing. 2/5
Studies find that following hook-ups, women are more likely than men to experience regret, low self-esteem and mental distress. Nevertheless, a youthful period of hooking up is now the norm. 3/5
The problematic idea “that sex can be divided into two broad categories: capital R Rape (which is monstrous, criminal and should be severely punished by the legal system) and normal, chill sex, which is obviously consensual and with which no woman should ever have a problem" 2/11
"But missing from this dichotomy are the scores of “not rape” violations, and acts that might best be described as “sexual microaggressions”—small acts of boundary-pushing and coercion that might be easy enough to brush off in isolation, but in aggregate teach women that..." 3/11
The female price of male pleasure
By Lili Loofbourow, 2018.
Why may women not recognise and resist sexual situations in which they feel uncomfortable? Because they have a lifetime’s training in ignoring that discomfort. theweek.com/articles/74997… 1/11
“Women are enculturated to be uncomfortable most of the time. And to ignore their discomfort.”
When men talk about “bad sex”, it’s often about sex that is passive or boring. When most women talk about "bad sex," they tend to mean coercion, emotional discomfort, or even pain. 2/11
“we live in a culture that sees female pain as normal and male pleasure as a right.”
Women are constantly and specifically trained out of noticing or responding to their bodily discomfort, particularly if they want to be sexually "viable".
3/11
Unacknowledged rape: the sexual assault survivors who hide their trauma – even from themselves theguardian.com/society/2021/a… 1/6
Large numbers of women have had experiences that meet legal definitions of rape and sexual assault but don’t label it as such. It can take years for survivors to realise or accept that their experience amounts to sexual assault or rape, if ever. 2/6
A 2016 analysis of 28 studies of nearly 6,000 women and girls aged 14+ who had experienced sexual violence found that 60% of survivors didn’t label their experience as “rape”. Instead, they used descriptors such as “bad sex” or “miscommunication”. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15… 3/6
Facts about sexual assault and rape of adults (Australian Institute of Criminology research synthesis)
Reporting: Most victims of rape and sexual assault delay disclosing or reporting or never disclose their experiences. 83% of victims did not report. aic.gov.au/publications/t… 1/14
Incidents of rape and sexual assault are significantly under-reported, under-prosecuted, and under-convicted. Conviction rates for sexual assault are extremely low. Because rapes usually in private without witnesses or medical evidence, victim-blaming jurors, poor rape laws. 2/14
False allegations are rare. And when they do occur, most are not malicious. Most represent fear or a need for assistance, rather than malice. Also see Lisak et al.’s excellent review of the research, free here: xyonline.net/sites/xyonline…. 3/14