PSYC 300 Exam 4 Studyguide - TAMU Dr. Edens
Quid pro quo
- "This for that" = you can get an "A" in the class if you go out with me - something in return
Costs of sexual violence
- $122461 = cost of rape per survivor (hospital, therapy, cannot work consistently, etc)
The numbers
- 1 in 4 will experience physical form of sexual violence - These numbers are higher when looking at gender non conforming individuals and transgender individuals - 6.3 million in Texas (⅓ in adults) - Locally = assault still happens here - Brazos valley = 215 in 2020 but is higher because people do not report these things
Important stats
- 43% of college men admitted to using coercive techniques to have sex 11% admitted to acquaintance rape - New study: 4% of the male-college aged population commit sexual assault - Profile of college serial rapist: very popular, leader, "gets lucky" frequently, charismatic, the opposite of mean looking, etc
Most survivors know the person who did that to them
- 8/10 committed crimes are by acquaintances - "Stranger danger" is practically BS
TAMU survey
- About 25% for those who report and who not report sexual harassment, rape, or nonconsensual penetration or sexual touching involving physical force or incapacitation at TAMU and Association of American Universities - If you do report = how much time and invested takes a while - Women at both schools listed feelings of shame, embarrassment or fear of emotional difficulty as the top reasons they didn't report the assaults; the other primary reason was that the women didn't think their cases were serious enough to report
Brain, mind, and body in the healing of sexual trauma
- Affects the whole body = trauma - Journey looks different for each body - There is no normal response from trauma - Dealing with all the hormones looks very different for everyone - Emotional whiplash is very common - These feelings can change from one day to another - No mental health concerns = now concerns for experiencing sexual assault, etc - Memory issues = recalling memories from traumatic incident (not in order that it makes sense - sticky note analogy) - Physical symptoms = sleep issues, high blood pressure, etc - Substance abuse = used before or picked it up after the incident (increase in this); correlation here
Perpetrators are a heterogenous group
- All ages, races, ethnicities, socioeconomic status, cultures, etc - Characteristics = likely to know them - We should teach people about boundaries and consent
The brain due to trauma
- Amygdala takes in danger = fear, super charge emotions, sends signal to hypothalamus - This happens really fast when in danger - Do not have time to think - Fight or flight responses = cytokines, opioids, norepinephrine, etc - Disrupts how memories are encoded
A cup of tea
- Analogy meaning that consent is everything = when it comes to sex - "I do not want tea = I do not want to have sex" - "I do want tea = I do want to have sex"
What is sexual violence
- Any sexual activity when consent is not given - Watched without consent (stalk), verbal (language based violence) = more prevalent in romantic relationships - Rape, groping are more talked about
Sexual harassment in the workforce
- Any sexual-based behavior that is knowingly unwanted and either has an adverse effect on a person's employment status, interferes with a person's job performance, or creates a hostile or intimidating work environment for a reasonable person - Non-physical harassment: pervasive/severe, unwanted - Having higher level positions of power can impact a lot of things - As a woman you have to figure out how to say "no" without hurting the other person's feelings - These sexual harassment rates increased in the EEOC
Fight, flight, freeze
- Automatic response that you do not get to choose - Not a choice - Automatic response at staying alive - How the body does to not cause for a shame - Reality is that no one really knows what we have to do - Tunic mobility = body shuts down - feels like paralysis, cannot move or anything of that sort (no control of what their body is doing) - This is more common than we thought - Priority is to survive = no cause for shame, no morally correct option
Intimate partner violence
- Battering, domestic violence: - Physical and psychological abuse committed by an intimate partner (spouse, romantic partner, or former spouse or partner)
Justified beatings
- Believe that certain things that women do are justified for her husband to beat her; they have been socialized to be punished and getting beat (argue with spouse, go out without telling him, neglecting children, etc) - Men and women feel about the same to be beaten for these things - Mostly happens in African countries which shows that women are not valued in their culture If you are married you do not have the right to say "no" to things If the country has more war then women are more vulnerable and are more victims to being raped
