The Convicted Survivor, Cyntoia Brown The name Cyntoia Brown could arguably be one of the most controversial names throughout the history of feminist studies; particularly as these studies pertain to abuse, human/sex trafficking, and gendered crimes. Her story has been told in many different lights and examined from many perspectives. The name (Cyntoia Brown) gained traction in mainstream media after being mentioned by celebrities who all shared their strong opinions on her case (Osborne and Keneally, 2019). Erikkson (2021) states that “On December 6th, 2004, Cynthia Brown was sentenced to first-degree murder” (p.7). While it may seem that no discussion is needed, Cyntoia’s case isn’t clear-cut. Brown confessed to killing Johnny Allen, a 43-year-old …show more content…
Gender-based abuse and gendered crime can be cross-examined to determine whether Brown acted in self-defense. Belknap (2020) argues that men have a higher likelihood of committing violent crimes and that women are more likely to be victims of gender-based abuse (such as rape, sex trafficking, etc.). These statistics, when examining Cyntoia’s case, tell me the following: Cyntoia, being a vulnerable young woman due to her identity, is at a high risk of being taken advantage of by an offender who might commit gender-based abuse. While she is (on paper) inherently less violent than men, it has been proven that extremely traumatic experiences can alter one’s way of thinking, and consequently, their actions (Cecchet & Thoburn, 2014). By looking at these facts and comparing them to Brown’s arguments, it would seem more feasible that she was a victim of sexual trafficking and murdered Allen in fear for her life. Brown committing pre-meditated murder, unprovoked, seems unlikely given the
The attack occurred in July 1982, in a wooded area in Ashland, Virginia near the apartments where the victim lived. A young white woman had been attacked by a black man on a bicycle. The victim was beaten repeatedly and threatened with a gun. The victim was raped, and sodomized for an unknown amount of time. During the attack, the perpetrator had told the victim that she was nothing special; he’d been with a white girl before. The victim ran home and called police. The first officer on the scene was Ashland police officer W.L. Anderson to arrive at the apartment. Officer Anderson of the Ashland police department spoke with the victim there and at the hospital. Officer Anderson learned that the assailant knew enough about the victim to suggest he lived near her and that he had said he had a white girlfriend. Officer Anderson, who is black but is no relation to Marvin Lamont Anderson, then began asking around about black men living with white women at the apartments. Anderson 's name came up (KRISHNAMURTHY, 2001).
On the night of August 31st 1986, Angelique Lavallee a battered 21 year-old woman in an unstable common law relationship was charged with murder. She shot her spouse, Kevin Rust in the back of the head while he was leaving the bedroom. Angelique was in fear for her life after being taunted with the gun and was threaten to be killed. Hence, she felt that she had to kill him or be killed by him. The psychiatrist Dr. Shane, did an assessment and concluded that she was being terrorized by her partner. Dr. Shane concluded that Angelique was physically, sexually, emotionally and verbally abused. As a result, in the psychiatrist’s opinion, the killing was a final desperate act by a woman who seriously believed she would be killed that night. This in turn identify her as a
Public opinion leads society to believe in the “good woman – stranger rapist” stereotype. In actuality, females are typically victimized by known perpetrators. According to Catalano (as cited in Kappeler and Potter, 2005, p.43), of all rapes and sexual assaults, seventy percent of women were perpetrated by someone known to the victim; thirty percent were committed by strangers. Regarding homicide, women are nine times more likely to be killed by a family member, a previous or current lover, or an acquaintance. However, Alice Sebold’s case actually played into the stranger stereotype.
The women fought back and stabbed him because he was choking them and causing serious harm. Dwayne Buckle beats women and is homophobic. The film reveals that Dwayne Buckle posted on a website his views on same-sex relationships. He states, “We are not saying all gay causes are wrong. But we don’t feel it’s the same as civil rights, seems more like devil rights to us…80% of serial killers are homosexual”(00:29:28-00:31:02). The jurors disregarded this information even though it’s a clear motive for his behavior that night. The jurors in the case did not get the full picture of what occurred that night but they along with the media and prosecution went on racialized fears of gang violence. The media and prosecutors described the women as violent gang members. Attack of the Killer Lesbians, Lesbian Wolf Pack Guilty, and Girls Gone Wilding, were all articles from the New York Post and New York Daily News that portrayed the women as vicious thugs. What we view to be true in the media is in many ways a social construct. The media usually paints a one sided picture that we should claim to be
Who is the Plotinian spoudaios and what is his function in the Enneads? This question turns out to be fundamental, especially when trying to make out an ethical dimension in Plotinus. Treatise I 4 [46] offers, concerning that question, not only the longest sustained discussion of the spoudaios, but also shows how highly problematic it is to figure out more precisely his characteristics. This is due to the terminological ambiguity with the term sophos, which is also the reason why the two terms are often considered synonymous by translators. It appears in I 4 that this ambiguity is closely related to the question of aisthesis. And this is also perhaps the main problematic point concerning the spoudaios: he is instituted by Plotinus as the paradigm of the ‘living man,’ but is still described as someone who has detached himself from the bounds of the sensible world. So this leads to several conclusions concerning the Plotinian conception of ethical implication.
