[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#dedfda” background_enable_image=”off” background_position=”top_center” background_vertical_offset=”32%” width=”99%” width_tablet=”100%” width_phone=”100%” width_last_edited=”on|phone” max_width=”1920%” module_alignment=”center” overflow-x=”visible” overflow-y=”visible” custom_padding=”40px||0px||false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”20px||||false|false” custom_padding_phone=”10px||||false|false” background_color_tablet=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” background_color_phone=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” background_last_edited=”on|tablet” background_enable_color_tablet=”on” background_enable_color_phone=”on” border_color_left=”#EB2127″ box_shadow_style=”preset5″ box_shadow_vertical=”-60px” box_shadow_spread=”0px” box_shadow_color=”#eaebe6″ box_shadow_position=”inner” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”-80px” box_shadow_vertical_phone=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_last_edited=”on|tablet” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” overlay_bg_color_last_edited=”on|phone”][et_pb_row module_class=”fullwidthrow” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”90%” max_width=”2560px” custom_padding=”0px||0px|||” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”left” animation_intensity_slide=”1%” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_post_title meta=”off” featured_placement=”background” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”Manrope|800|||||||” title_text_color=”#FFFFFF” title_font_size=”85px” title_letter_spacing=”-0.04em” background_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_stops=”rgba(10,9,9,0.32) 0%|rgba(0,0,0,0.42) 99%” background_color_gradient_overlays_image=”on” background_position=”top_center” background_vertical_offset=”59%” width=”100%” width_tablet=”100%” width_phone=”100%” width_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”7vw||7vw|60px|true|false” custom_padding_tablet=”100px||100px|0px|true|false” custom_padding_phone=”53px||53px|0px|true|false” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” title_font_size_tablet=”40px” title_font_size_phone=”36px” title_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_css_free_form=”@media (min-width:981px){||selector h1 {|| font-size: clamp(30px, 4vw, 70px) !important;|||| }}” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_post_title][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” disabled_on=”off|off|off” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#eaebe6″ custom_padding=”68px||89px|||” custom_padding_tablet=”40px||||false|false” custom_padding_phone=”30px||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row module_class=”fullwidthrow pac_drh_tab_col_one” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”1200px” custom_margin=”2px|auto|-9px|auto|false|false” custom_padding=”19px||22px||false|false” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”left” animation_intensity_slide=”1%” pac_drh_column_numbers_tablet=”pac_drh_tab_col_two” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Inter||||||||” text_text_color=”#231F20″ text_font_size=”17px” text_line_height=”1.8em” link_font=”||||on|||#EB2127|” link_text_color=”#231F20″ header_font=”Manrope|600|||||||” header_text_color=”#231F20″ header_font_size=”85px” header_2_font=”Manrope|800|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#231F20″ header_2_letter_spacing=”-0.04em” header_2_line_height=”1.1em” header_3_font=”Manrope|800|||||||” header_3_text_color=”#231F20″ header_3_font_size=”28px” header_3_letter_spacing=”-0.04em” header_3_line_height=”1.3em” max_width=”845px” custom_margin=”||27px||false|false” header_2_font_size_tablet=”32px” header_2_font_size_phone=”28px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_3_font_size_tablet=”32px” header_3_font_size_phone=”28px” header_3_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
\n
The language used to\u00a0talk about violence against women and femicides matters. Why?<\/p>\n
Behind language stand concrete images that help audiences organize their understanding of the world, assign roles to\u00a0actors, connect causes with consequences, identify patterns, and classify events. The language of law and the way we\u00a0speak about criminal phenomena such as\u00a0femicide require an additional degree of sensitivity. As\u00a0Judith Butler wrote, language performs a\u00a0performative function: it shapes reality, scripts social scenarios, and often mercilessly categorizes people.<\/p>\n