Gender differences via death
- Biological, or essential, differences = having an X chromosome that provides some protection for females - Socialized or environmental differences = more socialized differences than biological ones Women are more likely to seek more medical care Seems less masculine for men to go to the doctor
Ethnicity and AIDS
- Black females account for 69% of women who are HIV positive in US
Prevention
- Bystander intervention programs = step in and stand up; green dot; intervene in incidents that you see around you - Our goal is to be in primary prevention to avoid these incidents to occur - Secondary = responding immediately to what has happened - police; teaching people self defense; addresses harm that already occurred - Tertiary = long term care - already experienced harm
Trauma informed care
- Changing "what is wrong with you" to "what happened to you" to a survivor - Talking to people = empathy, actively listening, truly paying attention to them, empowering, avoiding "why" questions (survivor can feel blamed), get control back to the survivor, reflective phrasing, normalizing reactions to experiencing trauma
Sexually transmitted infection - chlamydia
- Chlamydia = most commonly reported; bacterial - get rid of them through antibiotics - Other = genital herpes - virus, cannot be cured, can treat it though; gonorrhea; syphilis
Psychological consequences and physical consequences due to sexual harassment
- Decreased self-esteem, lowered life satisfaction, anger, fear, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, interpersonal difficulties, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, sleep disturbances, high blood pressure, disordered eating, substance abuse, and sexual problems
Sexual harassment examples
- Direct or indirect threats or bribes for unwanted sexual activity; sexual innuendos and comments; sexually suggestive sounds or gestures such as sucking noises, winks, or pelvic thrusts; repeatedly asking a person out for dates, or to have sex; etc
Domestic violence and honor killings
- Domestic violence (or intimate partner violence) = can be other places, not just home - Honor killings = woman who is not pure can get killed for not being pure
Reasons why women don't leave an abusive relationship
- Economic = not have a job with children Accelerated violence - The most dangerous time for a battered woman and man is when she tries to leave Greatest likelihood of being killed or dying when sleeping or not threatening - Socialization to stay with husband "Behind every good man is a woman" - Conservative religious beliefs - Fear of deportation, discrimination - Learned helplessness "No man beats a good wife" - Women with disabilities may also be more likely than other women to stay in an abusive relationship, especially if their job or transportation opportunities are limited, or if their only alternative living arrangement is in an institution
Effects of hostile environment due to sexual harassment and the effects of labeling experience as harassment
- Effects of hostile environment due to sexual harassment = reduced job satisfaction, decreased morale, increased absenteeism, and a decline in organizational commitment - Effects of labeling experience as harassment = organizational tolerance - the negative effects of sexual harassment tend to be minimized and complaints about harassment are not taken seriously
Trauma
- Emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape, or natural disaster - This looks different from person to person - It is a response to an event, it is all different - It is a full body response, affects every part of the body
Rape statistics
- Estimated rates:***15 - 25% of women will be raped during their life time*** - Men are assaulted and rape at lower percentages - rarely talk about this; stigma to seek services when they are not the common victims - Highest % of victims are LGBTQ+ (transgender and gay community) = sexual assault and rape (40-50%) - **85% - 90% of rapes are by acquaintances (IMPORTANT) Why remember this = often hear about "stranger danger" Make sure to be aware that you are in danger where you think you are not in danger
Most common person who kills women = family members or partners
- Extreme gender imbalance since women rarely kill their partners
Why survivors might not report
- Fear of retaliation = romantic relationship or know who the perpetrator is - Shame to call for help - Sexual assault is the top crime that is not reported
Internal condom
- Female condoms offer many of the same benefits as male condoms. Some of their unique benefits include: Convenience, affordability, lack of side effects, protection against unintentional pregnancy and STIs, a male erection is not required for use - Not as cheap as external condoms = on penis - Abuse was escalated if the woman used an internal condom in some relationships = diminished the man's power
