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Message: [QUOTE="YoungHearts, post: 1740311, member: 11678"] I haven't been to Thumped for a while, and this caught my eye...it makes very interesting reading, and links in to so many thoughts that I have so regularly, as a woman, and just as person in the world who has lived thirty-something years. My own little contribution comes from my experience in law (my previous life/career) - once you start reading criminal law cases (which I wouldn't advise) there are some stark realities and patterns that emerge-while there are some cases of women perpetrating rape, paedophilia, sexual assault, and common assault-it is overwhelmingly perpetrated by men, and in sexual assault and rape cases, almost always towards women. There are of course, many reasons for this, each case is different, but my own research and experience leads to the suggestion that there is a fundamental problem with rage and power-and the need to exercise that, which can often come out in twisted, deformed ways. Most men are not this way. Thankfully they tend to be the men I have in my life. But it is a problem. Teenage girls are not the ones shooting up schools. And teenage girls experience rage, and feeling marginalised and disempowered, just like any teenager. For the last many years, I have been teaching at UCD, and it is interesting to see the shifts in some behaviour in a younger generation, as has been mentioned on this thread already, it is a positive shift, but again, this is only from my experience....and seeing shifts with the way that a younger generation are interacting with each other....not that there aren't other issues....but I am hopeful. It is perhaps going to be a slower, incremental shift than we would like, it will take a long time to unpick all the patriarchy that is stitched in to the fabric of society....and some of the ingrained attitudes that a lot of men have to women. Sometimes it really gets me down, and I want to start setting fire to things, but then I read a bit of Judy Blume and feel a bit better, and keep the pyromania at bay for another day. I suppose we all have to keep calling out terrible behaviour (the spectrum is wide, but includes catcalling, groping, unwanted advances-these things have happened to every woman I know, and sadly are conversations we are still having with each other)-and I suppose trying to keep talking about these things, it is so important, which this thread helps to do! BUT I HAVE HOPE. [/QUOTE]

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