FAD 4265 Reading Guide 3 Chapters 10 11 12 413 423 top paragraph only Chapter 10 media violence and violence many studies link exposure to media violence and negative outcomes both long term and short term for children increased aggressive behavior and attitudes fears or pessimistic attitudes about the world and desensitization to violence are correlated with exposure to media violence increased depression nightmares and sleep disturbances are associated with viewing media violence pornography sexualizes rape battery and sexual harassment prostitution an child sexual abuse it thereby celebrates promotes authorizes and legitimizes them lyrics of some popular music especially rap music celebrate violence and contempt for women and legal authority video game themes are often violence violence has always been a dominant theme in American literature and folklore real world violence cannot be directly blamed on the media but media violence is nonetheless socially significant It desensitizes its observers to the consequences of violence It provides continuing evidence that the use of violence is acceptable in this society violence and the social organization of the family the family like other social organizations is a power system that is power is unequally distributed between parents and children between spouses with the male parent typically dominant the greater the inequality the more one person makes all the decisions and has all the power the greater the risk of violence the rule in our society that the home is private has two negative consequences it insulates family members from the protection that society can provide if another family member becomes abusive privacy often prevents the victims of abuse from seeking outside help family violence intimate partner violence spouse abuse intimate partner violence violence between husbands and wives cohabiting partners and dating couples in the form of beating slapping kicking and rape is relatively common in US society the NVAW survey defines intimate partner violence to include rape physical assault and stalking perpetrated by current and former spouses cohabiting partners and dating partners more than 80 of the victims of intimate partner violence are women 33 million Americans have been victims of intimate partner violence at some point in their lifetime violence against women than family members events of a violent nature generally take place in private with no witnesses other battered women are often treated by medical professionals who fail to inquire deeply into the cause of their injuries victoms commonly lie about the causes of their injuries because of shame out of fear of reprisal or to protect their partners many victims do not go to public agencies for help because they have found these organizations to be unresponsive family violence although the family is based on love among its members the way it is organized encourages conflict power system male dominance battle of the sexes family is lengthy interactions that increases the probability for disagreements irritations violations of privacy and the like which increase the risk of violence reasons why the extent of woman abuse in domestic settings is impossible to pin down accurately only 27 of women reported physical assaults by an intimate partner to the police For nearly all women who failed to report the incident the reason given was that they did not thing the police could do anything about it intimate terrorism and situational couple violence Think of an example to distinguish between the two types of violence between couples Intimate terrorism defined by the attempt to dominate one s partner and to exert general control over the relationship domination that is manifested in the use of a wide range of power and control tactics including violence Situational couple violence defined as intimate partner violence that is not embedded in such a general pattern of controlling behaviors but occurs when specific conflict situations escalate to violence intimate terrorism is commonly equal between men and women but effects are greater or stronger for women Power and violence patterns of total control incorporates the systematic use of tactics that are not physically violent but are nonetheless and exercise of power the power and control wheel captures how this abuse is patterned to involve the following nonviolent tactics intimidation threats emotional abuse isolation blaming using children using male privilege and using economic abuse 8 types of violence in the power and control wheel 1 using economic abuse preventing her from getting or keeping a job Making her ask for money Giving her an allowance Taking her money Not letting her know about or have access to family income 2 using male privilege treating her like a servant Making all the big decisions Acting like the master of the castle Being the one to define men s and women s roles 3 using children making her feel guilty about the children Using the children to relay messages Using visitation to harass her Threatening to take the children away 4 Minimizing denying and blaming making light of the abuse and not taking her concerns about it seriously Saying the abuse didn t happen Shifting responsibility for abusive behavior Saying she caused it 5 Using isolation controlling what she does who she sees and talks to what she reads where she goes Limiting her outside involvement Using jealousy to justify actions 6 Using emotional abuse putting her down Making her feel bad about herself Calling her names Making her think she is crazy Playing mind games Humiliating her Making her feel guilty 7 Using intimidation making her afraid by using looks actions gestures Smashing things Destroying her property Abusing pets Displaying weapons 8 Using coercion and threats making and or carrying out threats to do something to hurt her Threatening to leave her to commit suicide to report her to welfare Making her drop charges Making her do illegal things Why do women stay with their abusers Several studies have found that more than half of women who were abused by their partners either left the relationship or negotiated an end to the violence the decisions a woman makes about whether her overall quality of life will be better without the relationship and then whether she has enough control over her circumstances to leave the relationship They have difficulty leaving for a variety of social and psychological reasons including fear hope and