Consequences and warning signals due to dating violence
- Female victims of dating violence are more likely than nonvictims to show risky sexual behavior, depression, low self-esteem, attempted suicide, disordered eating behavior, substance abuse, and binge drinking - Other warning signals that a young couple's relationship may turn violent include possessiveness, controlling behavior, low relationship satisfaction, unpredictable mood swings, humiliating one's partner, and antisocial behavior - Observed violence by parents in their household
Reports of physical aggression in dating relationship
- Females under report aggression and/ or that males overreport it - Males might over report their victimization in order to rationalize their own aggression (e.g., "She hits me, so I hit her back") - Another possibility is that females are actually more aggressive in their dating relationships, using aggression as self-defense or in retaliation for emotional hurt from their partner
Theories of intimate partner violence
- Feminist theory - Social learning theory - Interventions = laws; shelters and transitional housing programs; treatment for women's psychological trauma; treatment for batterers
Bernadine Healy
- First woman to head NIH - She had the power of changing the healthcare system; she brought women's perspective to the world of science for the first time - Also was President of the American Heart Association Championed for understanding that heart disease is "not a man's disease in disguise"
Fear of rape
- For women under 35, rape is feared more than any other offense (including murder) - Social norms regarding avoiding rape restricts women - Women fear stranger rape more than acquaintance rape - Most rape survivors have no known risk factors other than being female
Force does not have to be physical since it can be verbal
- Forced to say yes = DOES NOT EQUAL CONSENT
Factors that are considered via sexual harassment
- Frequency - Severity of behavior - Physically threatening or humiliating - Unreasonably interfered with work performance; - Effect on the employee's psychological well-being - Power differential - Culture with a lot of joking = men have to be resentful; can be quite traumatic for women because men cannot joke anymore
Health psychology and the psychology of gender
- Gender makes a difference in the kinds of illness that people experience. - Gender makes a difference in the way a disease is diagnosed and treated. - Gender-specific medicine = study of how diseases progress in men vs. women We need to consider that in males and females, diseases do not progress the same way, not transmitted the same way, not treated the same way - Illness is an important part of many women's experience = 80% of women over the age of 55 will have at least one chronic illness like high blood pressure, diabetes, etc - Women get STDs easier and harder to treat, may go undetected which can cause infertility, different for men - Dosage is based on male normative = use this same info for women even though it is not accurate
Impact of gender stereotypes on medical diagnosis
- Gender stereotypes are common in medicine - Pain is not taken as seriously for women - Serena Williams = almost died in childbirth; I have a pulmonary embolism; convinced someone that something is actually wrong with her; medical care is not objective - Medical care provided to women is often irresponsible or inadequate - Medical care is less often recommended for women - Women receive less adequate care than men when severity of condition same for both genders
Sexual harassment on college campus
- Girls perceive more behaviors as harassing than boys do - Sexual harassment is difficult to assess = a lot of people do not report it - do not want to be snitches - Responses to sexual harassment = victims often try to ignore harassment = stay away as well; creates a very stressful environment for women
Congo soldiers explain why they rape
- Have spent time without women and when they see women they force themselves onto them - It's all about control - The congo soldiers compare the hutus of raping women compared to when they do it (make it work by raping women and beating the enemy) - "Magic potion" = rape women in order to overcome the enemies who have invaded their country - Soldiers are often ordered to rape ("following our own rules") - "Women having sex with us would help the soldiers be successful in battle" - The soldiers do these awful things but when the roles are reversed and somebody else were to rape their sisters or wives then the soldiers would not accept it at all (CONTRADICTORY) - "If someone rapes my sister, I will them rape someone else" - "If someone raped my sister for a good cause then I would not do anything" because they know it is for the sake of helping the congo
