CHAPTER 24 VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

1. Violence Against Women
Chapter 24

2. Violence against women happens quite
often in the United States and around the
world. Often, the violence comes from
those closest to us. Almost one in every
four women in the U.S has been raped
and/or physically assaulted by a current
or former spouse, live-in partner,
boyfriend, or date;
Young women, low-income women,
women of color, immigrant and elderly
women, and women with disabilities are
greatly affected.
Violence Against Women

3. Definition
Violence against women is any
assault on a woman’s body,
physical integrity, or freedom of
movement inflicted by an
individual or through societal
oppression.
It includes; physical, verbal, and
emotional and also abuse, rape,
sexual assault, murder by a partner
or spouse, forced sterilization,
female genital cutting, stalking,
sexual coercion in the workplace,
preparing women and girls for
prostitution through rape and
psychological manipulation, and
trafficking of women and girls.

4. Understanding Violence
● The U.S culture, like most
other cultures in the world,
assigns a superior position to
men and an inferior/dependent
position to women.
● Violence is an acceptable
method of maintaining control,
resolving conflicts, &
expressing anger.
● When a batterer uses beatings
or the threat of harm to coerce
a partner, confine her to the
house, prevent her from
seeing friends and family,
and/or keep her from pursuing
outside work, the abuser is
exerting dominance and
coercive control.

5. Common Reactions
Common reactions to experiencing violence
● Self-blame and feeling of shame and guilt
● Fear, terror, and feeling unsafe
● Anger and rage
● Anger turned inward, depression, & suicidal feelings
● Substance abuse
● Eating disorders
● Physical symptoms
● Self-harm
● Grief & loss
● Loss of control, powerlessness
● Changes in sexuality and intimacy

6. Regaining Our Lives/Healing
Process
1. The violence was not your fault
a. You did not ask to be hurt and violated, & you did not deserve it.
2. You made the best choices you could
b.Whatever decisions you made before, during, & after the assault were
limited by the situation.
3. There is no right way to feel or heal
c. We all take different paths to healing, & we must respect the choices
each survivor makes.
4. Healing takes times, & there may be setbacks
d. Some of us experience real doubt about whether we will ever fully feel
comfortable again in our own bodies.
5. You deserve support
e. Rape crisis centers & domestic violence organizations are available & will
always help. A family member, friend, clergy member, or counselor may also
be able to help as well.

7. Rape
Rape is one of the most common forms of
sexual assault & is defined differently in
each state.
● Penetration with the use of force and without the
person’s consent.
● Penetration in the vagina, anus, or mouth can be
committed with a body part or instruments such
as bottles or stick.
The National Violence Against Women Survey
● Almost 18% of women said they have experienced
a completed or attempted rape at some point in
their lifetime, & most of these women were raped
by someone they knew.
● Almost 22% reported that they were younger than
age 12 when they were raped, & over half were
under age 18.

8. Campus Rape
● The most common violent crime on
college campuses.
● According to The National Institute of
Justice, “there are an estimated 35 rapes
per 1,000 female college students per
year.”
● Only 5% of the attempted or completed
rapes are ever reported to law enforcement
officials.
● Many college administrations underreport
sexual assault incidents so as not to harm
the school’s reputations or finances.
Gray Rape
● Falls somewhere between consent &
denial & happens owing to casual
sex, hookups, missed signals,
alcohol.
● Masks the reality that any non
consensual sexual activity is sexual
violence, period.
● Gray rape is really date or
acquaintance rape with a misleading
name.
● We risk feeling the effects for a long
time, & we also risk not knowing
what wanted, consensual sex can
feel like.

9. Sexual Assault By A Women
Although the majority of rapes are committed by men, women do
rape.
● Because of widespread ignorance & denial surrounding sexual assault of women
by women, a woman may feel that no one will believe her if she reports what
happened.
● Fear of not being believed & for those of us who are lesbian or bi and/or trans,
experiences of homophobia & transphobia may make many of us afraid to call the
police.
● If you are not lesbian or bisexual, you may fear that people will assume you are.
● Woman to woman sexual assault must be reported so that all women can get the
support & assistance they deserve & need.

