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Connection between Violence and Sexuality

The Connection between Violence and Sexuality

Violence and sexuality are closely related on several levels. Although either can exist completely independently of the other, they are often found in conjunction with one another, so an affinity obviously exists between them that deserves exploration.

Violence is most often the result of anger(unreasoning rage, to be exact. The rage, though, has a source of its own; it is the result of fear. Many violent people have been the victims of violence themselves at some point, often through rape or incest. Such violation engenders fear of being violated again and also rage at being treated so brutally. Victims of violence feel extremely vulnerable. Because such abuse is also demeaning and humiliating, they also feel unworthy and lacking in self-esteem. One of the primary feelings a victim has is despair at being unable to control what is happening.

Sexuality fits into the dynamic by virtue of being one of the arenas where people feel most vulnerable and unable to control what is happening. Men, in particular, look to sexuality to give them a sense of self-worth, masculinity, and manly power. If the sexual experience fails to supply those things, the resulting anguish and insecurity can easily escalate into violence in someone who is already plagued with feelings of inadequacy and a personal history of violence. For the man who is secretly afraid of women, sexuality provides a way for him to feel dominant. When something goes awry and the sexual experience does not succeed, the manÆs defense mechanisms grounded in sexuality are destroyed, and he is left feeling painfully vulnerable. This provokes rage and violence against whoever he can dominate successfully, usually women.

Just as it is often said that there is a thin line between love and hate, there is also a thin line between sexuality and violence in a person who is fearful and enraged. Both sex and violence invol...

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Connection between Violence and Sexuality. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 08:52, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1712999.html