Marital rape
- Historically, sex has been seen as a conjugal right of marriage - Estimated that 10 - 15% of wives have been raped by husband in US - In 1993, became a crime in all 50 states in the US - As of 1999, 33 of 50 states consider marital rape as a lesser crime than other types of rape - Today you do not have to have sex against your partner but this is not true cross culturally = mostly in africa and asia (martial rape cross culturally varies)
Recognize that everyone's journey is different
- Hotline is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year - Support groups = free, confidential - Advocates for support
Be aware of verbal and nonverbal cues = video about planned parenthood
- If the person does not look at you in the eye, making excuses = not consent - It should be required for the initiator to be perceptive = ALWAYS see the clues and cues - Goal is to have sex = choose to not see other signs - Why might person have had sex Males = does not want to be seen as lame, do not want to be a virgin anyone, quid pro quo (rewards) Females = do not want to hurt someone's feeling, etc - Female's vulnerability change our perspectives about these things = more fearful of sexual assault, any potential guy can be a potential perpetrator, most men can physically overtake us - Men's fear = falsely accused
U.S. life expectancy today
- In 2010, Women = ~ 80 Men = ~76 - Are these numbers similar in other countries = no
Women's responses due to sexual harassment
- Internally focused responses are responses that attempt to manage the emotions and cognitions associated with the incident(s) Examples include ignoring the situation, minimizing the event, or blaming oneself - Externally focused responses, on the other hand, are responses that attempt to solve the problem Examples are avoiding the harasser, asking him to stop, or seeking organizational assistance. Filing a complaint or lawsuit are rare responses - Women who report their harassment often experience negative outcomes, such as lowered job evaluations, humiliation, and both physical and psychological health problems
Feminist theory of rape
- Is rooted in the longstanding and pervasive power imbalance between women and men - Support for feminist theory at the societal level is provided by evidence that cultural areas with greater gender equality in economic, legal, and political power have lower rape rates than do those with less gender equality
Rape culture
- It involves everybody - The idea that our society permits sexual violence behaviors "this is okay" - "Boys will be boys" - Interpersonal = child violence - Violence can escalate over time - Permit things in the bottom of the pyramid - Explicit violence = rape, domestic violence
Report or not report what happened to the person
- It is up to the person to talk about
Health services for lesbians
- Lesbians and bisexual women may be at increased risk for some health problems Less likely to experience hormonal changes associated with pregnancy More likely to smoke and consume alcohol Social stigma reduces access to health care - Not as comfortable with talking about your sexual orientation to doctors Want LGBT+ doctors
Marry your rapist laws
- Marry women to avoid punishment which shows the little value that women have
Effects of non-violent sexually explicit material
- Materials produce physiological and psychological arousal - Continued exposure leads to habituation - Not related to sex crimes
Why condom use can be difficult for girls and women
- May not feel empowered in their relations with partners, especially men: if you depend on a partner for food, shelter, money, safety, or feeling valued as a person, you may not feel you have the power to protect your health or ask that your sexual desires be recognized Linked resources through partner Uncomfortable talking about sex; feel rejected - Are often taught that it is not 'their place' to 'speak up' and protect themselves - Feel uncomfortable talking about sex - sometimes this is from lack of information, and sometimes this is simply because it can be awkward talking about something so personal or intimate - May fear rejection - if you feel your partner may leave you or think poorly of you if you talk about using condoms, or if you feel that your partner will interpret your request to use a condom as a lack of trust or an indication that you are in another relationship - May fear a partner's violent reaction - if you feel threatened, please read our fact sheet on violence against women and HIV - Common symptom of STI = no symptoms to identify
What is the #1 killer of men and of women?
