NCJ Number
222637
Journal
Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice Volume: 24 Issue: 2 Dated: May 2008 Pages: 178-185
Date Published
May 2008
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article addresses the need for intervention aimed at patriarchal attitudes that facilitate interpersonal violence against women.
Abstract
This article suggests that living in a patriarchal society, that society as a whole should be addressed in a national campaign, rather than dealing with each offending man. The article uses as an example the 2007 Michael Vick case, in which the Atlanta Falcons quarterback was alleged to have taken part in the killing of two dogs. A national outrage was unleashed; people do not like to see dogs killed. Michael Vick may well be sitting in prison wondering why murderers, rapists, and vicious assaulters of women are playing sports without penalty today. The article proposes a national level discussion of program development whose mission is to change people's overall attitudes to where raping women will come to be seen as bad as killing a pit bull. The article contends that the first step in programming for the end of interpersonal violence is to actually program for it. One important area for study in the future is the ending of interpersonal violence against women as a broader strategy for reducing adolescent and adult criminal behavior by developing a support model that focuses the behavior modification efforts on men, rather than women. Educational activism where informal social control is more effective than formal social control should be a major component to a national effort. By engaging in extensive efforts of educational activism, men can work within communities and local political forums to develop political and informational campaigns. This may not have an immediate dramatic impact on interpersonal violence against women, but all might begin to have a smaller impact, chipping away at the problem. References