What fuels America’s mass shootings? Misogyny.
By: Ailene Tan, WomenNC Social Media and Outreach Intern
Uvalde. Parkland. Pulse. Virginia Tech, and so many more. Besides a horrifying display of violence, what else did these shootings have in common? A male perpetrator with a history of abuse and threats towards women.
There is an undeniable yet commonly overlooked link between misogyny and mass shootings. According to a shocking study conducted by Bloomberg, approximately 60% of mass shootings not related to gang violence or robberies were either acts of domestic violence or committed by someone with a history of it. Even more unsettling, the more casualties in a shooting, the more likely it was carried out by an abuser. In shootings with no fatalities, only about 15% of perpetrators had a history of domestic violence. However, in those with 6 or more casualties, 70% were abusers.
Violence and abuse towards women often serve as a stepping stone to more extreme acts of brutality, yet there has been little done to obstruct this path. Although federal law barrs domestic abusers from owning a firearm, such restrictions only apply if the abuser married, lived with, or had a child with their victim. As a result, boyfriends and dating partners are still able to acquire firearms through what is called the “boyfriend loophole.”
Engaging in online harassment and threats are a disturbing but common trend among teenage boys and also serve as an early warning sign. Salvadore Ramos, the Uvalde school shooter, had a history of threatening to rape and murder girls on the social-networking app Yubo. Despite the severity of such threats, women and girls are often reluctant to report them to law enforcement or social media moderators because our culture has normalized misogynistic behavior and there is often little chance of stopping the perpetrators.
But there ARE actions we can take
Apart from supporting the only state-wide gun control organization, North Carolinians Against Gun Violence (NCGV), and voting in the November 8th statewide election for candidates that support gun control, you can fight gun violence in your community. This great article by the Sandy Hook Promise includes simple yet effective ways you can take action in your community, ranging from signing a petition to expand background checks to hosting a workshop writing letters to legislators. By engaging in these activities, you can not only send a message to your leaders demanding changes in gun control laws, but also encourage the people around you to get involved.
It’s also important to stay vigilant and speak up if someone near you exhibits sexist behavior. Men in particular have a crucial responsibility to denounce their misogynist friends and make it clear that such behavior is wholly unacceptable. Why should men confront sexism? Because condemnation is a more effective deterrent to when it comes from someone who is considered similar to the perpetrator.
WomenNC will be hosting a Lunch ‘n Learn in the next few weeks regarding the relationship between women and gun violence. Stay tuned for more information!
WomenNC scholar Samia Noor conducted her research project on How to Reduce Violence Against Women Who Experience Intimate Partner Violence in Durham, North Carolina and created equitable policy solutions to improve the status quo. Take a look at some of their work here.
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