Introduction
Theoretically, issues with violence relate to human rights, which are essential to the ideals of respect for human dignity, equality, and non-discrimination. They transcend concerns related to gender, society, culture, politics, class, religion, and geography. The uneven power dynamics between men and women are one of the most overtly expressed through gender-based violence, especially violence against women. Gender-based violence in our cultures is not caused by a single component; rather, a wide range of variables interact to cause the issue, which cannot be fully explained by any one aspect alone. Gender-based violence has a major and long-lasting effect on how people see gender because it reinforces a culture of unfairness and social dynamics that can harm victims’ physical and mental health over the long run. Moreover, it may result in a cascade of gender-based prejudice, social stigma, and discrimination that may further restrict the options available to individuals impacted. Consequently, gender-based violence makes males appear “in control,” makes the victims appear weak and ashamed when they report it, and makes men appear more aggressive than women.
First, when men are viewed as “in charge,” gender-based violence against women increases.
From the dawn of civilization, men have held the role of household leader. They are viewed as the ones who should support the family and set the rules, with the woman staying at home to look after the kids. A research on societal norms and attitudes on gender-based violence is carried out by Perrin et al. The three subscales on which the research is based are husband’s entitlement to use violence, safeguarding family honor, and sexual violence (Perrin et al., 2019). In many worldwide cultures, the increased numbers of GBV are known to be maintained by these three social norms. The study’s conclusions show that the victim, a woman, is frequently held responsible for GBV (Perrin et al., 2019). As a result, the victim may experience rejection from her family and the wider community, which may cause the family to stop supporting or leaving the victim. It illustrates how sexual abuse and other GBV are seen as expected or even normal, and how women and girls must regulate their movements and conduct to stop men from assaulting them since men are unable to regulate what they do when enticed by women (Perrin et al., 2019) The use of violence by a husband to reprimand his wife and have relations with her even when she doesn’t want to is also encouraged in certain tribes. It also reflects a social norm that views a man’s use of force against his wife as evidence of his devotion to her (Perrin et al., 2019). Most African and Middle Eastern countries share this reality. So, as a result of this perception, gender stereotypes are formed and become entrenched in society.
Second, gender-based violence has cause people who report to be seen as helpless and ashamed.
Gender-based violence is a problem that usually goes undetected. This is due to the victims’ reluctance of coming out for fear of being discovered or coming across as weak. Men are expected to be strong and to keep their difficulties to themselves, therefore GBV against them is one area where instances are most underreported. Therefore, the likelihood that a victim will feel able to seek help and report their incident to law enforcement and justice system services may be influenced by gender stereotypes and attitudes. In respect to victim blaming and service response, social gender stereotypes have formed and solidified attitudes that influence victims’ reactions to domestic and sexual abuse. Bates et al. evaluated the effects of stereotype conditioning on implicit attitudes related to IPV perpetration and victimization as well as how respondents stated they would react to such scenarios in a multi-study work that was published in Sex Roles. Comparatively to the opposite-gendered scenario, IPV was less likely to be recognized in situations with a female offender and a male victim (Bates et al., 2019). This impact was also observed for the behavioral intents related to reporting, intervention, and expected results (Bates et al., 2019). In addition, women who perpetrate intimate partner abuse are seen as being helpless and disgusting. According to Perrin et al., it is preferable to deal with domestic abuse in women inside the family rather than reporting it to the police. Instead of the safety and wellbeing of the woman or girl, the family and victim’s reputations are protected as a matter of priority (Perrin et al., 2019). This demonstrates how the victim’s reputation is harmed after being reported.
Lastly, the idea that men are more aggressive results from gender-based violence against women.
Men’s aggressive GBV behaviors and the widespread prevalence of the practice serve as evidence for this social stereotype. There are numerous theories that offer theoretical justifications for these conclusions. According to a research, stereotypes about violence and harm are perpetuated by men’s normally superior physical strength and stature compared to women (Bates, 2019). This indicates that women are thought to be more capable of being wounded than males are. For instance, the identical physical action, such as a slap, is in fact perceived differently by men and women. Men are also stereotyped as being aggressive, authoritative, and strong, which is more in line with the character of an abuser (Bates, 2019). Women, on the other hand, are thought to be weaker, more defenseless, and more fitting for the victim role. Men’s aggressive conduct is more often associated with their gender roles, yet men’s aggression against women is contrary to the chivalrous tradition that calls for men to defend women (Bates, 2019). Moreover, estimates of the prevalence of lifelong intimate partner violence range from 20% in Western Pacific, 22% in high-income nations and Europe, and 25% in WHO Regions of the Americas to 33% in WHO Africa, 31% in WHO Eastern Mediterranean, and 33% in WHO South-East Asia (World Health Organization, 2021). This demonstrates that gender-based violence disproportionately affects women, demonstrating the dominance of male aggression.
Conclusion
Gender-based violence has a significant impact on how society views gender. Stereotypes that exist among many cultures and within society at large are the source of this. There are several sources that back up the claim. Among many other consequences, it leads to the perception that males are the ones in authority that those who report crimes are weak, and that men are aggressive. Hence, gender-based violence has an effect on how society views gender in ways that feed preconceptions already in place, perpetuating the cycle.
References
Bates, E. A. (2019). “No one would ever believe me”: An exploration of the impact of intimate partner violence victimization on men. Psychology of Men & Masculinities, 21(4). https://doi.org/10.1037/men0000206
Bates, E. A., Klement, K. R., Kaye, L. K., & Pennington, C. R. (2019). The Impact of Gendered Stereotypes on Perceptions of Violence: A Commentary. Sex Roles, 81(1-2), 34–43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-019-01029-9
Perrin, N., Marsh, M., Clough, A., Desgroppes, A., Yope Phanuel, C., Abdi, A., Kaburu, F., Heitmann, S., Yamashina, M., Ross, B., Read-Hamilton, S., Turner, R., Heise, L., & Glass, N. (2019). Social norms and beliefs about gender based violence scale: a measure for use with gender based violence prevention programs in low-resource and humanitarian settings. Conflict and Health, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-019-0189-x
World Health Organization. (2021, March 9). Violence against women. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women
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