As it is in the case of the majority of violent crimes, (Davies and Rogers, 2006) perpetrators of violent crimes, and especially sexual assault related crimes exert additional force by threatening the victim or their families. Male victims also must contend with an additional sense of shame and embarrassment in being identified with a crime that has been typically portrayed in the media as happening to women. This places men at a disadvantage in the reporting process, because their safety and the safety of others is compromised further if the crime is not reported. (Messerschmitt, 2009)
Representations of victims such as Allison Baden-Clay who was a regular mother, loving wife with kids can lead the public to assume only those who share her traits can be victims as well (Christie, 1986, p.19). Those who are incapable physically and have never done anything wrong in their life will be given the benefit of doubt and advantage in their case, in comparison to other victims different to them. This also overlooks the fact which asserts males are more likely to be assaulted and be victims of crime, which many are still not aware of (Australian Institute of Criminology, 2013). Therefore, the public will accept the stereotypes of the attributes a victim consists of, without being aware of the reality where anyone can be
When the criminal justice system was established, one of the goals was to create neutrality and fairness between the sexes. However, during those times, women were not known for behaving in such manners. If a woman did in fact take part in any criminal activities, those crimes would have been blames on an individual that could of not fought for themselves. Even though people might believe that there is no such thing as ‘stereotyping’ in the criminal justice system, it is quite obvious that women are constantly being looked down upon because of their sex. In general, women tend to be treated like fragile objects that could break at any moment; the truth is that women can behave like men. Society stereotypes women; and, the criminal justice system is no different. When it comes to the stereotyping of women in the criminal justice system, society presents women who are indeed capable of committing such crimes as victims because by doing do they can achieve a lesser sentence or if necessary a longer sentence that will protect them from any harm.
Throughout history, certain crimes have been separated into different categories base on their prevalence. For every crime, the offense and charge is different. In addition, not every crime is committed by the same gender. Crimes such as larceny, fraud, forgery, and prostitution (Chesney-Lind, 1986) tend to be committed more often by women; whereas, assault, murder, trafficking, etc tend to be committed by men. When it comes to the stereotyping of women in the criminal justice system one could say that women present themselves as victims to reach a lesser sentence or that by presenting themselves as victims they will have a longer sentence that will protect them.
Moreover, females acting alone manage an estimated eight year killing time, double that of their male counterpart (as cited in Farrell et al, 2011, p. 232). For children, people are often hesitant to blame women for their deaths. Nobody wants to accept that a mother could kill their own child, or anyone else’s child. Even if they aren’t a mother, women are seen as compassionate and caring, the nurturing gender, so they are less likely to be the center of investigation in a child’s death.
Since 1970, there has been an increasing and alarming rise 138 percent of violent crimes committed by women. Still, while the equivalent percentage compared to male violence is small 15 percent to 85 percent the fact that the numbers have elevated so drastically points to something changing in society.
National data gives us an indication of the severity of this issue. When 1 in 5-woman report being victims of severe physical violence (NISVS, 2010), we must ask ourselves if enough is being done to prevent this from occurring. From a historical point, there has always almost been a distinction from men on woman violence. Based on the disparity of cases reported, male inflicted violence on females is much higher and prevalent. When the perpetrators of DV, and IPV are predominately males, we can no longer dismissed this issue as a cultural, or
The. “Gender and Homicide: A Comparison of Men and Women Who Kill.” Violence and Victims 5(4): 227-242. Keeney, Belea T. and Kathleen M. Heide. 1994. The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the The “Gender Differences in Serial Murderers”. Journal of Interpersonal Violence.
It seems that hegemonic masculinity does a great deal in explaining male-perpetrated familicide, but it fails to explain female perpetrators. There is a great lack of gender symmetrical explanations of interpersonal violence. However, as the 21st century continues, and there is a continued strive for gender equality, there is good chance that there will be an increasing amount of gender based research on violence.
Women are more likely to be victims of rape or sexual violence than men. Seventy-eight percent of victims of women and twenty-two percent are men. Women who are raped before the age of eighteen are twice as likely to be raped again as adults. Victims are at greater risk of rape or sexual assault while intoxicated. ("Sexual Violence: Fact Sh...