10. If you have been raped, it is extremely important to seek medical attention
as soon as possible, even if you have no obvious injuries.
1. Hospital Exam
a. Clothing you worse during an assault may have evidence
on it, so bring it with you if you have changed before going to the hospital.
b. If possible, request a trained sexual assault nurse
examiner.
2. A verbal history of the sexual assault & related medical concerns
a. You will be asked to give a detailed description of the
assault.
b. It is important for the medical provider to know where to
check for injuries & what evidence to document for possible prosecution.
3. A pelvic or rectal exam
a. Pelvic exam - If you were raped vaginally.
b. Rectal exam - If you were raped anally.
c. Make sure to check clinician’s written record for
accuracy after exam.
4. Checking for external or rectal exam
a. Take pictures of any bruises that appear after the exam &
call the examiner.
5. Prevention of STIs
a. You should be offered antibiotic injections as a
preventive measure against STIs that are treatable by antibiotics.
6. Prevention of pregnancy
a. A pregnancy resulting from rape cannot be detected until
several weeks later.
b. Practitioner may offer you the morning-after pill.
7. Follow-up exam
a. A follow up visit that includes tests & treatment for STIs
& a pregnancy test, if indicated, is an important part of taking care of yourself.
Although improvements have been made in the
legal system, prosecution of a rapist can still be a
drawn out & painful process.
1. In some states, sexual assault can be
reported anonymously.
2. Write down everything you can remember so
if you decide to file a criminal complaint later,
your statement will be accurate.
3. In cases when prosecution of a rapist is
successful, the verdict & who gets convicted
too often reflect the inequities present in the
U.S legal system, which imprisons people of
color & poor people at a higher rate than
white and/ or middle-class perpetrators of
similar crimes.

11. Intimate Partner Violence
● Intimate partner violence & battering, also
known as domestic violence, are among the
most common yet least reported crimes in the
world.
● This involves a pattern of behavior that
causes fear & intimidation in which one
person in the relationship exerts coercive
control over the other person.
● It may include physical violence, threatening
with weapons, sexual assault, verbal &
emotional abuse, control of finances or
physical freedom, destruction of objects, &
threats of harm or actual harm to loved ones
including children or pets.
Over time, the abuser sets the stage by doing things
that will make the partner increasingly susceptible
to coercion.
● Exploiting vulnerabilities such as immigration
status, childbirth, financial debt, or illness.
● Wearing down resistance through emotional
abuse or isolation from family & friends.
● Increasing emotional dependency, for
example, by inflicting injuries & then caring
for those injuries.
● The abuser can increase the likelihood that
the abused person will comply with future
demands & threats. After that, the abuser can
often get what he or she wants with just a hint
of negative consequences.

12. The Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Children
● Children who grow up with intimate
partner violence may come to believe
that violence is an appropriate way to
resolve conflicts.
● Children are more likely to be abused
later on, & more likely to abuse others.
● Many come from families where male
dominance & abuse are never
questioned & where physical
punishment “in the name of love” is
accepted.
● Break the Cycle (breakthecycle.org).
If you are in a dangerous relationship there are
things you can do that may help you to be safe,
keep your children safe & work toward ending
the relationship.
1. Call the National Domestic Violence
Hotline.
2. Build a support network.
3. Teach your children how to call 911 for
emergency assistance.
4. Look online for additional resources.
5. Learn computer safety.
6. Prepare a safety plan.
7. Study the abuser’s patterns.

13. Legal/Medical Considerations for Intimate Partner
Abuse
Legal
1. Restraining Orders
a. Can provide different kinds of protection.
b. They can order the abuser to leave the
family home, stay away from you & your children, & not
to molest, assault, harass, stalk, threaten, or
physically/sexually abuse you in the future.
c. Legal custody of children, child support,
medical bills, & the cost of car or house repairs.
d. You can obtain protection orders even
when you continue living with your abuser.
e. People against whom a court has issued
an intimate partner violence protection order, cannot
legally own or purchase firearms.
Medical
● Ideally, all hospitals would be required
to train the staff about violence against
women. Some hospitals do but some
do not, & in some the training is
inadequate.
● Since the person taking you to the
hospital may be your abuser, the
hospital staff should separate you so
you can talk freely about your
experience & injuries.

14. Stalking
Definition
1. Intentional behavior directed at a
specific person that would cause a
reasonable person to feel fear.
2. A course of conduct directed at a
specific person that involved repeated
visual or physical proximity,
nonconsensual communication, or
verbal, written, or implied threats, or a
combinations thereof, that would cause
a reasonable person fear.
Tips on how to proceed if you are being
stocked:
1. Change your patterns - vary your actions &
your travel routes.
2. Keep a log of all encounters with the stalker &
a record of all attempts to reach you.
3. Don’t communicate with the stalker or
respond to attempts to contact you.
4. Make a safety plan.
5. Let your friends, family, & neighbors know
you are being stalked & provide them with a
picture of the stalker.
6. Protect your personal information.
7. Install dead bolts & hide all keys.
8. You may want to install an alarm/ security
system.

