Social Implications of

Domestic Violence in the Media

Claire Denton

Carthage College
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THE MEDIA 2

From Hollywood to the NFL, cases of domestic violence continuously cover our

newspapers, magazines, and TV screens. When news of this nature is presented, viewers should

be quick to consider how much of the story is being accurately presented. Domestic violence is

often misrepresented in today’s media, adhering to the protection of the male offenders of the

violence and often turning blame to the victim which has lasting implications on the perception

of social and cultural roles. Until there is a greater understanding of how social learning theory is

present in our everyday interactions; that we are constantly identifying with social roles and

imitating the characters we see in the media – the media which is controlled by the hegemonic

male ideology, will continue to influence our culture without the masses even knowing. Before

we can discuss this idea, I will offer an explanation of what it means to be in an abusive

relationship, offer a clear definition of domestic violence and also define a few key terms that

will be touched on throughout the discussion.

Literature Review
Media

Humez (1996) defines as “the range of technologically assisted means by which images

and messages can be created and distributed by producers for later consumption by the masses”

(p.703). Media is often controlled by a hegemony used to push their ideology onto the masses, it

is for this reason that the masses should be urged to think critically about what the media is

portraying to them.

Domestic Violence
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THE MEDIA 3

Counseling to end violence against women: a subversive model defines domestic violence as

“violence and abuse directed at women, which serves to control women through the exertion of patriarchal

power” (Whalen, 1996). As detailed previously, the abuse found in a domestically violent relationship falls

on a scale. Violence against women can be as common as the catcalling that most women are subjected to

daily, or as serious as sexual assault, or rape.

Abusive Relationship

Often, when a relationship begins to turn destructive in nature, coupled with conflict and

anger, it can become abusive. Miller (2011) explains that often times it is difficult for someone in

an abusive relationship to realize the nature of said relationship until the destruction is already

done. She explains this when she states, “if an individual’s definition of abusive behaviors differs

from the generally accepted definition of abuse, that individual may inaccurately self-identify as

not being in an abusive relationship when he or she truly is” (Miller, 2011, p. 71). There needs to

be an urge for the necessity of a definition for an abusive relationship, with the understanding

that abuse falls on a scale. In Reflect & Relate: An Introduction to Interpersonal Communication

an understanding for identifying whether a relationship is classified as abusive is offered. A

relationship is abusive when your partner isolates you from others, uses power as control, is

physically threatening, uses verbally aggressive language, and is quick to place constant blame

for conflict on you (McCormack, 2016).

Hegemony

Hegemony is defined in Gender, Race, and Class in Media: A Critical Reader as when

those in a positon of power “secures the consent of the socially subordinated to the system that

suppresses or subordinates them” (Humez, 1996, p. 701). Hegemony is essentially dominance of

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THE MEDIA 4

one social group over another, secured by the imposition of the hegemonic group’s ideology

through use of mass media.

Ideology

As previously mentioned, hegemonic groups secure their power by imposing their

ideology onto a lower-class group. The term ideology as detailed in Gender, Race, and Class in

Media: A Critical Reader, refers to the ideas imposed on the masses by those representing the

‘hegemonic’ or the higher social class (Humez, 1996, p. 702).

Social Learning Theory

Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory argues that people learn from one another,

through observation, imitation, and modeling. Bandura explains, “Most human behavior is

learned observationally through modeling: from observing others, one forms an idea of how new

behaviors are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for

action.” (Bandura, 1977, p. 148).

Imitation

The term imitation as detailed by Bandura (1977) refers to when a person matches the

actions of another (p. 149). In this context, it is referring to when a person matches the actions of

another person as they are portrayed in the media.

Identification
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THE MEDIA 5

The term identification as detailed by Bandura (1977) refers to when a person takes on

the actions and personality of another (p. 149). In this context, it is referring to when a person

takes on the actions and personality of another person as they are portrayed in the media.

Social Modeling

Bandura (2011) details social modeling as when modeling influences functions which

promote personal and social change including both motivational and social functions (p. 78).

Modeling is similar to imitation but is not necessarily close in time. In this context, it is referring

to when a person models the actions of another person as they are portrayed in the media.

Application
In the article, Domestic Violence in Men’s and Women’s Magazines: Women are

Guilty of Choosing the Wrong Men, Men are Not Guilty of Hitting Women, Nettleton (2011)

discusses the manner in which domestic violence is represented in popular magazines. magazines

and offers an analysis of both men’s and women’s magazines over a recent 10-year period,

examined for their coverage of domestic violence cases. (p.1). Nettleton (2011) describes two

major troubling themes in how the media represents domestic violence in the media.

The first theme found in the manner in which media portrays domestic violence is that

there is the idea portrayed that while domestic violence is terrifying to women, it is found

amusing to men (p. 2). Often times, when a story about domestic violence appears in the media,

it is quickly written off as “a scheme made up by the woman” or a “publicity ploy” to try and

defer the responsibility from the abuser. The hegemonic male gender uses the media as a source
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THE MEDIA 6

to often impose the idea that domestic violence is not to be taken seriously, they do this by

making it a laughable offense. While women victims’ plea for the media to believe them and

help them, their stories get written off as these laughable publicity stunts, to the point where now

it is so common that women feel discouraged to come forward when they experience domestic

violence or find themselves in an abusive relationship.

