I'm not going to lie, I was struggling to figure out what to write for this week, until I stumbled across this article, and ideas hit me like a freight truck.
The main point of the article shows that children's exposure to real life violent crime (living in a house with a victim of rape, domestic abuse, etc.) has gone down dramatically since the 1990's. From 1993 to 2010, studies have shown that children's exposed to violent crime has gone down a whopping 68%, from 8.7 million to 2.8 million, which is absolutely crazy.
Researchers think this is because now a days so many clinics and programs and legal help centers are available for victims of crime that action is taken before it can affect a child, which is terrific, as prolonged experience with violent crime in childhood can lead to adolescent and adult depression, anxiety and antisocial tendencies.
What does this say about our culture as Americans? Are we finally becoming more aware of victims and helping them, instead of blaming them or keeping them quiet? Lately movements for rape victims and domestic abuse victims have become widespread, whereas before subjects like those were mostly taboo.
What do you think? Are we become more understanding, or are things just looking up on their own?
I completely believe that as a society, we are coming to the realization that victims need help. I think that we're realizing the terrible effects that "sweeping it under the rug" can do to victims, and are fully aware that their past could ultimately change them. I feel that we are more compassionate towards those who went through difficult situations relating crime, because the effects on the brain are so incredibly evident that helping these victims are necessary.
ReplyDeleteI feel as if it is more socially acceptable to find help and counseling. Let's look at the example of a victim of domestic abuse: a woman was less likely to speak up about their husbands harming them because they could not support themselves without their husband and divorce was also looked down upon. Today, women are working to support themselves (so they don't have to rely on their husband) and divorce is more socially acceptable. I feel as if it was normal to stay quiet about domestic abuse in fear of damaging the family reputation. Women used to just deal with the issue themselves no matter how awful, unlike today where they are more likely to find help and others are more likely to help them. I feel this example can be true in many other cases, such as child abuse or rape victims. America is becoming more acceptable and realizing that it's healthy to talk about touchy subjects such as rape and to educate America's children about the issues.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is a very interesting article! It is great that so many people are able to confront the violence and seek help now, and I definitely think that this is due to a changing view in our society. It is no longer viewed as a failure to divorce, and victims are no longer blamed for their violent situations. Like Maria said, this may also be because of the fact that women are able to support themselves now. In the past, abuse victims may not have been able to do anything about their situations because their husbands/boyfriends/etc., were also their only support systems.
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