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How pop-culture has impacted the world's views on gender and sexuality.

Pop culture refers to popular culture which is aimed at the younger generation and transmitted via the mass media. Popular culture is essentially a set of beliefs, values, actions, objects, or goods and practices that are popular at any given time and space in society. It can refer to things like art, literature, fashion, dance, film, television, magazines and ways of living to name a few. Initially started in the 1920’s, the development of pop culture has led to good and bad things. Issues like it being hyper/ over-sexualised have become prevalent and a genuine concern in recent times.

Dionne Taylor, Lecturer in Sociology at Birmingham City University said: "Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga, and Miley Cyrus have been criticised for their music videos and on-stage performances which have been deemed as overtly sexual and sending inappropriate messages to young women and girls.

"Popular culture - in particular hip hop/rap and pop music - is flooded with images of scantily clad women. But conversely there is imbalance of male artists who are often fully clothed and making derogatory references to women." This has led to a negative influence on the children of this generation. It has caused them to be singing along to vulgar or derogatory lyrics or performing dance steps and actions without realising what it all means.

From 1 October 2014 online music videos have carried an age classification as part of a pilot scheme by YouTube, music video service Vevo and the British Board of Film Classification. David Cameron first announced the scheme back in August saying it was, "to help parents protect their children from some of the graphic content in online music videos.” This new norm of male sexual objectification—that is, the depiction of men as sexual beings whose worth depends on the power to arouse the opposite sex—is creating serious but underappreciated consequences. First, reports indicate that young men increasingly suffer from body-image problems. One study finds that young men are now more concerned with their physiques than with their job status. Eating disorders and body dysmorphia—the disorder characterised by the belief that one’s body is defective and requires fixing or concealment—are rising sharply among men. Although these conditions are usually thought to occur almost entirely among females, one estimate gauges that as many as one in four instances are now found among men. Body-image disorders follow the pattern set by the market’s idealised forms. For women, this generally means becoming thin. Men, on the other hand, inordinately desire muscle mass and muscular tone, leading in turn to steroid abuse and the dangerous over-ingestion of unregulated muscle-building supplements.

Indeed, according to the January 2014 report of the American Medical Association Pediatrics, only 15% of male body-image issues include a desire for thinness; 85% relate to muscle tone, abdominal musculature, and chest muscle size.

Sexual harassment can come in many forms. This has started to become more common in schools. Sexual harassment may be expressed through various types of behaviour, including verbal (e.g. demeaning comments about gender and sexualised conversations), non-verbal (e.g. sexualised contact seeking and sexual looks) and sexual-assault behaviours (e.g. grabbing or pinching, or touching private body parts). Verbal sexual harassment is more prevalent than physical. Sexual jokes are one type of verbal sexual harassment. Students who are exposed to sexual jokes often have a hard time defending themselves. Although being the object of sexual jokes can evoke feelings of anger, frustration and being hurt, a negative response to the joke can be further used as an accusation of lacking a sense of humour.

A recent NY Times poll of working men found that almost a fifth admitted to “telling sexual jokes or stories that some might consider offensive.” Further, the men who reported engaging in sexual jokes and story-telling were much more likely to report other “harassing behaviours.” First, telling and/or appreciating sexist or sexual jokes may reflect a broader set of other problematic attitudes and behaviours. Enjoyment of sexist humour has been found to correlate with sexist attitudes (Greenwood & Isbell, 2002); at the outset, this shows that a sexist joke is never “just a joke.” More disturbing and surprising, perhaps, is that appreciation of sexist humor is also associated with increased endorsement of “rape myths” (the perception that women secretly want or deserve forced sex), rape likelihood (reported likelihood of engaging in forced sex if they would not get punished), and with reported sexual aggression in dating relationships among men.

The victims of sexual harassment who have recently come forward are far from alone: Nearly half of women say they have experienced some form of it at work at least once in their careers. But there has been little research about those responsible. In a new survey, about a third of men said they had done something at work within the past year that would qualify as objectionable behavior or sexual harassment. Over the course of multiple such events, women can mentally breakdown due to the constant crude statements, jokes, behaviour, etc. which would impact their ability to work and could take a toll on their mental health. This at times can digress into more serious complications and issues where a third party may need to step in.

Additionally, the sexualised jokes at workplaces, if they come from the person in power, e.g.: managers, or are given no attention/ blind-eyed, can cause such issues to digress further into potentially more serious forms of harassment, perhaps even physical/ rape. It also encourages harrasment/ rape culture in workplaces and/or schools.

The depiction of sexuality and sexual relationships in pop culture has always been problematic — if not downright flawed. Among its many issues lies one of sexual double standards — basically, men and women not only being expected to perform different sexual roles, but also berated for deviating from such diktats.

According to a new study, such portrayal isn’t harmless simply because it’s fiction; its very real impact on reality manifests in the form of shaping teenagers’ views on gender and sexuality. It is often seen as a reflection of the attitudes and values of society, and can influence young people’s thoughts, behaviours, and beliefs. For example, pop culture can have a powerful influence on how young people view body image, relationships, and gender roles. Pop culture can also be a source of confusion and conflict for young people and can create a pressure to conform to certain standards of beauty and behaviour. This alongside the newer additions to pop culture in recent times or hypersexualised personalities, gender roles, etc. has led to many teens early-on having body issues, eating disorders, depression, etc. due to them comparing their natural bodies to a hypersexualised/ directed and rehearsed presentation of the same natural structure.