The second theme found in in the media’s representation of domestic violence is the

critical error which suggests the idea that women are responsible for preventing the violence of

men and men cannot help themselves. This theme is detailed by Berns (2009) when she names

magazines detailing acts of domestic violence merely as tools for framing the victim (p. 145).

This again is an example of the hegemonic’ males who run the medias way of pushing their

ideology onto the masses, by turning blame a responsibility of domestic violence on to the

victims themselves. By turning blame on to the victims, we are able to ignore the idea of action’s

having consequences and again, discourage future victims from coming forward when they

experience abuse, securing the hegemonic male’s power.

Consequently, these underlining themes don’t stop with the stories of domestic violence

in women’s magazines. The themes and hegemonic ideologies expressed in these cases of

domestic violence breed a new understanding of abuse and domestic violence. When the masses

read these accounts of violence, they begin, as social learning theory explains, to respond to the

learned social behavior derived from the story. Due to the cognitive behavioral learning methods

of social modeling, imitation and identification, people read these stories with these main themes

of abuse being the woman’s fault, blaming the victim or writing her off completely as ‘attention

seeking’ and begin to model their own behaviors and understandings after them. Women identify

with the characters portrayed as victims, who are not to reach out or speak out on their being
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THE MEDIA 7

mistreated. Men imitate the male characters portrayed in the media as the ‘alphas’, or the ones in

control. These characters as they are portrayed in the media which members of society identify

with and then imitate contribute to the stereotypical social roles which are growing ever present

in today’s culture.

These stories shape our cultures understanding of abuse, domestic violence and social

roles. It is for this reason that little girls are told that if a boy is picking on her, it is his way of

showing that he likes her. These girls are taught to identify getting pinch with receiving a hug

and being slapped as receiving a kiss. The culture has justified and romanticizes small acts of

violence as a manifested form of desire, preaching the hegemonic ideology of male’s as

superiors, starting at grade school levels. It is for this reason that teenage girls are told so strictly

what they can and cannot wear to school. They are taught that it is their choices which affect

how a boy will act towards them, rather than the boy’s choice on how to respond to seeing a bare

shoulder. It is for this reason that women’s innate instincts are to remain quiet and polite and not

speak out on their opinions. It is why so many women feel that they are completely alone when

they find themselves in an abusive relationship, petrified of seeking help as they, fear they will

be blamed or mocked for their circumstance. And why should these women feel any other way

than completely alone? After all, since that young age in grade school they were taught these

same ideas found in accounts of domestic violence in the media; that women who seek help are

simply seeking attention, and that even if abuse is present, it is them who are to blame for

provoking their abuser.

Domestic violence is misrepresented in today’s media, adhering to the protection of the

male offenders of the violence, writing cases off as invalid and turning blame to the victim

themselves. We see the idea of hegemony in play here, as male’s secure their power over women
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THE MEDIA 8

by using media, especially when representing cases of domestic violence as a means of

supporting their agenda of pushing their ideology onto the masses. Until there is a greater

understanding of how social learning theory is present in our everyday interactions; that we are

constantly identifying with social roles and imitating the characters we see in the media. Until we

have a better understanding on how hegemonic ideologies manipulate and contort the ways in

which we reflect these stories into our own understandings of social roles – there will be no

peace for the little girls on the playground, or the teenager sent to the nurse because her skirt was

above her knees. There will be no peace for the victims and survivors of domestic violence until

the media reports it for what it really is, a crime against women.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THE MEDIA 9

Bibliography

Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Learning Theories in Plain English Volume 1 of 2.
2017 edition. Retrieved from https://www.learning-theories.com.

Bandura, A. (2011). Entertainment-Education and Social Change History, Research, and

Practice (p. 75-95) (A. Singhal & M.J. Cody, Authors). New York, NY: Routledge.

Berns, N. (2009). Framing the Victim: Domestic Violence, Media and Social Problems. New
Brunswick, NJ: Aldine Transaction.

Dines, G., & Humez, J.M. (1994). Gender, race and class in media: a critical reader (4 th ed.).
Sage.

McCormack, S. (2016). Reflect & Relate: an introduction to interpersonal communication.

Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's.

Miller, L. M. (2011). Physical abuse in a college setting: A study of perceptions and participation
in abusive dating relationships. Journal of Family Violence, 26(1), 71-80.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10896-010-9344-2

Nettleton, P. H. (2011). Domestic violence in men’s and women’s magazines: women are
guilty of choosing the wrong men, men are not guilty of hitting women. Communication
Faculty Research and Publications: Marquette University.

Whalen, M. (1996). Counseling to end violence against women: a subversive model. Thousand

Oaks, CA: Sage.