Well written essay example of victim portfolio focusing on victims of domestic violence and sexual violence
high grade B/ 2: 1 , 1ST class range
range of scholars , references , books , explanations , evaluations, strengths and weaknesses
Clear focused structure on key concepts, socio-historical...
ID: 210027125
VICTIM BLAMING
WOMEN AS VICTIMS OF
SEXUAL ASSAULT
Women as female victims of sexual assault
(FVSA) has reached an alarming rate in the
present day, despite society’s supposed
‘transition’ away from traditional values that may
have once justified said offence. 97% of women
will experience sexual violence at some point in
their lifetime, ranging from street harassment to
rape, and 96% of victims will not report it (UN
Women, 2022). 98% of adults prosecuted for
sexual offences are men (rapecrisis.org.uk).
Through the expansion of social media, feminist Victim Blaming
movements have created awareness and The victim is held responsible for the offence
provoked necessary changes for women to feel committed.
safe, such as the MeToo and 97 movements.
However, largely reported famous cases of The perception of victim-blaming may derive from
women being sexually assaulted send a shocking victim-precipitation, proposed by Von Hentig
reminder that not enough is being done to (1948), as part of the positivist victimology
decrease these statistics. approach. This is where the offender’s motive is
a consequence of opportunity and direct
One of the main issues preventing this progress influence, meaning that the victim must account
is victim-blaming among survivors of sexual for some responsibility. Mendelsohn (1963)
violence, taking all responsibility away from the comments on the ‘penal couple’ which is the
offender and forcing it upon the woman. The act causal, reciprocal relationship between offender
of victim-blaming can stem right from the values and victim. The positivist approach concludes
of the victim’s peers and relations, right through that for the offender to commit the act he is
to the Criminal Justice System, which is the required to have received some provocation from
main cause of concern. There are several the victim (“many victims victimise the
theories as to why this occurs, however answers offender”). In 1971, Amir conducted a
may form from this question: is a woman as a controversial study during a rape crisis, finding
FVSA an ideal victim? that 19% of the rapes were victim-precipitated
based on the characteristics of youth (18-19),
alcohol and having a ‘bad reputation’. The neo-
classical victimology coincides supports this
with its Routine Activity Theory (Cohen and
Felson, 1979) which acknowledges that an
offence can only occur with a motivated offender
and a suitable target. This once again puts
responsibility on the woman to avoid being a
victim. In present day context, rape myths
insinuate that women are ‘asking for it’ because
of provocative appearance and conduct;
becoming a suitable target.
,The Ideal Victim The contrast to the Chivalry Thesis is the
Demonisation Thesis: that women are more likely
The Ideal Victim (Christie, 1986) is a theory to be victim-blamed if they don’t fit into the
which describes the ‘perfect’ victim, that one ‘ideal woman’. The main argument for victim-
would likely recognise. They describe them as blaming women is that they deserve it due their
having gained “the complete and legitimate conduct and appearance before the attack; if
status of being a victim” which is dependent on they were wearing provocative clothing, under
characteristics that fit the notion of a ‘typical’ the influence of alcohol, or flirting they were
victim. Characteristics include being weaker ‘asking for it’. These descriptions go against
than the attacker, physically and emotionally those set by the ‘ideal woman’ so therefore FVSA
vulnerable, and undeserving of the crime. This under these conditions cannot claim the status
therefore suggests that FVSA cannot fit into the of an ‘ideal victim’. Christie describes that the
‘ideal victim’ as society victim-blames them, offence must occur with an ‘unrelated offender’:
claiming they are deserving of sexual violence. a common myth is that sexual violence is only
Rape myths support this idea, however, there are conducted by strangers, however 5/6 of
certain elements which do put FVSA into the ‘IV’ offenders in rape cases are known by the
category, albeit to protect the power and survivor (rapecrisis.org.uk). Additionally, the
interests of men as the offenders. woman must have ‘put reasonable energy into
protecting herself’, calling back to the ‘ideal
One reason why FVSA do fit this notion is due to woman’ showing physical signs of attempted
women’s perceived vulnerability in society. The resistance. In a large proportion of sexual
Chivalry Thesis states that men have a duty to violence cases, there is no signs of self-defence;
protect and act a certain way towards women, reality is arguing against the characteristics of
which is evident through certain values and CJS the ‘ideal victim’.
practices (such as more lenient sentences for
female offenders). The ‘typical’ victim is seen as Overall, rape myths are suggestibly an
weaker, and (physiologically) smaller than their explanation as of why FSVA are victim-blamed,
offender. This leads on to a second argument: as they don’t fit into the ‘ideal victim’ concept.
men are the ‘ideal offender’. They are seen as Therefore, they do not gain sympathy or the
stronger, more powerful, and superior, therefore complete status of being a victim from society.
pairing with women’s’ vulnerability to create an However, it has to be asked, where did these
interdependent relationship between the ‘ideal myths originate from?
offender’ and the ‘ideal victim’. Finally, the
concept of the ‘ideal woman’ fits in accordance
to ‘ideal victim’. The ‘ideal woman’, in the
context of sexual violence, is sexually
inexperienced, sober, socially honourable and
shows definitive signs of fighting back. Thus,
corresponds with the characteristics of
vulnerability and weakness. However, there are
arguments for all these points: not all male Origins of Attitudes towards Women
attackers fit the ‘ideal offender’ and not all
women fit the ‘ideal woman’ in the case of In the past, sexual violence was an act of
sexual assault. symbolic violence, where rape was a crime
against the victim’s husband or father. This
illustrates women’s lack of recognition as the
main focus of the crime, as the power was given
to both the male offender and the intended male
victim. The women became ‘objects of
protection’.