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I feel like it's not talked enough about how SA really strips you of your identity. Like someone violates your basic humanity and you're left to deal with the aftermath of having everything you are as a person taken away from you. It makes you feel subhuman.

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Hello Fellow csa mates

sorry to be so cheery .... or is it that im not

like all of you i go into the world wearing my facade like a badge of honor

knowin in my heart im broken behind this smile

trying to just be and do good so i will be loved and accepted by people who

have no idea of my real reflection.

We are legion of silent criers,

called pitiful liars and wolf criers.

When we've reach out a hand to seek help to have it slapped away to be blamed

for the grown man with no control of his hands

to see a 11 year old girl and have rise in his pants

no maam Im not just his victim

I'm a victim of 'what happens in this house stays in this house' and 'young women shouldn't wear those around grown men' and being young, pretty and developing automatically gets you a free ride to pedo-land.

Wont be silenced no more screaming from my soul i'll be damned if i let another man break me Lord

You are my shield my sword and my ancestors got me through im breaking chains or generational curses given to me at birth

So Lord give your worst, I dont care how it hurts me i aint the first but ill be the last wont let this shit continue on we'll leave it in the past

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Sports and Sexual Harrassment

Sports- “An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment”

Simply put, athletes train, athletes compete, athletes improve and fans and sports enthusiasts get entertained.

Unfortunately, that's not where it ends in the sports industry for women and young girls. Research shows us that sexual harassment occurs in all sports and at all levels, including child and youth sports, college and university athletes, and elite athletes. While exact prevalence rates of SHA (sexual harassment, sexual abuse, gender harassment, hazing, and homophobia) in sport have not been systematically determined, there is an estimate of 48% of SHA prevalent.

While SHA occurs in all levels of sport, prevalence of SHA does appear to be higher in elite sport as the higher the athlete is on the sporting talent ladder, the greater the risks of being sexually exploited. In addition, sports where there is early specialisation may also present greater risks of sexual exploitation, especially in sports where intensive talent identification happens around puberty. SHA commencing during the ‘stage of imminent achievement’ in sport is posited to occur as athletes have an increased dependence on their coach as they reach their performance goals.

Once athletes get sexually abused or harassed, they may experience headaches, lethargy, weight fluctuations, sleep disturbances, in some cases even self harm, denial, lack of trust and change in the behaviour of the athletes. A group of Irish researchests conducted a meta-analysis of the literature on the long-term physical health consequences of childhood sexual abuse. They found people who had experienced sexual abuse have poorer health outcomes in the following areas: general health, gastrointestinal health, gynaecological or reproductive health, pain, cardiopulmonary symptoms and obesity. In the hazing that is sometimes seen in sports, there can also be extreme physical consequences, such as alcohol poisoning and even death.

The process in which SHA may occur in sports follows-up this way:

Targeting the victim - A vulnerable athlete who is comparatively isolated from the team becomes an easy victim.

Building trust and friendship - Through this friendship the coach builds a more trusting relationship by making the athlete feel special by the giving of rewards or gifts. With the provision of these rewards, the coach can later say, ‘you have to do this (sexual activity), because of I have (given you this reward)…’ These rewards can also serve to increase an athlete's feelings of cooperation with the coach.

Developing control and loyalty - The perpetrator may then develop further control and loyalty often through refusing the athlete access to significant others, friends and supporters. This may include restricting access to the athlete's parents as a way of checking the athlete's commitment. For example, in qualitative interviews with athletes who had experienced sexual abuse, the athletes spoke how developing a strong sense of dependence on the coach lead to increased cooperation with the coaches' sexual behaviours.

Building and securing secrecy - After the abuse has begun, the coach may continue to build and secure secrecy by ensuring the consequences of the sexual boundaries. The coach may use statements such as ‘you owe me’ or ‘it is our little secret.’ In other scenarios, the perpetrator may use the example of hurting the victim or loved ones around the victim to keep the “in-check”.

Over the past couple of years, there has been a visible increase in the number of sexual assault cases on the sports field inflicted by coaches, medical personnel etc. Majority of the times, these cases don't come to the limelight and are covered up in order to protect the image of the team. Not only do women in sports face physical or verbal sexual harassment, but they are also made to “look appealing” and “look feminine” while playing. This occurs due to sexualized uniforms which include overly tight and cropped skorts, skirts, and spandex shorts. In some cases like volleyball matches, females are forced to wear overly cropped and inappropriate bikini bottoms, placing athletes in awkward positions during the play. This could include cat-calling during matches and objective remarks.

