The Making of Gendered Violence

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Because of the acceptance of abuse by black women, Black, male aggressors are often go excused, and can therefore continue to abuse the woman. This creates a circle of abuse that will not end. From there, if the woman has a child and the child sees that abuse, no matter what gender the child is, the child will learn to accept that abuse is normal and is not something to fight against (Miller, 2008).

Intersectionality can both help and hinder efforts to stop violence against women. We must understand that we need to treat all woman of any race or class the same as they are all equal and all deserve the same level of justice. But at the same time, we must understand that the way in which violence occurs between races and classes is different and cannot be handled in the same way. Intersectionality however has strengthened women’s fight against violence inflicted towards them, as a whole gender fighting against an injustice is much louder than a couple stories of individual women who have been assaulted (Crenshaw, 1991).

There must be a connection made between race and violence against women, as well as media and culture and violence against women. Violence against women has become almost a “norm” in our society, people have become desensitized to the act. Instead of focusing on the victims, we need to be focusing on the aggressors. Why is the violence being inflicted upon the woman in the first place. We need to stop learning how to avoid assaults, and start teaching men and society that these acts of violence against woman should not be happening in the first place. Intersectionality must be used in order bring woman together in their fight against violence against women, but we must also learn that there are differences in the way that violence is inflicted upon each race.

Bibliography

Crenshaw, Kimberle. "Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color." Stanford Law Review 43.6 (1991): 1241. Web. 27 Jan. 2016.

Easteal, Patricia, Kate Holland, and Keziah Judd. "Enduring Themes and Silences in Media Portrayals of Violence against Women." Women's Studies International Forum 48 (2015): 103-13. Web. 25 Jan. 2016.

Miller, Jody. Getting Played: African American Girls, Urban Inequality, and Gendered Violence. New York: New York UP, 2008. Print.

Parker, Karen F., and M. Kristen Hefner. "Intersections of Race, Gender, Disadvantage, and Violence: Applying Intersectionality to the Macro-Level Study of Female Homicide." Justice Quarterly 32.2 (2013): 223-54. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.