Voices Against Violence
Voices Against Violence
Violence displays itself in society in a multitude of ways. Whether it is through the words that we use, the way that people are treated, or the images that we observe -- the effects of violence are devastating.
A psychological study in 1995 found that three minutes spent looking at fashion magazines caused 70% of women to feel depressed, guilty, and shameful. This week during Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence Awareness Week we ask you to cast your vote for the advertisement that demonstrates the worst example of sexism in the media and to examine for yourself what messages you believe.
If a picture relays a thousand words, then what words are being used to describe women and men in the pictures that we look at? Women and men are represented by the media in ways that exaggerate expectations about what people are supposed to look like, how they should act, and what behavior is expected. Models are young, white, thin, and airbrushed and women are depicted in subservient ways or being physically assaulted. In a country where a woman is battered every 15 seconds, usually by her intimate partner, and one out of every four college aged women has an eating disorder -- attention must be paid to the messages that are being sent regarding power and control in society.
We hope that you will challenge the way that media and society portray women and men and how that atmosphere accepts and supports violence against women, children and men.
