Victim blaming essay, help needed.

[TheEnthusiasticTroll]

I'm doing a social work degree and need for a creativity and empowerment essay any links to specific media representation of victim blaming. I'm thinking linking to a few current stories in the media related to female sexual victimisation.

I wanted to link in how cases are reported by the news. I'm not looking for anything overly intellectual, I have only 1500 words to make a quick summery in terms of representing "the other" and linking in to contemporary representation of "the other" having a voice and how representation occurs in a specific medium. The other being young female victims of sexual victimisation and medium being news reporting.

I'm specifically looking for any news, topical programmes or tabloid reports that spring to people's minds that may hint of victim blaming.

It's just a summery that will outline changing cultural representations and negative stereotypes. This will later link to a larger peice about user involvement specific to social work values.


Any help in pointing me in the right direction to anything recently reported would be much appreciated. PM if you prefere.

[Midge25]

Quick internet search came up with This

[KRITIQ]

Try a wee search on how men killing their children and/or partners (also called "family annihilators" are portrayed in the media.

This is a classic example of how victims of sexual violence are "othered" in the way stories are reported, the language chosen, etc.

There seems to be almost a template for how such stories are conveyed - striving to "normalise" the character of the perpetrator (e.g. hard working, good father, loved his children, etc.), making out that him killing his partner and children was an aberration, out of the blue, he must have snapped, etc. (even where the evidence points to carefully planned and carried out murders and murder/suicides, and often a history of violent, controlling behaviour towards his family,)

At the same time, strong indications are given that the behaviour of the women (usually dead in these cases,) was inappropriate in the period leading up to the murders, often suggesting this "provoked" the man to murder them and/or the children. So, while the perpetrator is made out to be an "ordinary Joe who just snapped in response to provocation," the mother of the dead children (often also killed) is made out to be anything but an ordinary "good" wife, mother and woman.

You'll find plenty out there. Good luck.

[TheEnthusiasticTroll]

I did consider that KRITIQ thanks for the insight, I have just wrote a law essay on intimate partner violence so thatbwould be an interesting anglento cover. I think i would like to link this specifically to children or young women I've found a lot on savile, Rochdale and another two cases of the victimisation of girls. I have found a few reports that I can use but wanted to find something quite explicit than I've searched this evening. I wanted to focus on one or two specific news tabloid or topical programmes.

I have saved that midge25, that's the kind of thing I'm looking for, thanks.

[ConsiderCasey]

I would say one thing that strikes me as odd in the way that the media have reported the jimmy savile case and others is that they have kept it incredibly non-gendered. They've talked about protecting "young people" and even though we have had week after week of young girls being abused, kidnapped by men, that pattern hasn't been picked up or analysed.
In asking the questions why was this level of abuse was allowed to slip through the cracks the media has focused on the BBC, the NHS, etc, but has not addressed the wider issue of society's attitudes to female abuse victims which is one of automatic disbelief (especially when it involes a famous man) and which is the main reason these girls did not speak up or were ignored.

They report on various incidents, the latest being the policeman who didn't pursue allegations of rape, but never seem to connect the dots.

[Darkesteyes]

Enthusiastic Troll i started a thread in Chat recently about the way my parents were blaming the victims in the Savile case. My DM was even gaslighting as well as blaming. i will link it into this thread.

[Darkesteyes]

Here it is.



www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/1592649-Savile-related-Darks-parents-are-still-defending-him

[Darkesteyes]

Oh sorry i didnt realise you meant the way it was reported in the news. My fault. I should have read your OP properly.

[TheEnthusiasticTroll]

That's ok interesting thread, anything that helps deal with attitudes is useful to read.

[HazleNutt]

Just from today:
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2224977/Father-stabbed-people-including-wife-children-death-island-Jersey-jailed-30-years.html#ixzz2AmdFAYE6

Damian Rzeszowski, 31, snapped after his wife Izabela, 30, admitted having a two-month affair with another man. (knifed six people to death, including his wife and two young children )

'The state of their marriage was a determining factor in the defendant?s behaviour in June and July last year,' Mr Sharp said.'He could not face the prospect of a failed marriage. Rzeszowski had difficulties controlling his emotions and 'communicating his frustrations and worries' and violence was part of his character.

