THE PENDULUM:SEXUAL ASSAULT

     In recent days a cartoon with a pendulum showing females suffering the results and the swing now showing males being caught.

    The pendulum is a good metaphor to show how the present situation has changed and that men are paying a price for their behavior. The pendulum tries to bring up the idea of a balance.  

     I'm not sure that there is any way to think of a balance in this situation. Both males and females lose a tremendous amount in this situation. Females lose physically, emotionally and it carries on throughout life. Males lose their position and power. They are very different types of losses and I don't see a comparison or equality in the situation. 

     People have been talking about a balance? I'm not sure what that balance would be. When the behavior is taken out of the courts and reported on line any control the justice system had is gone.

    The other point is that inappropriate behavior still goes on. With recent reporting of assaults people think that might put a stop to it. It won't. There will be many males who still behave in a very inappropriate manner. 

    One of the comments in my last post mentioned that we have to look at each other as people rather than male/female. We should look at ourselves as people with characteristics describing character and ability. I like this idea although it is so huge that it will never happen. 

    I hope that we do move to a situation where there is less sexual assault and that there is a more definite understanding by all as to what various behaviors are.

INAPPROPRIATE SEXUAL BEHAVIOR AND MORE

   The reporting of numerous high profile sexual charges has taken us by surprise. It was always known that there were sexual assaults and more that occurred and were never reported. The rate of reporting is extremely low. The rate of conviction for offenders is again extremely low. 

    There would be numerous reasons why the very few assault charges were laid.

     Our justice system is woefully inadequate to process sexual assaults. Women are unwilling to report and lay  charges as the system doesn't work with respect to sexual charges. It's difficult for a complainant to give evidence regarding an assault. It's a personal and hurtful experience. Then a cross examination can add another layer of stress. The offender then gives his side of the story. So you have two stories. Which one does the justice system accept. Historically it's been very difficult to get a conviction on a sexual assault.
   
     So the justice system has limped along making a very poor job of cases. 

    Too many males and very few females have been involved in setting up a legal system that works better than what we have now. The justice system until recently was mainly male and they set up and ran a very ineffective system. One judge in Alberta asked a rape victim why she didn't keep her legs together during the assault..

    Now since some women have skirted the justice system and reported assault many more women feel confident enough to report what has happened to them. That is good.

     So now we have men who are publicly accused of sexual misconduct . Many men have lost their positions without going through due process. So again the justice system fails us. 

    The patriarchal system we have leads to male behavior of dominance. I wonder if matriarchal systems have been looked at as far as their issues with sexual assault is concerned. 

     We are a highly competitive society. People who desire leadership rolls compete vigorously for the position. No holds  barred. Many politicians are now accused of misconduct. Politicians are able to negate half of their rivals with inappropriate sexual conduct.

   The justice system is only one piece of the puzzle. Education? Social behavior?

    We have a long way to go on this one before an acceptable level of justice and equality are achieved.