Gender and Violence

___% of female offenders vs. ___% of male offenders kill their partners in self-defense.

10, 1/2

What is battered wife syndrome?

Extension of self-defense; temporary insanity

TRUE OR FALSE: Assaults are more likely to be reported if the victim knows the offender in any way than if the offender is a stranger.

FALSE

TRUE OR FALSE: The criminal justice system treats female and male offenders equally.

FALSE

TRUE OR FALSE: Violence in general is often reported.

FALSE

TRUE OR FALSE: When women kill their partners it is NOT more likely to involve self-defense than when men kill their partners

FALSE

TRUE OR FALSE: Violence against women is more frequent than violence against men.

FALSE (opposite is true)

What is the gender (feminist) perspective on violence against women?

Sexism is the key; it's an epidemic; violent husbands are power motivated; women only use violence in self-defense; it is treated too leniently

TRUE OR FALSE: When women kill their partners, it is usually NOT in self-defense.

TRUE

TRUE OR FALSE: Women are just as likely as men to hit their partners first.

TRUE

TRUE OR FALSE: Women who kill their male partners are just as likely to have violent criminal records as women who kill in other circumstances.

TRUE

TRUE OR FALSE: Women's violence is more likely to be in self-defense.

TRUE

TRUE OR FALSE: Husbands and wives hit each other with equal frequency

TRUE (but husbands produce more injuries)

How does jealousy play into intimate partner violence?

Wives are slightly more jealous and possessive than husbands; jealousy is a more important motive for women who kill than for men who kill

Men (are/are not) more controlling than women.

are not

Men are ________ times more likely than women to commit violent crime

eight

Women are (more/less) likely than men to be arrested for assaulting their partners.

less

What is the violence perspective?

make comparisons between violence against women and men; violence against men is more frequent; offenders are versatile; variety of motivations; marriage involves conflict; size matters; chivalry important

Most violence against women is (minor/major)

minor

Assaults on women are (more/less) likely to be reported than assaults on men.

more

What is the difference between science and activism?

science studies the actual facts and activism only focuses on facts that advocates for their cause; activists selectively focus on violence against women and on protection of women's image

How do activists get their numbers?

they count minor incidents and give it a dramatic label (wife beating, survivors, etc.)

Is chivalry dead?

No, it's not. If it were, women's violence would not be treated as leniently, and there would not be such a strong reaction to violence against women.

What does it mean when someone who focuses on the violence perspective says that offenders are versatile "bad guys"?

Offenders are bad guys in general; they don't only specialize in violence against women. They probably commit other petty crimes as well.

What is mandatory arrest?

If there is ever a domestic abuse situation, the police are required to arrest someone, regardless of whether the victim wants it or not. Most of the time, the men are arrested.

Who do men kill when they find their wife in bed with another man?

The man

Who do women kill when they find their husband in bed with another woman?

The man