Oh, and snapping and being unable to control his emotions,in fact "Rather than flying into an instant rage, Rzeszowski waited an hour and three-quarters before butchering his family and their visitors."

But still, it's all her fault..

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

Cripes, Hazle

Have you added her and her children to the list of victims in activism? OP, that might be another thread to check out:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/feminist_activism/1065291-Victims-of-Violence

[TheEnthusiasticTroll]

Thanks again for info.

[DuelingFanjo]

Alan Titchmarsh recently did a bit of victim blaming re the saville case when interviewing Coleen Nolan.

[Trekkie]

Try googling the reports around this case here

This is just the first one that came up when I googled.
Has really stayed with me as the most atrocious case of victim blaming, it upset me a lot at the time. Was reported across the media, including "lefty" papers, and the BBC, in a highly inappropriate way at the time, and even after a guilty verdict was delivered.

I seem to remember a lot of papers screaming about little girls lying about rape all the time, before the verdict, now I think of it. It was awful.

[Trekkie]

Also this TFL poster <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=tfl+minicab+advert+woman+screaming&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=G6l49bPsRwCWsM:&imgrefurl=versatileidentities.blogspot.com/2010/10/stop-please-no-please-please-stop.html&docid=FmDbff2JfgRPkM&imgurl=i.thisislondon.co.uk/i/pix/2009/11/26-cabposter-415.jpg&w=415&h=560&ei=zWOQUM2mBajS0QXxyoCwDg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=178&vpy=14&dur=1166&hovh=261&hovw=193&tx=84&ty=149&sig=107566779655659111226&page=1&tbnh=147&tbnw=109&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,i:69" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">here is pretty spectacular and used to be displayed prominently in tube stations.

[TheEnthusiasticTroll]

Wow that is pretty emotive Trekkie, that would be a useful visual. Thanks.

[TheEnthusiasticTroll]

That seems quite a brief report would need to google more, but it reminds of the oral assault of the 5 year old girl by her teenage neighbour where it was put down to exploration. I will look into both.

[TheEnthusiasticTroll]

Have just found that thanks duelingfanjo

[TheEnthusiasticTroll]

Just watched that fueling, I can't pick out where he was victim blaming, other than exploring the reality that some young woman don't have the power to say to no. Was he not just asking about that rather than blaming? I'm not too sure. He also aknowledges the responsibility of others in such a scenario in protecting And asking questions.

[NormaStanleyFletcher]

I am really sorry for the Sun link

but www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4142563/.html

Willing participent at 11 years old?

[TheEnthusiasticTroll]

Sorry dueling not fueling

[TheEnthusiasticTroll]

Thanks Norman that is one case I was aware of and was thinking relating.

[IsBella]

Hi there's a report here from the Daily Mail about Kate Moss and the comments underneath are just gruesomely victim-blaming:

www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2225535/Kate-Moss-goes-Bardot-look-talks-sex-drugs-Johnny-Depp.html

[TheEnthusiasticTroll]

If that is how Kate moss felt and that is no surprise she was not comfortable, why where her parents not protecting her from these situations. I don't like the comments as it is not only the responsibility of Kate at 16 , but it certanly is her parents responsibility and the entertainment industry to not place young people in similar situations. The male model looks equally uncomfortable in that shot too.

[MerlinScot]

Maybe This and this one too can be useful to you. I'm sorry this are two links only regarding Scottish facts.

Good luck with your essay!!

[SolidGoldYESBROKEMYSPACEBAR]

You could google a bit around 'feminist' 'anti-rape' 'safety advice' and 'parody' as there are now two or three lists on line of 'rape prevention advice' which are along the lines of 'Do not rape a woman just because she's there. If she's asleep, don't rape her. If she's walking alone at night, don't rape her.'