Violence, Women, And The Media
July 22, 2010 by Diane
The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services declared violence the number one health problem for women over a decade ago, and recent studies show that the problem is not diminishing. One contributing factor may be the way women are portrayed in the media.[1] Women are often depicted as victims of violence or as sexual objects, and researchers have found that these media portrayals may influence how women are viewed and treated in society. Over 40 years of scientific investigation has led researchers to conclude that media violence significantly contributes to aggressive attitudes and behavior in society.[2]
Studies have shown that men who view a number of films in which women are portrayed in sexually degrading or violent situations become increasingly less disturbed by violence against women. A number of studies have also shown that violent pornography has a numbing effect, allowing men to commit sexual assaults without recognizing the pain suffered by their female victims.
A survey found that 68% of the public believes that sexual portrayals of women in American movies “often” amount to exploitation. On television, a disproportionate amount of violence is directed toward female victims.
Researchers have found an average of 18 instances of aggression each hour on MTV, 35% of which depict sexual violence against women. In the video Dreamworlds II, it shows how numerous music videos separate women into body parts (i.e., legs, arms, breasts) and distract viewers from seeing women subjectively as humans with thoughts and feelings.
According to sociologists, games such as Tomb Raider encourage sexism and condition adolescents to view the world as they do the computer screen: with female sex symbols, female kidnapping, and female rescue and submission.
The Internet makes cyber-stalking much easier as they can easily access private information about their victims. Many online directories enable individuals to obtain e-mail addresses, home addresses, and phone numbers without their victims knowing.
I keep writing about the impact of so much violence and mayhem in the media nowadays because of all the violence in the home. It doesn’t stop with women. If women are abused in the home, children are traumatized as well. If the media CEOs were concerned about so much violence in America, they would do something about it where they have the most influence—the programming they pump out on a daily basis. I don’t see that happening anytime soon.
[1] “Violence, Women and the Media,” Issue Brief Series (2000). Studio City, CA: Mediascope Press
[2] Donnerstein, E., Slaby, R. and Eron, L. (1993). “The Mass Media and Youth Aggression.” American Psychological Association.
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