- Men = heart disease (earlier for men) - Women = heart disease but people predict breast cancer for women - Why is there more attention for breast cancer = sexual identity, femininity, boobs are sexualized, we pay a lot of attention to them, "save the tatas", a lot of awareness for women, campaigns, fundraisers, etc - As women and men get older their risk of heart disease is the same
Men report high incidents of being the recipient (victims) than women
- Men as victims = different definition of what physical assault might be (females: hit by boyfriends; males: slapped or pushed) - Even though men are taught to never hit a woman but a male is more likely to hurt a woman - Not a good idea to hit either way (even if you are a woman who wants to hit the man) - Communicating anger is very problematic - In a healthy relationship you should be able to handle conflict without any physical contact - Why do you control a person's behavior by hitting them if it does not really teach anything until it is a good idea to keep physical contact away
Men as victims
- Men can be raped by women too = quid pro quo, manipulated, verbally coerced, etc
Sexually transmitted infection - HPV (human papillomavirus/genital warts)
- Most common STI - Do not have symptoms, contributes to cervical cancer - Can resolve itself - Virus
Rape challenges in obtaining statistics
- Most women do not report rape - Women tend to not recognizing sexual aggression as rape - When surveyed, 73% of women did not identify forced sexual intercourse as "rape" 40% of women who meet legal definition of being raped, do not feel they have been raped (not all people call it rape even if it is rape) - Less likely to be labeled a rape if = *** involves a boyfriend; verbally rather than physically coerced (is there alcohol involved) - Duke lacrosse team = went into jail which was a false accusation ("cannot believe these women")
Myths about rape
- Myth 1 = rapists are strangers - Myth 2 = only deviant men would consider raping a woman Malamuth's study: 35% of college men said there was some likelihood they would rape if they knew they wouldn't get caught - Myth 3 = women ask to be raped; they could avoid rape if they wanted to; blaming the victim - Myth 4 = pornography has no effect on men's likelihood to rape Extreme = degrading and violent toward women (choking, slapping) - causing men to be insensitive to violence (perpetrator) Sexually explicit = does not lead to this - Myth 5 = men can't control themselves once they are sexually aroused; need consent at every stage of sex - Myth 6 = a woman is more likely to get hurt if she resists an attacker Not fighting back - rarely prevents rape If you fight back then there is more physical evidence if it goes to trial against the perpetrator Greater psychological recovery for those who fight back and reduces the chances of being raped
Intimate partner violence - risk factors
- Need for power and control - Belief that men have right to punish their partners - Alcohol and drug abuse - Violence growing up - Stress
Positive life changes following assault can help women cope
- One factor that strongly related to positive change was social support, which, as we have seen, is related to good mental health - A second factor related to positive change, called "approach coping," involved viewing the stressful event differently and expressing emotions about it (as opposed to avoiding people and acting as if nothing had happened) - Those who showed positive life changes relied on their religious faith to cope, and perceived that they had control over their recovery process
Types of abuse
- Physical = inflicting physical pain, sexually molesting, or confining the person against her or his will psychological abuse - Psychological = threatening, humiliating, insulting, and/or intimidating the person; forcing the person to do degrading things; treating the person like a child - Financial = destroying property or possessions, stealing the person's money, denying the person access to his or her money - Neglectful = depriving the person of items needed for daily living (food, warmth, shelter, glasses, dentures, money), inattention, isolation
Health services
- Physician-patient communication patterns = often make women feel relatively powerless - Women are more likely to report negative feelings about patient-physician relationship - Women and men more satisfied with women physicians - Many women felt that they did not have a voice with their male doctors - Women doctors listen and give more time to patients - Advocate for your own bodies
SANE = 120 hours within assault occurring
- Point of the exam is to collect evidence - Encourage to get these exams done by medical professionals - You do not have to have police involvement as long as you are over the age of 18
Creation of hostile school environment examples
- Popping someone's bra, slap ass friday, rating people based on how sexy they are, etc - Harassment can go any direction = male to male, female to female, male to female, female to male
Hormone replacement therapy
- Positives = bone density - Negatives = heart attack, breast cancer, stroke - Includes estrogen - Stop automatic HRT = talk to doctor for benefits; case by case basis
Evolutionary theory of rape
- Rape evolved as strategy for men to ensure their genes would be passed on - Males' reproductive advantage to mate often and with numerous partners - It is not appropriate to draw conclusions about rape by observing nonhuman species because human behavior is more complexly determined
HIV and AIDS among females
- Rates are increasing = heterosexual sex
Reasonable person vs. reasonable woman
- Reasonable woman = have different explanations and perceptions than a reasonable person
Elder abuse
- Refers to the physical, psychological, financial, and neglectful acts that harm the health or welfare of an older adult, and that occur within a relationship of trust
Reporting as a survivor is a very long process
- SANE, law enforcement, court - Very long and reductant - Talk about what happened to them for so many times is hurtful for them - The way we interact with survivors is so important - Understand what trauma looks like, what to expect when talking to trauma survivors
Who engages in dating violence are those who have experienced dating violence themselves among other reasons like...
