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SpanishTigers manager ‘beat my wife’ comment part of larger problem
“I beat my wife,” was the response from the Detroit Tigers manager, Brad Ausmus, when asked how he handles the stress of losing games. Equally damaging were the live Twitter responses during a discussion of his comment on a Fox news program. Many of the comments said Ausmus’ response was “just a joke” and to “lighten up” and “just move on”.
The problem is that violence against women is one of the most pervasive and serious public health issues in this country. Each day, on average, three women in the U.S. are murdered by intimate partners – husbands, ex-husbands and boyfriends. Despite the passage of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994, the U.S. still has the highest rate of domestic violence homicide of any industrialized country.
No so funny.
What many people may not realize is that jokes about violence against women help to normalize this behavior. To say it’s only a joke makes light of the fact that more than an estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year. If you think your child is immune to this violence, think again. Nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner in a single year.
A study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics suggests that many American teens and young adults still don’t understand that sexual violence is a crime. How is that possible? Is it the result of more than 10 hours a day of media consumption, sending them inaccurate messages about what it means to be a man or a woman? Each one alone may seem harmless, however all of those images and messages (and jokes) combined normalize the abnormal and blur what is criminal.
Here are a few ways you can help change this culture of violence:
• Avoid using language that objectifies or degrades women.
• Speak out if you hear someone else making an offensive joke or trivializing domestic abuse or rape.
• If a friend says she has been raped, take her seriously and be supportive.
• Think critically about the media’s messages about women, men, relationships, and violence.
• Be respectful of others’ physical space even in casual situations.
• Always communicate with sexual partners and do not assume consent.
• Define your own manhood or womanhood. Do not let stereotypes shape your actions.
• Get involved by joining a community group working to end violence against women.
• Take a stand to end violence against women and girls. Your language, behavior and interactions will have a significant impact on the values and attitudes of those around you.
In a follow up interview, Tigers manager, Ausmus, said, “I apologized, there’s not much more I can do.” Not true. He could educate himself on the prevalence and repercussions of domestic violence; arrange for team training on this issue; dedicate a game to raising awareness and funds to support survivors; or volunteer his time with a group working to end this violence. He can and should do more. We all could do more.
The problem is that violence against women is one of the most pervasive and serious public health issues in this country. Each day, on average, three women in the U.S. are murdered by intimate partners – husbands, ex-husbands and boyfriends. Despite the passage of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994, the U.S. still has the highest rate of domestic violence homicide of any industrialized country.
No so funny.
What many people may not realize is that jokes about violence against women help to normalize this behavior. To say it’s only a joke makes light of the fact that more than an estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year. If you think your child is immune to this violence, think again. Nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner in a single year.
A study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics suggests that many American teens and young adults still don’t understand that sexual violence is a crime. How is that possible? Is it the result of more than 10 hours a day of media consumption, sending them inaccurate messages about what it means to be a man or a woman? Each one alone may seem harmless, however all of those images and messages (and jokes) combined normalize the abnormal and blur what is criminal.
Here are a few ways you can help change this culture of violence:
• Avoid using language that objectifies or degrades women.
• Speak out if you hear someone else making an offensive joke or trivializing domestic abuse or rape.
• If a friend says she has been raped, take her seriously and be supportive.
• Think critically about the media’s messages about women, men, relationships, and violence.
• Be respectful of others’ physical space even in casual situations.
• Always communicate with sexual partners and do not assume consent.
• Define your own manhood or womanhood. Do not let stereotypes shape your actions.
• Get involved by joining a community group working to end violence against women.
• Take a stand to end violence against women and girls. Your language, behavior and interactions will have a significant impact on the values and attitudes of those around you.
In a follow up interview, Tigers manager, Ausmus, said, “I apologized, there’s not much more I can do.” Not true. He could educate himself on the prevalence and repercussions of domestic violence; arrange for team training on this issue; dedicate a game to raising awareness and funds to support survivors; or volunteer his time with a group working to end this violence. He can and should do more. We all could do more.