We need to dismantle the Language of Protectionism when we talk about violence towards women - The male perspective.
This is a continuation of the subject started here
In focusing on women's freedom (rather than their protection), we also open ourselves to the recognition of men's vulnerability.
According to the police's 2015/16 crime statistics, 87.5 percent of murder victims that year were male, while 96.2 percent of perpetrators were also male. The South African Demographic and Health Survey conducted in 2016 by the Department of Heath found the annual rate of intentional injury (including violence, assault and self-inflicted injuries) to be 4,444 per 100,000 adult men and 2,699 per 100,000 adult women. Put another way, 370 in every 100,000 men and 225 in every 100,000 women were intentionally injured every month in 2016.
To think and speak about men's violence towards women in the language of protectionism alone is thus to close ourselves off to other important interventions into the problem.
Men are clearly in need of a great deal of protection from violence – yet current gender ideologies do not admit of this, the role of a defenceless victim being an exclusively female one. Yet there is now an ample body of research in existence pointing a close and complex relationship between men's victimisation and their involvement in violence. The lesson to be drawn from this literature is that men's violence both towards women, as well as each other, cannot be addressed in isolation of their victimisation.
There is still other evidence to suggest that violence towards women should not be bracketed off as distinct from, and unrelated to violence generally.
A forthcoming, collaborative research project led by the Medical Research Council (MRC) found 30 percent of a national sample of men arrested for rape to have previous convictions. While 4.4 percent of these previous convictions were for rape, the other convictions were for murder, robbery, housebreaking and theft.
Other research conducted by the MRC in the Eastern Cape found rape of a non-partner to be associated with men's membership of a gang – a finding echoed in a different study undertaken in three districts of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Here too a history of arrest and imprisonment, as well as a predilection for theft, distinguished men who raped from those who did not.
To think and speak about men's violence towards women in the language of protectionism alone is thus to close ourselves off to other important interventions into the problem.
In exchange for making women dependent upon men for their safety and freedom, protectionism offers women a degraded form of citizenship, one that is predicated on their child-like status and fragile nature of being. It leaves fundamentally intact the sort of gender relations and norms that contribute to violence and pleads only for a kindlier, gentler patriarchy, rather than a transformed gender order.
Is this what we're talking about?
Originally published by myself at huffingtonpost
Excellent article @petticoat.hyena . Followed for more excellent articles with an interesting view.
I am male and haven't even considered hitting a woman since I was 10 years old and punched my sister's friend (in the arm) after she beat me to the curb in a race to put out the trash. Even before I got into huge trouble from my parents, and even at 10 years old, I knew I had done something very wrong. I'm 35 and that moment is etched in my memory.
At 21 I was engaged to a violent partner. I was young passionate and have always enjoyed a healthy debate. I have been told my words can be extremely cutting. This combination led to me copping quite a few beatings.
Whilst the thought of a 150cm 42kg (5" and 90lbs) beating up on a solid Aussie surfer might seem comical, trust me this girl could hit (and so could her handbag).
I went to an old-fashioned private school where the odd beating from the older boys was almost a "right of passage". As crazy as it seems, you weren't really cool uness you copped the odd beating from the older boys. So I had been "conditioned" to take punches, but it was the mental effect that was most painful to deal with.
Even if I was capable of taking the hits, it still made me feel like a worthless piece of shit at times. Whilst the physical side of domestic violence is a major concern, the psychological scarring of this plague on our society can be just as detrimental.
I'm all good now though. Yewww!
Fish
Nice post .... What I urge isthere should be rule that punishments given should be made public so in future when someone thought of commiting a crime, they will be feared to commit the crime or rape because of the kind of punishments they have seen in the past.....Reply me if this is a good idea??
I upvoted this comment not necessarily because I agree whole-heartedly, but because I think it's important to look for solutions.
I'm more inclined to look at preventative measures involving breaking the "cycle of abuse". Most perpetrators of violent actions have been victims themselves.
I'm not sure further punishing victims is the answer, but it is ony by getting a wide range of opinions that we can hope to collaborate on a successful solution moving forward. Hence my upvoting of this comment.
Great work for coming up with solution @akhil80, just because I don't completely agree, doesn't mean I don't respect and value your opinion. Followed to bring balance to my own views on this matter.
I couldn't agree more. I'm all for gender equality, but when I say it, I mean EQUAL, not one above the other, one treated different than the other, i mean gender NEUTRAL, as in gender does not matter.
There was a video released a few years ago in the UK that showed a man and a woman walking through a public area. The first iteration of it shows a man getting a bit rough with his wife/girlfriend scolding her, he did not get overly rough but it did get physical.
Many people intervened and threatened the man that they would hurt him or call the police, warning the woman she did not need to take that etc.
The second iteration was the opposite. The woman getting physical and rough towards the man. The woman got much more physical than the man did and he cowered and took it. The only intervention from the public were people smirking and laughing. Nobody tried to help the man, nobody threatened the woman.
41% of reported domestic abuse is committed by a woman towards a man according to that video. Men are also 95% less likely to report domestic abuse against themselves from a female.
That isn't equality.
Upvoted and followed @sasha.shade . Thank you. I have always been in support of closing the gap on both sides.
My mother is a brilliant businessperson and I see the equal value women bring to the workforce but are not paid for in Australia. If you read my comment I have also been the strong Aussie surfer male, getting the shit beaten out of him by a petite but fiery lady.
Violence is violence, and quality work is quality work. Gender plays no part here.
VERY GOOD THANK YOU FOR SHARING ANOTHER QUESTION WHAT TYPE OF ARTICLE MEET YOU IN YOUR PROFILE @petticoat.hyena
Great post ! There must be stricter punishment for rape !
As long as their is strict punishment for false rape accusations.
I believe too many women are being abused and violated . this is been going on for to long what can we do about it ?
If woman and men are the same, violence should be treated equally. If not, a bigger set of problems lurk out of the blue.
I don't understand how feminists want equality of genders yet they always focus on women. Violence, rape, abuse should be avoided against any gender.
Things went in the wrong direction and the gender discrepancies are only made bigger if we're not willing to IGNORE gender. To be honest, my belief is that gender differences are there and we should accept and make the best of them but I can still see a benefit in full equality (if that's what the people want). I just hope they will promote it the RIGHT way.
And what activists seem to forget is that even though men make up most of the high ranking positions (which are hell, no human in their right mind would want to lose their social life for money they don't need), they also make up most of the workforce in dangerous environments. And what drives men to achieve such high status in spite of it being awful? Might be the need to attract a mate.
Great post. !
I believe the youth are in need of love and schools should teach this as part of thier curriculum. Violence needs to stop. But seems as though its on the rise unfortunately.
Knowledge is power.
Us men must protect our women from being treated like meat.