In 2021, the Norwegian national team appealed to the beach handball governing body, the European Handball Federation (EHF), asking to wear less revealing clothing. The requirements established by the governing body require women players to wear bikini bottoms. They swapped out the bikini bottoms for bike shorts and the EHF fined the team 1,500 euros ($2487.74 AUD) for wearing “improper clothing”, claiming the shorts were “not according to the Athlete Uniform Regulations defined in the IHF Beach Handball Rules of the Game”.

In 2019, the third season of the AFLW. Tayla Harris was at the peak of her game, and the most incredible photo of her kicking the footy went viral. It highlighted her athleticism, power and skill, representative of just how strong the women’s game was becoming. But the photo was also met with vile, sexist attacks online. Some trolls online even edited the image to make Harris appear half naked. Harris’ body was sexualised to take away from her strength in her sport.

These are just a few examples of women being sexualized in sports. However, there is some amount of progress that has been made in India itself. A female cyclist accused the national team head coach RK Sharma of sexually inappropriate behaviour during a training-cum-competition trip to Slovenia. Days after the initial complaint, three more cyclists alleged that Sharma had harassed and threatened them for years. The Sports Authority of India terminated Sharma's contract and launched an investigation.

We still have a long way to go, and alot of progress to make. Together, we can change the narrative of women in sports.

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SPREAD AWARENESS

I know this isn't common for my usual content, in fact I'm barely seen commenting or participating in posts about this topic, but I recently found out about this and wanted to spread awareness.

I'm completely against genoc!de and the m*rder of innocent people, but honestly I'm not in the best position to talk about this. I barely know everything about this topic and I'm currently not in the best mentally state to dig further because of my over empathy I know this will make me feel sick of how horrible it is people have to go through this. BUT, as someone with contreltofobia I can't stay quiet about other women going through this

I can't even imagine the pain of the victims, as someone who constantly fears the idea of being touched and undressed my heart breaks whenever I know about someone having to go through one of my worst fears and I can only hope for her healing and that her baby is okay (I couldn't find if it's alive, if someone can inform me I'll be really grateful). Also my biggest condolences for her husband, her children and the other men forced to watch. This poor souls only wanted shelter that shouldn't have been taken away from them, they're humans with feelings and rights that are being violated and should be protected.

SA is horrible, I'll never ever wish it to anyone, I know it's extremely selfish to only talk about this conflict when it's related in some way to me, but I really want to spread awareness about the horrifies of SA and r*pe and express my entire healing desires for this poor woman, the soldiers should be ashamed of this horrible inhuman act. People want to act like this things doesn't happen, try to hide it under the rug, but if someone has to come out to yell how this happens I'll be more than proud to so victims can get the help they need.

(if anyone feels the need to vent about this topic because this things can be triggering, pls feel free to. I'll always hear, your feelings matter and your experience will never define how amazing of a human you are and how grateful we are for having you in this world with us)

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Gaps in the judicial system pertaining to sexual violence

Sexual violence is a pervasive societal issue that inflicts lasting harm on individuals and communities. While strides have been made in recognizing and addressing this issue, significant gaps persist within the judicial system. These gaps undermine the pursuit of justice, perpetuate cycles of trauma, and contribute to a culture of impunity.

There is an average of 86 rape cases in India per day, yet no binding strong laws in place to work against sexual violence and to punish the perpetrators. 

One of the main challenges of sexual violence is the underreporting of cases. There are multiple cases of sexual violence that don’t get reported to due to fear or embarrassment. Irrespective of the short term and long term effects of sexual violence ranging from feeling guilty & embarrassed, feeling isolated, skin issues and health related issues like STI to longer term issues like depression, suicidal thoughts, PTSD and even fear regarding romantic relationships. 

The judicial process itself can be retraumatizing for survivors of sexual violence. Legal hurdles, such as stringent evidentiary standards and statutes of limitations, pose significant barriers to prosecution. Moreover, survivors frequently encounter victim-blaming attitudes and invasive questioning, further deterring them from seeking justice.

In order to help reduce this, it is important to create a support system around the person so that they  can confide in a trusted adult whether or not it is family. Especially in the cases of victim blackmail it is crucial to have a trusted support system around them. 

Moreover, it is imperative that the survivor gets immediate help, physically and emotionally. Getting rape kits done could be beneficial as it helps add to proof in order to take strict action against the perpetrator.

Reassuring the survivor, being empathetic and understanding goes a long way.

Marginalised communities, including women of colour, LGBTQ+ individuals, and persons with disabilities, face compounded barriers to accessing justice. Discrimination, bias, and systemic inequalities within the judicial system disproportionately affect these communities, further eroding trust and confidence in the legal process.

In these cases especially counselling and child welfare committees do help.

In order to bridge the chasm the following can be done-

Reforming of the laws in order to make gaining justice easier and in order to serve the perpetrator with a severe punishment in such a way that others get discouraged from violating someone sexually

Enhancing support systems by investing in comprehensive support for the survivor ranging from legal aid to physical aid and counselling sessions

Empowering Survivor Voices: Amplifying survivor voices in policy-making processes, fostering a culture of believing and supporting survivors, and centering their experiences in efforts to reform the judicial system.

Holding the perpetrators accountable and imposing meaningful consequences for perpetrators and promoting a culture of accountability to prevent further harm