,Marital rape was criminalised in 1991, meaning Despite its criminalisation in 1991, marital rape
husbands of rape survivors could no longer is still a large proportion of sexual violence
justify their actions with idea that wives were against woman. 10-14% of women will
‘property’. Historically, marriage represented a experience rape by their intimate partner and
‘unity’ meaning that the woman’s legal person only 36% assaults are reported to the police
was contained within her husband’s, essentially (NCADV). In 2006 it was additionally found by
a possession. The marital contract therefore NRCDV that women being raped by their husband
became justification for sexual violence as it are likely to experience it often, with recorded
presumes sexual consent. This means that the assaults up to 20 occurring within a single
woman’s credibility as a victim diminishes, and relationship. This illustrates that despite the
she becomes a mere product of a man’s rights. transition away from conservative values, the
Dobash and Dobash’s study (1980) went into justification of marital rape remains grounded
detail about domestic violence and men’s within some aspects of society. Hence,
justification for said actions. Wives were explaining why women would receive no victim
supposedly deserving of violence if they status, as they were seen as insignificant within
disobeyed their husbands, dressed provocatively, the ‘whole picture’ or as ‘deserving’ of the
or did not fit into the idea of the ‘good wife’. This offence as a punishment.
explains why FVSA within marriages may be
victim-blamed, as they are seen as ‘acting out’ of Street Harassment
the ‘ideal woman’ role so are deserving of the
consequences. Street harassment is defined as the ‘unwelcome
comment or contact of a sexual nature directed
Marital rape may have contributed to the at a person by a stranger in public’ (Oxford
prevalence of rape culture in modern society. The Dictionary) but is normalised with no formal
normalisation of sexual violence with beliefs that consequences. It has been mentioned that 97%
encourage men’s attitude and behaviour towards of women experience sexual assault, and street
women could explain the high number of routine harassment is estimated to make up a large
assaults. It is evident in the CJS and society, proportion of that statistic. Despite this,
with an ignorance for FVSA insinuating that survivors are victim-blamed on the premiss of
sexual violence is inevitable from the lack of sexualisation and consequently receive
support and recognition. Rape myths are attributed responsibility.
stereotypical beliefs that account for the
situational attribution of blame, for example Fiona Vera Gray’s 2018 study on Safety Work
wearing provocative clothing means she was explains the effects of victim-blaming in the
‘asking for it’ or that the fact she didn’t say ‘no’ context of street harassment. She states that
means it’s not rape. Rape culture is therefore, sexualisation originates in childhood and is
possibly, the present-day equivalent of marital internalised, leading to the long-term
rape as the justification for sexual violence acceptance of being objectified in public. This
against women. internalised concept means that women will
innately blame themselves for any experience of
street harassment: they are the problem. She
defines Safety Work as a range of strategies
that girls and women use as an “automatic
reflex” to avoid objectification in public, as
something that they “are” not what they “do”.
This theory coincides with the messages given
out by public safety campaigns which aim to tell
women how to keep themselves safe, rather
than what men should do to change their
behaviour.
, Street harassment is a clear example of victim-
blaming among FVSA as society expects that
victims are deserving due to sexualising
themselves and that they should therefore
change their behaviour to avoid it. This ideology
therefore gives men confidence and justification
to continue sexually assaulting women in public.
There has been a rise, however, in campaigns
encouraging the ‘active bystander’ as a form of
intervention with street harassment to decrease
the number of offences.
Case Study: Sarah Everard
Street Harassment
On 3rd of March 2021, Sarah Everard (33) went Sarah Everard from Wikipedia, Murder of Sarah Everard
missing whilst walking home in South London in
the late evening. On the 9th, 33-year-old police Victim-blaming within the CJS
officer Wayne Couzens was arrested on the
suspicion of her abduction; a day later they found The UK CJS has been criticised for appearing to
Sarah’s remains in Ashford, Kent and Couzens follow the ideology and values we have just
was charged with rape, abduction, and murder. It discussed by treating FVSA as suspicious and as
was revealed that Couzens kidnapped Sarah on guilty as their offender. This represents the same
her walk home, then drove her to Dover where he victim-blaming attitude, which is adopted by
raped and strangled her. society, however, is arguably the most
detrimental within the CJS due to it being the
Sarah’s case went viral over social media, most important step in the process of speaking
instigating public outrage. Couzens was a man of up against sexual violence. This treatment by a
socially accepted authority who had abused his supposed ‘fair’ and authoritative institution has
power to sexually assault a woman walking provoked feminist movements (MeToo, 97, etc)
home alone by herself, who one would normally calling out for more equal treatment during the
seek for support in that circumstance. Despite Criminal Justice Process, as a form of societal
majority public support, there were still some resistance.
who claimed that Sarah was deserving of her
fate. Police commissioner, Phillip Allot, stated An example of victim-blaming within the CJS is
that women “need to be streetwise” in response the 2018 Irish Rape Trial Scandal. A 27 year old
to the case’s verdict and the growing concerns man, accused of raping an underage girl in an
for women’s safety in public. alleyway in Cork, was found not guilty. His
defence lawyer used the girl's underwear as
Her experience was a devastating reminder that evidence for consent. This caused outrage in the
no woman is safe when it comes to street media and was bought up in the Irish Houses of
harassment and sexual violence. The outcome Parliament by MP Ruth Coppinger. The hashtag
also resulted in a lack of trust in the police when #ThisIsNotConsent became a trend on Twitter,
it came to these affairs, setting back progress where woman posted images of their underwear,
made by feminist movements to increase its in protest. Once again, a FVSA was victim-
focus within the Criminal Justice Process. blamed for being sexually assaulted.
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