Rape in the news : media portrayals of rapists, victims and rape in New Zealand
Mitchell, Katherine Jane
Rape in the news : media portrayals of rapists, victims and rape in New Zealand Mitchell, Katherine Jane - 2001 - 138 p.
Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Criminology at Victoria University of Wellington. Available for loan from Victoria University Library.
In this study, the author analysed news media coverage of high profile rape cases to reveal the media's understanding of rape. The cases were chosen for their ability to highlight the different aspects of the offender, victim or crime. In line with the international literature on which it builds, the findings of this study show a significant disparity between the media's portrayal of rape and women's realities of sexual violence. Women's typical rape experiences involve incidents in which the woman knows the rapist and does not suffer excessive physical violence. Conversely, media accounts of rape typically involve strangers and extrinsic violence. Furthermore, when the media does cover acquaintance rapes, the model of the violent stranger rape is used as the benchmark against which truth and seriousness are measured. Acquaintance rape is rarely held to be as serious as 'real' (violent stranger) rape, and aspects of victims' behaviour and character are scrutinised for clues to her credibility. This thesis finds that media representations of rape are therefore informed by ideological assumptions regarding gender appropriate behaviours. These stereotypical notions of masculinity and femininity are used to underpin explanations of rape. The credibility of both offenders and victims relies on being perceived as existing within these constructs. A victim's transgression of feminine norms means that coverage is likely to be less supportive of her, and the rape is assumed to be less significant. An offender's failure to fit the masculine stereotype means he is more likely to be configured as a 'real' rapist. The media's understanding of rape is thus underpinned by the dominant discourse, in which rape is un-gendered, infrequent, and associated with monster-like men, quite unlike 'normal' men. This study situates the media as supportive of the status quo in which rape is one tool of the social control of women.--AUTHOR'S ABSTRACT
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
GENDER
MEDIA
RAPE VICTIMS
RAPE
SEX OFFENDERS
WOMEN
THESES
SEXUAL VIOLENCE
Rape in the news : media portrayals of rapists, victims and rape in New Zealand Mitchell, Katherine Jane - 2001 - 138 p.
Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Criminology at Victoria University of Wellington. Available for loan from Victoria University Library.
In this study, the author analysed news media coverage of high profile rape cases to reveal the media's understanding of rape. The cases were chosen for their ability to highlight the different aspects of the offender, victim or crime. In line with the international literature on which it builds, the findings of this study show a significant disparity between the media's portrayal of rape and women's realities of sexual violence. Women's typical rape experiences involve incidents in which the woman knows the rapist and does not suffer excessive physical violence. Conversely, media accounts of rape typically involve strangers and extrinsic violence. Furthermore, when the media does cover acquaintance rapes, the model of the violent stranger rape is used as the benchmark against which truth and seriousness are measured. Acquaintance rape is rarely held to be as serious as 'real' (violent stranger) rape, and aspects of victims' behaviour and character are scrutinised for clues to her credibility. This thesis finds that media representations of rape are therefore informed by ideological assumptions regarding gender appropriate behaviours. These stereotypical notions of masculinity and femininity are used to underpin explanations of rape. The credibility of both offenders and victims relies on being perceived as existing within these constructs. A victim's transgression of feminine norms means that coverage is likely to be less supportive of her, and the rape is assumed to be less significant. An offender's failure to fit the masculine stereotype means he is more likely to be configured as a 'real' rapist. The media's understanding of rape is thus underpinned by the dominant discourse, in which rape is un-gendered, infrequent, and associated with monster-like men, quite unlike 'normal' men. This study situates the media as supportive of the status quo in which rape is one tool of the social control of women.--AUTHOR'S ABSTRACT
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
GENDER
MEDIA
RAPE VICTIMS
RAPE
SEX OFFENDERS
WOMEN
THESES
SEXUAL VIOLENCE