If we look at the sexual assault cases at Cornell University in the United States or the alleged assaults at Sigtuna School in Sweden, a troubling pattern emerges: institutions often appear to side with the accused rather than the victims.
Credits to Hans published on Pixabay
No one has been convicted, and in Sweden three young men remain in custody awaiting legal proceedings. High-profile defense lawyers have been hired to represent them. Everyone is entitled to a fair trial, and rightly so. But fairness should apply equally to both the accused and those who come forward to report abuse. Instead, the girls who report these crimes are often subjected to online harassment, ignored, dismissed, or otherwise undermined.
The Cornell case did not even result in criminal charges. The university was left to deal with the matter internally. Some of the young men involved were reportedly required to write reflective essays about their actions. Had similar events occurred at an ordinary school, they would likely have resulted in a police investigation. Unfortunately, "likely" is the key word. There have been numerous cases in which school employees have been accused of abuse, and protecting the institution's reputation has taken precedence over reporting crimes. The individual involved is quietly bought out of their position and allowed to move on, often finding employment at another school elsewhere.
So where does the idea come from that men can treat their wives, fiancées, girlfriends, or other women however they choose?
Part of the answer lies in the patriarchal system that continues to shape much of society. This system places men above women and children and is reinforced by influential social structures, including political, economic, and religious institutions. At its core is the belief that men hold authority over women. Historically, women have often been treated as possessions rather than equals, expected to submit rather than to be respected as autonomous individuals.
Those of us living in the so-called developed world are not exempt from these attitudes. The cases mentioned above are evidence of that. There are, of course, many factors that contribute to abuse and violence, but in my view they are rooted in a broader hierarchical system of power, where some people are seen as inherently more important than others.
One could even ask whether those who hold real power have given ordinary men an illusion of authority. By granting them power within the household, over women and children, attention is diverted from broader questions about who truly controls society. For women and children, however, this is no illusion. It is a lived reality. The father is expected to be the unquestioned authority. Countless women and children have suffered, and continue to suffer, under this imposed model.
So how do we move toward a genuinely equal society? Who needs to be educated?
Should women and girls be taught to avoid dressing in ways that might be deemed provocative? Or should boys and young men be taught how to treat other human beings with dignity and respect?