Lesson 10 - Violence against Women

1. Lesson 10 - Violence against Women

2. Violence Against Women • An International Problem • In Kuwait male employers routinely rape their foreign maids • In other countries, genital mutilation is common • In India and Pakistan, dowry deaths claim lives of thousands annually • Horrible abuses of women during wartime • Femicide: Murder of women

3. Violence Against Women • Defining Rape and Battering • Rape: Forced sexual intercourse • Sexual assault: Unwanted sexual contact not involving intercourse • Battering or domestic violence: Physical attacks committed by intimates • Intimate partner violence (IPV)

4. The Extent of Rape • NCVS estimates nearly 204,000 rapes and sexual assaults occurred in 2008 • 81% were committed against females for a rate of 1.3 per 1,000 women • 63% were committed by someone the woman knew • 32% were committed by a stranger • NVAW surveys find that close to 18% of women are raped at least once in their lifetime; over 83% by men they know • Other studies: • 20 to 25% of women have experienced a rape or attempted rape • 70 to 80% of the rapes committed by men they know

5. The Extent of Battering • NCVS estimates nearly 61,000 aggravated assaults and 380,000 simple assaults were committed by intimates against women in 2008 • 341,000 overall; 2.6 assaults per 1,000 women • NVAW survey concluded that 22% of women are assaulted in their lifetime by a partner • 1.3% (or 13 per 1,000) in the past year • 1.3 million assaults annually

6. The Social Patterning of Rape and Battering • Age: Young women more likely than older women to experience IPV • Social Class: Poorest women higher rates • College students • Race and Ethnicity: Higher rates for Native American and black women than for whites • Problem of underreporting • Cultural traditions

7. Factors that Predict Spousal Abuse Alcohol Weapon Stepchild Estrangement Hostility toward dependency Excessive brooding Social learning Socioeconomic factors Anger Military service Abuse as a child Unpredictability

8. Explaining Rape and Battering • Are these crimes more psychological or sociological in origin? • Gender and Economic Inequality • Inevitable consequences of patriarchy or male dominance • Gender-based analysis of violence against women is necessary

9. Rape and Battering: Gender and Economic Inequality • Anthropological evidence supports this view • Research reveals states with greater gender inequality had higher rape rates • Women are scapegoats for anger some men feel over low SES

10. Rape and Battering • Cultural Myths • Rape Myths • Women liked to be raped • Women “ask for it” • Many believe real rape hasn’t occurred unless the following has happened: • Injury or other evidence of force • Woman has not been sexually active • Woman didn’t dress provocatively

11. Rape and Battering • Cultural Myths (cont.) • Battering Myths • Must have angered their partner • Battering not that bad because they don’t leave • Reality • Often nowhere to go • Fear will track them down • They continue to love their batterers • Other factors include the overuse of alcohol, unemployment, and male peer support

12. Battered Men • Fact or Fiction? • Men are just as battered by women • Research by Straus argues women often initiate violence, not just use it in self-defense • NCVS disputes sexual symmetry claim citing 85% of intimate violence committed against women

13. Stalking • Stalking: persistent following, observing, and/or harassment of an individual • Common goal to intimidate woman into staying in a romantic relationship • Can produce severe stress and psychological trauma • Estimated 30-40% of victims eventually attacked

14. Reducing Violence Against Women • Must first reduce male dominance • Efforts to reduce poverty • Must change the way boys are raised • Rape crisis centers and women’s shelters • Criminal justice system must change • Rape shield laws

15. Legal Reforms Regarding Rape Language of statutes was changed Victim resistance is no longer a required condition The requirement of use of force was changed to include the threat of force or injury Shield laws protect women from being questioned about their sexual history unless it directly bears on the case Passage of the 1994 Violence Against Women Act Denim Day

16. Reducing Violence Against Women • Arresting Batterers: Deterrence or Escalation? • Some research shows arrest produces lower recidivism rates for batterers • Replicate research indicated arrests increased battering in some cities, while lowering it in others • Criticisms of mandatory arrest policies • Trigger child custody actions • Put women in more danger • Deprives victims of decision to arrest

17. Female Serial Killers 10-15% of serial killers are female Males more likely to use extreme violence and torture; “hands-on” approach (beating, bludgeoning, and strangling their victims). Females more likely to smother or poison their victims. Men tracked or stalked their victims; women lure them Females tend to be older, abuse both alcohol and drugs males don’t Females often suffered from an abusive relationship in a disruptive family; education levels are below average, and if they hold jobs, they are in low status positions