- Self-defense - Holding traditional gender-role attitudes is also linked to dating violence for both sexes - Dating violence is more prevalent among individuals who were abused as children and who were exposed to family or community violence
Explanations for sexual harassment in the workplace
- Sex-role spillover theory = in workplaces with unequal concentrations of men and women, gender is a highly salient attribute; in these environments men respond to female employees more as women than as workers - Power theory = sexual harassment is seen as an abuse of power to gain sexual favors or to reinforce the imbalance of power; organizational intolerance - Stand out as a woman just being the only woman - If employee sexually harasses another employee and the organization knows about it then they become liable ("easier" to not know)
Sexual assault and power
- Sexual abuse is more about power than sex - Men are the typical perpetrators of sexual assaults and sexual violence - Sex is the tool used to gain power over another person
Sexual harassment at school
- Sexual harassment in an educational setting = unwelcome verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature when submission or rejection of the behavior forms the basis for decisions about the student (e.g. admission, grades) OR the behavior creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive study environment - The greater the difference in power between two individuals, the greater likelihood of abuse - At least 1/2 girls reported sexual comments/looks or being touched/grabbed in elementary and secondary school
Rape
- Sexual penetration of any bodily orifice against the victim's will, obtained by physical force, the threat of force, or while the victim is incapable of giving consent because of mental illness, disability, or intoxication - Rape is a more severe form of sexual assault - More focused on penetrating vagina, back then it was under physical threat - Men are more prone to get raped now - Threatening someone verbally (I will kill for not doing this) is rape - Denim day = woman took off her jeans; man raped the woman; not seen as forced even through the man did not take the woman's jeans off physically; woman was threatened verbally; did not agree to sexual activity in the first place - Alcohol is involved with perpetrators and victims; in fact 50% of sexual assault has alcohol involved
Factors associated with acquaintance rape
- Sexual script = a socialized set of expected behaviors characterized by an aggressive male who initiates and pushes for sexual activity and a gatekeeping female who sets the limits Male partner pushes and pushes = gets a final yes after saying no - Characteristics of sexually aggressive men = experienced family violence; believe rape myths - Characteristics of victims = younger, have a disability, poor and homeless, living in war - Alcohol consumption Female who was raped and consumed alcohol = it is your fault Male who raped and consumed alcohol = it was a mistake
Power in control
- Sexual violence is about power and control; not attraction
Social learning theory of rape
- Social behaviors, including attitudes supportive of rape and sexually aggressive behaviors, learned through observation and reinforcement - Men can develop attitudes supportive of rape or 525 sexually aggressive behaviors via media depictions of sexuality and violence - Studies have shown that experience with pornography is related to greater sexual aggressiveness - Men who more strongly accept rape myths tend to be more sexually aggressive
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome—AIDS
- Spread by infected blood, semen, or vaginal secretions - Women has 2 - 8x higher chance of contracted HIV from an infected man than a man does from an infected woman; general population - about 12%: are less likely to ask their partners to use condoms - Anal sex is how it used to be transmitted more frequently - Now = heterosexual sex is most transmitted - Has to get into a blood stream
Are students or teachers common perpetrators of sexual harassment?
