STATUS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN - PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE FACTORS

• NCJ Number: 66945
• Author(s): S LESSE
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 11 pages
• Corporate Author: Assoc for the Advancement of Psychotherapy
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Historical Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PRESENTED AT THE 14TH NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF PSYCHOTHERAPY, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, 1978

Annotation

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IS EXAMINED IN TERMS OF PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE TRENDS, AND FACTORS INFLUENCING THE MALE/FEMALE RELATIONSHIP ARE REVIEWED TO EXPLAIN RAPE AND WIFE BEATING.

Abstract

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IS LIKELY TO INCREASE DURING THE NEXT 2 DECADES BUT WILL BECOME LESS FREQUENT WHEN MEN ASSUME A GREATER PSYCHOSOCIAL STATUS AND BECOME THE EQUAL OF WOMEN. IN THE HUNTING SOCIETY, THE MALE'S GREATER STRENGTH GAVE HIM THE POSITION OF AUTHORITY. THE GROWTH OF TRANSMISSIBLE PROPERTY AND PRODUCTS OF THE SOIL IN THE AGRICULTURAL ERA LED TO THE SEXUAL SUBORDINATION OF WOMEN. THE STRONGER MALE DEMANDED FIDELITY FROM HER, SO THAT HE COULD WILL PROPERTY AND ACCUMULATIONS OF WEALTH TO HIS CHILDREN. IN THE INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY, ECONOMIC NEED BECAME A DOMINANT FORCE IN CHANGING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN. WOMEN BECAME BETTER EDUCATED, AND THE BEARING AND RAISING OF CHILDREN BECAME LESS SATISFYING. THE WOMAN BECAME ORIENTED TOWARD HERSELF, WHILE THE MALE BECAME A PSYCHOSOCIAL DEPENDENT OF LARGE ORGANIZATIONS WHICH DEMANDED SUBSERVIENCE. CURRENTLY, MALES ARE CONFRONTED BY INCREASING COMPETITION FROM WOMEN FOR JOBS THAT WERE TRADITIONAL MALE PREROGATIVES. MEN ARE ALSO BEING THREATENED BY AUTOMATION AND WOMEN'S LIBERATION. WOMEN HAVE BECOME MORE ASSERTIVE AND MORE MASCULINE LEADING THE MALE TO FEEL PRESSURED SEXUALLY. THESE CHANGES IN MALE-FEMALE RELATIONSHIPS ARE INTERRELATED WITH THE SOCIOTECHNOLOGIC REVOLUTION AND ENDANGER THE BALANCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN. ON THE MALE SIDE, THE FACTORS INCLUDE PROGRESSIVE PSYCHOSOCIAL WEAKNESS, TRADITIONAL PHYSICAL STRENGTH, TRADITIONAL PHYSICAL WEAKNESS, AND FRUSTRATED ANGER. ON THE FEMALE SIDE, PSYCHOSOCIALLY INCREASING STRENGTH, TRADITIONAL PHYSICAL WEAKNESS, AND FRUSTRATED ANGER ARE INVOLVED. THIS IMBALANCE GUARANTEES THAT VIOLENCE AMONG THE SEXES (I.E., RAPE AND WIFE BEATING) WILL CONTINUE TO BE SEEN. AS ECONOMIC EQUALITY BETWEEN THE SEXES IS INSTITUTIONALIZED BY THE FUTURE EFFECTS OF AUTOMATION AND CYBERNATION, VIOLENCE BETWEEN THE SEXES WILL DECREASE. REFERENCES ARE LISTED. (MJW)