Gender Based Abuse GBA A Prevalent and Global Phenomenon Defining Gender Based Abuse Gender based abuse GBA most often refers to violence against GBA is not confined to violent behaviors All violence is abuse but women not all abuse is violent o GBA includes behaviors and practices that harm the physical sexual and psychological well being of women and girls o Examples of GBA include rape sexual abuse intimate partner o GBA is not confined to developing nations it is also present violence and stalking in industrialized nations o Types of GBA are not always mutually exclusive women can be experiencing multiple types of violence simultaneously o GBA is often linked to sexuality forced pregnancies are also linked o RECOGNITION OF THIS TYPE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND OUR UNDERSTANDING OF IT ARE A RESULT OF THE 2ND WAVE OF FEMINISM Culture Gender Inequality and GBA GBA can restrict women s freedom by keeping them under the control of men thus decreasing their power and control Some scholars suggest that gender socialization prepares women for this victim role Both in the media and popular culture support of rape myths is still relatively common The Culture of Victim Blaming and GBA There is a tendency to blame victims and this is especially the case for certain types of victimizations o For example victims of rape IPV and stalking are more susceptible to victim blaming o Women who violate traditional gender scripts are particularly at risk if she is a prostitute it is so difficult to argue that she was raped If she was drunk dressed provocatively Some ironies with regard to victimization and victim blaming o Most GBA is committed by men who know the victims and people are more likely to victim blame for victimizations by known individuals o Women are more at risk of rape when drinking and also more likely to be blamed if drinking o For battered women victim blaming often comes in the form of the question Why does she stay Victim blaming shifts all of the attention away from the offender The Relationship between Gender Inequality and GBA Where do we see evidence of gender inequality o Gender inequality is heightened during conflict and wars o However it is not restricted to war torn countries What is the link between gender inequality and GBA o Gender inequality is a risk factor for GBA o Countries with higher levels of gender inequality also report greater prevalence of GBA Research has shown that at the micro level local level these associations between gender inequality and GBA persist Rates of GBA and Fear of Crime crime men or women According to victimization data who is more likely to be a victim of o Despite lower victimization rates women report greater fear of crime paradox of fear What are some explanations for this o Physical vulnerability not as strong as men can t defend themselves o Gender socialization women are socialized to be passive men are socialized to be dominant o Patriarchy system is built upon dominance and re victimization o The shadow of sexual assault The Intersections of Race Ethnicity and Class in GBA What role does anger play in explanations of racial differences in GBA o Institutional racism affects African Americans and their intimate relationships these individuals already have so many other hurdles and when frustrating things happen in their relationship then they take out anger on partner Maybe arguments are actually about issues like unemployment or lesser opportunities Why is the victimization of minority women less likely to be acknowledged o Hyper sexualization they are more at risk of sexual abuse and harassment and they are more likely to be blamed because people assume they are promiscuous of African American women which puts them at risk of sexual abuse and harassment o Cultural norms and fears of deportation among immigrant women The Victimization of Immigrant Women and Girls Factors associated with heightened risk among immigrant women o Cultural norms o Stresses related to immigrant changes o Power dynamics between undocumented immigrants and their partners o Threats to seeking legal recourse Conclusions GBA offenses are among the most underreported crimes As a result of the increase in feminist researchers and activists focuses on issues of gender violence we have seen increased attention to these issues Initiatives at the local state federal and even international level are evidence of progress in this area GBA is rooted in gender inequalities and GBA increases gender inequalities o To confront one of these issues we must confront them both Sexual Abuse Defining Sexual Abuse 10 22 2015 Sexual abuse refers to any forced coerced or exploitative sexual act or activity consent o Key to determining whether a sexual act constitutes abuse is o Consent can either be verbal or nonverbal o Not always physically violent Exists on a continuum from coercive to physically violent behaviors Exploitation and or media imaging someone recording a sexual act that you are involved in posting on your fb is under Coercion Threaten Force husband tell wife he will leave her or not provide for her is under Force Major Developments in Our Understanding of Sexual Abuse 1 Most sexual abuse victims and offenders know each other 2 Rape extends beyond vaginal intercourse to other types of unwanted sexual activity 3 Although sexual abuse is a gender related abuse GBA it can be committed by either gender and similarly either gender can be victimized 4 Sexual abuse can be coercive as well as forceful Statistics on Sexual Abuse Of all violent crimes sexual assaults are the least likely to be reported to the police o Prevalence rates or rates over a person s lifetime 18 of women and 3 of men experienced a completed or attempted rape in their life o Incidence rates or rates within a set period of time 25 of American women have been sexually assaulted in adolescence or adulthood Even reporting to the NCVS has a gag reflex because their abuser may be in the household during interview Sexual Abuse Victims Offenders and The Victim Offender Relationship Victims men Offenders o Women are more at risk of sexual abuse victimization than o Racial minorities particularly American Indian and Alaskan Native women are at heightened risk o Men boys are more likely than women girls to perpetrate sexual abuse 95 of the time o Most sexual abusers are not over sexed a lot are involved in a conceptual relationship o Exhibit factors reflective of antisociality 5 factors identified by