- Students are more common perpetrators than teachers - Girls report higher incidences of being victims Girls are more likely to say "I do not want that" - Experience of harassment more stressful for girls than for boys
Leslie Morgan Steiner
- Suffered from domestic violence - Missed all the signs
Profound psychological and physical consequences of rape
- Survivors may be plagued by fear, anxiety, self-blame, shame, humiliation, powerlessness, lowered self-esteem, depression, and suicidal thoughts - Women with a prior history of emotional and behavioral problems have greater difficulty than other women in recovering from rap - Physical health consequences = STIs (pay for it), pregnant, chronic headaches, pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbances, sexual problems
STIs continued - many women misdiagnosed
- Symptoms are vaginal infections and cervical cancer
Men are also victims of violence but _____
- Tend to be perpetrators of physical violence
Effects of violent & degrading sexually explicit material
- Tends in porn is toward more sexually explicit, violent, degrading films - Research shows that the societal/behavioral problems are associated with violence and not sexual explicitness
What is considered sexual assault
- The term sexual assault refers to sexual contact or behavior that occurs without explicit consent of the victim - Rape, sex trafficking, sexual harassment, unwanted touching, digital abuse, revenge porn, stalking, catcalling, flashing, reproductive coercion/control - Sexual assault is a continuum of things - Sexual violence can be other things too
AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases information
- The transmission of AIDS - Withdrawal = not a barrier method - Pill, condom, and withdrawal (not a good form of birth control)
Elder abuse = who is abused and who abuses
- The typical victim of elder abuse is a woman over age 75, usually widowed or divorced - Most elder abuse is committed by family members, including adult children and spouses - The typical abuser is a middle-aged son of the victim, who may have mental, alcohol, or drug problems Often, the abuser is the caregiver of the victim and may also be financially dependent upon the victim - What can be done = awareness of the problem is the first step Education and training are essential to alert the general public and professional service providers to the prevalence of elder abuse and neglect Support groups for victims help validate the victims' experiences and provide a sense of empowerment that may enable them to change the power structure of the abusive relationship
Data about sexual violence
- These crimes are under reported - Data is anonymous - 1 in 6 American women have been survivor of rape
AIDS in older women: rates are growing
- These risks are increasing for older women - Increased thinning of vaginal tissues, decrease in lubrication after menopause; makes tearing easier (allow HIV to get in) - Increase in sexual activity among elderly fueled by Viagra = greater chance of transmission - Harder time obtaining correct diagnosis and treatment than younger women = doctors are not treating them medically - A lot of older women do not care much about STIs since they are older = larger % of AIDS cases for women than men
Women have more of these worries because _____
- They tend to be more vulnerable
Sexual harassment in the workforce continued
- Though few incidents reach legal standard; most commonly takes form of sexual remarks and jokes - Disagreement and confusion over definition = behaviors once seen as socially accepted are now viewed as SH - Occupational characteristics related to sexual harassment = male-dominated, blue-collar occupations, men are more in power; military - Target characteristics related to sexual harassment = female, young age, unmarried, lesbian, women of color (what do these things have in common = less powerful, are minorities, more likely to be the victim)
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) - gender differences
- Transmitted more easily to women than men - More difficult to diagnose in women - More severe long-term consequences
Shift in attitude
- Victim blaming = "why didn't you just fight it?" - Trivializing sexual assault = "boys will be boys" - False report statistics = other felony crimes that we see
Spreading HIV - in many countries, women do not have power to ask man to wear a condom
- Women are not tested accordingly
Gender differences - heart disease
- Women have more symptoms for heart disease
Biases against women
- Women have often been neglected in medicine and in medical research - Bernadine Healy = $625 million effort to study the causes, prevention, and cures of diseases that affect women at midlife and beyond; was responsible for uncovering new evidence regarding women's health - Women have not been included for research; "more dangerous to use women due to pregnancy", male is normative "it should apply to females too" - Women and men's bodies do not respond the same to treatments
Women are sicker; men die quicker
- Women outlive men in virtually every country - Why women might live longer than men = less leisure activities, are less risky, less dangerous jobs - Higher risk jobs for men = construction, military, underwater welding, men take higher risks in driving
Seven warning signs of intimate partner violence
Unrealistic expectations - Dishonesty - Compulsive control; controlling behavior - Lack of trust - Social isolation*** = "do not go out with friends or family members" (HUGE ONE) Prevents other people from having access to you - High levels of jealousy = no reason to accuse but they still are jealous - Disrespect = saying unkind things - It is very hard to change a person has this characteristics even if they had issues when they were younger
