CRJ #6

According to chapter ten, gendered violence implies that harm evolves from the imbalance in power between people. Both women and men can be behind violence and it is in heterosexual and homosexual relationships. However, women are usually the victims of sexual violence. We have learned that gender is not just female or male; it is more often masculinity and femininity. Men are more susceptible to using their masculinity to prove that they are “manly,” and therefore are usually the offenders. Anyone that is considered feminine is at risk of being victimized. This is one of the main reasons why if a man were to get sexually abused; he would probably hide it in order to keep his masculine persona.
Sexual violence does not just involve men though. Women can be the abusers especially, when it comes to relationships. Many people think that rape is not possible if you are in a relationship or married. The truth is rape can go on between people that are married and most of the time it does not get reported.
Gender inequality is another important subject when it comes to sexual violence. Sexist behaviors are often feelings of superiority over women. A lot of men are upset about the changes that women have been making over the recent past and are angered and insecure. Some violence crimes that men commit are an attempt to reestablish power that they believe they have lost because of the gains of women. This has a lot to do with feminism. Feminists work to help women’s rights but, in doing so they may provoke more violence against women. Some men do not want to see women as being equal with men.
I understand the relationship between gender and sexual violence to be very clear. Typically, it is the masculine person performing the violence and the feminine person that is the victim. This is why with younger kids it does not matter that much for sexual predators because a young boy can be just as harmless as a young girl. As I read in this chapter, young boys are also used as sex slaves along with young girls. In addition to that, I think that the violence towards women is more common because women are the only ones that can get pregnant. A man can recklessly have sex as much as he wants but does not have to have the baby. The woman who gets raped must make a decision whether or not to keep the baby if she gets pregnant. This also has a lot to do with abortion. There have been so many groups that try to put constraints on abortions but the fact is that if a woman gets raped it is not her fault and she should not have to have the baby if she gets pregnant.
I think that overall, violence against women has grown because society has made it okay. It will be very hard to change things now because women have been inferior for so many years and are just now gaining all of their rights. People need to have the mindset that women are equal in order for things to start changing. However, women aren’t the only ones involved. The feminine category often times includes homosexuals. The power struggle between masculinity and femininity is the leading cause of sexual violence.