Controversy erupted in 2014 when video of National Football League player Ray Rice violently punched his fiancé (now wife) and dragged her unconscious body from an elevator. Most recently, Deadspin released graphic images of the injuries NFL player Greg Hardy inflicted on his ex-girlfriend. In both instances, NFL officials insisted that, if they had seen the visual evidence of the crime, they would have implemented harsher consequences from the onset.
Why are violent images so much more compelling than other evidence of men’s violence against women? A partial answer is found by looking at whose story is privileged and whose is discounted. The power of celebrity and masculinity reinforces a collective desire to disbelieve the very real violence women experience at the hands of men. Thirteen black women collectively shared their story of being raped and sexually assaulted by a white police officer, Daniel Holtzclaw, in Oklahoma. Without the combined bravery of the victims, it is unlikely any one woman would have been able to get justice. A similar unfolding happened with Bill Cosby. The first victims to speak out against Cosby were dismissed and treated with suspicion. The same biases that interfere with effectively responding to rape and sexual assault allegations hold true for domestic violence interventions.
[For more of this story, written by Joanna Rae Pepin, go to https://psmag.com/the-problem-...72b530897#.rtnpsmav3]
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