Changing Perceptions of Sexual Violence Over Time

Abstract

VAWnet is a project of the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence. “Perceptions include people’s views and ideas about the causes and impact of sexual violence. These are most often understood by exploring people’s attitudes and beliefs about sexual violence in general as well as their thoughts about victims and perpetrators. Understanding the way in which perceptions of sexual violence have evolved over the years is important for a number of reasons. It acknowledges the positive changes that have occured in shifting societal attitudes about sexual violence, while also offering a roadmap of future directions the field needs to take in engaging communities to further develop their understanding of the issue.” The acknowledgement of sexual violence as a major social problem occurred relatively late in our country’s history, emerging during the 1960s and 1970s. This was largely due to the efforts of the anti-rape movement which was born out of the civil rights and feminist movements (Bevacqua, 2000). Since that time, advocates have achieved numerous, farreaching milestones to make the problem of sexual violence more visible. Major and positive shifts have occurred in the way our society responds to and views sexual violence (Gavey, 2005). Such shifts include: increased public awareness of the problem, many more services for survivors, widespread legislative reform, additional research and funding to understand the issue, and implementation of prevention education in communities across the country.