16. Sexual Abuse of Children & Adolescents
Sexual abuse of a child occurs when an older or more knowledgeable child or adult forces, tricks,
threatens, or pressures a child into sexual awareness or activity.
● Although the common image is of a male abusing a female child or teen, women also commit
sexual abuse, & boys are also victims.
● Trusted adults who abuse children & teenagers include parents, uncles, aunts, siblings,
cousins, stepparents, grandparents, coaches, babysitters, teachers, clergy, & day care staff.
● Incest - The abuser is functioning in the role of a family member, whether or not he or she is
biologically related to the child.
● Sexual offenders often use the child’s trust & dependance to initiate sexual contact & to ensure
continued sexual access to the child.
● Lifelong consequences include; running away from home, depression & some may even use
drugs, alcohol, food, or sex to dull the emotional pain.

17. Sexual Harassment
Definition/Symptoms
● Unwanted sexual attention.
● Includes; leering, touching, repeated
comments, subtle suggestions of a
sexual nature, pornography in the
workplace, & pressure for dates.
● You may be aware only of feeling
stressed at first but can soon develop
headaches, anxieties, or resistance to
going to the setting in which the
incident occurred.
In the workplace
● May experience a direct or implied threat.
● Flirting or joking about sex.
● May lead to reprisals, which can include
escalation of harassment; poor work
assignments; sabotaging of projects;
denial of raises, benefits, or promotion; &
sometimes the loss of a job.
● Poor women, immigrant women, older
women, & teenagers are especially
vulnerable to sexual harassment because
they often have less power in the
workplace & greater difficulties finding
employment.

18. Sex Work & Violence Against
Women
● Sex work is a term that refers to a variety of jobs
within the sex industry, including prostitution,
exotic dancing, phone sex, & work in the
pornography industry.
● Poverty & the lack of economic alternatives are
what drive most people into sex work.
● A smaller number of women who work in the sex
industry actively choose to do so for various
reasons, including money; a sense of power &
independence; or as a way of working out
personal issues.
● All sex workers are at risk of violence from pimps,
clients, bosses in the porn industry, & from the
police.
● Sex workers who are prostitutes risk contracting
sexually transmitted infections, including HIV &
hepatitis.

19. Defend/End Violence
Defending Ourselves
● Learning self-defense boosts physical &
emotional self-confidence.
○ Includes many activities:
assertiveness training, exercise, &
boxing & other sports that promote
self-confidence, self-knowledge, &
self-reliance.
○ Helps to think clearly if under attack.
○ Mobilize thoughts, assess the
situation, judge the level of danger,
& then carry out the response
chosen.
Ending Violence
● Recognize that violence against women is a risk throughout
the life span & make necessary services available to women
of all ages, abilities, & backgrounds.
● Speak out against the messages in our society that
encourage violence, domination, & exploitation.
● Teach & model nonviolence.
● Get involved whenever you see the seeds or expression of
violence against women. Remember that silence will only
make it worse.
● Strengthen family, community, & neighborhood areas against
violence as opposed to relying on the criminal justice
system.
● Work to maintain a strong network of services for all of us
who are at risk of & who have survived violence
● Insist that our government officials take violence against
women seriously & make sure they are doing everything they
can to help prevent it.

20. Conclusion
One quote that stood out
“Being pressured into losing your virginity in a swimming pool pump room to keep your older
boyfriend happy; waking up in the night to find a trusted family friend in bed with you; having your mother’s
boyfriend ask you for sexual favors; feeling the same group of boys grope you between classes, day after day
after day.” Peterson and her friends told no adults about these assaults. “After all, who could we tell? This
wasn’t rape-it didn’t fit the definitions. This was not-rape. We should have known better (Pg. 701).”
Striking perspectives/Areas where I agreed
“On average, more than three women are murdered by husbands or boyfriends every day in the
United States (Pg. 691).”
I agree that women have focused a lot of effort on the problems of violence against women & have
made tremendous progress overall but all in all, there is still so much to be done. Knowing that billions of
women all over the world are being abused in some sort of way makes me so angry. No one should have to go
through any sort of abuse, women do not deserve this & it needs to be stopped right away. “Imagine a world
free from gender-based violence: where homes are not broken into fragments; where tears are no longer shed
for daughters raped in war, and in peace; where shame and silences break into new melodies; where women
and men gain power and courage to live to their full potential (Pg. 726).”

21. Discussion Questions
1. How do you feel about violence against women in the United States? Is
there enough being done to prevent/stop it?
2. What are your thoughts on “Gray Rape?” “Date or acquaintance rape
with a misleading name (Pg. 704).”