The male cloak of invisibility

Media has a responsibility to help form and transform cultural understanding and attitudes surrounding men’s violence. 

Media outlets need to clearly state the sex of both the alleged perpetrator and victim in the headline as well as in reportage. They need to keep the focus where it belongs, on perpetrators of violence and their actions, rather than the behavior of the victim.

Special care must be taken in reporting cases of rape and child sexual abuse. It is not uncommon for such reports to use language that conflates sexual assault with consensual sex and as such minimises the violent crime perpetrated against the victim.

Problematic phrases include “sex with”, “sexual relations”, “relationship”, “affair”, “having intercourse”, “underage sex”, “performed sex acts with”, “child sex”.

Any and all sexual activity involving a child is child abuse and a serious crime. Children below the legal age of consent are unable to consent to sexual activity. These facts should be reflected in reporting on child sexual abuse.

Until we acknowledge the issue for what it is and actively address the root causes and factors that facilitate and lead to this violence, we will continue to see women and children dead. We need to begin a different conversation on violence against women, and it starts by naming the problem honestly - men’s violence.