One of the aims of this project is to\u00a0raise awareness of the enormous role that public discourse plays in\u00a0discussing femicide. This includes both naming the killing of women because of their gender for what it is\u2014femicide\u2014and becoming more sensitive to\u00a0the language used in\u00a0describing perpetrators, victims, and their loved ones. I\u00a0will not use terms such as\u00a0\u201cmonster\u201d or\u00a0\u201cvictim,\u201d because neither fully captures the phenomenon of femicide. Calling perpetrators \u201cmonsters\u201d creates the illusion that murder can only be\u00a0committed by\u00a0someone alien, insane, or\u00a0devoid of human feeling. Yet, as\u00a0data collected through the Polish Femicide Map demonstrates, most perpetrators are people well known to\u00a0the harmed individuals, acting with full awareness of their actions, and the killing is usually preceded by\u00a0a\u00a0prolonged process of abuse.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0will also avoid using the term \u201cvictim\u201d in\u00a0relation to\u00a0women who experienced violence. Instead, I\u00a0use the term \u201csurvivor\u201d for women who survived violence, and \u201cinjured party\u201d or\u00a0\u201charmed person\u201d when referring to\u00a0murdered women. Having worked in\u00a0the anti-violence field for several years, I\u00a0have observed that people harmed by\u00a0violence often strive to\u00a0\u201cleave the role of the victim\u201d in\u00a0order to\u00a0regain agency and rebuild balance in\u00a0their lives. When speaking and writing about violence, we\u00a0adopt the perspective of harmed individuals and their loved ones, in\u00a0the spirit of feminist victimology\u2014focused on\u00a0the trauma experienced by\u00a0those subjected to\u00a0violence.<\/p>\n
Polish lawmakers have already reached the point where, in\u00a0discussing domestic violence, they use terms such as\u00a0\u201cperson using violence\u201d and \u201cperson experiencing violence.\u201d Why, then, should the language used to\u00a0describe violent behavior not also move beyond the paradigm of the \u201cmonster\u201d and the \u201cvictim\u201d? To\u00a0change the law, however, we\u00a0must first begin with everyday language\u2014the language ordinary people use when speaking about femicide, and the language used in\u00a0the press. But how is femicide currently described in\u00a0public discourse, and can we\u00a0truly say that this language is informative, objective, and free of stereotypes and judgment?<\/p>\n
I\u00a0encourage readers to\u00a0explore the report Femicide in\u00a0the Polish Press. Report for the Years 2016\u20132026<\/em>, in\u00a0which I\u00a0discuss both harmful and constructive ways of talking about femicide and violence against women.<\/p>\n In\u00a0the report, I\u00a0identified six harmful narratives: macabrization (including animalization), stigmatization and stereotyping, romanticization, trivialization, sensationalism, and humorization. Why are these harmful?<\/p>\n Each of these narratives distorts the perception of violence. They shift attention away from the act itself and toward its circumstances, from the perpetrator\u2019s responsibility toward emotions, and from the harmed person\u2019s experience toward the attractiveness of the story. As\u00a0a\u00a0result, the audience does not receive a\u00a0full picture of violence as\u00a0a\u00a0social phenomenon requiring prevention, but rather a\u00a0sensationalized fragment detached from context.<\/p>\n Their harmfulness lies in\u00a0the fact that, instead of supporting prevention and education, they contribute to\u00a0the normalization of violence. They blur the perpetrator\u2019s responsibility and redirect attention to\u00a0sensational or\u00a0emotional aspects of the event. In\u00a0doing so, language does not merely describe reality\u2014it co-creates the social understanding of reality, shaping whether violence against women is properly named and recognized, or\u00a0instead distorted and simplified for the sake of media clickability.<\/p>\n In\u00a0academic literature, this phenomenon is referred to\u00a0as\u00a0symbolic violence<\/em> (violence symbolique<\/em>). The term was introduced into public discourse by\u00a0the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. Symbolic violence is a\u00a0subtle, invisible form of violence that operates primarily through symbols and communication. A\u00a0person subjected to\u00a0one of these harmful narratives is harmed a\u00a0second time\u2014they die symbolically. As\u00a0Bourdieu emphasized, symbolic violence makes inequality and harm appear natural and therefore invisible. This is precisely why certain media narratives may, in\u00a0practice, reproduce and reinforce violence.<\/p>\n Below are several examples of harmful narratives from the Polish press reporting on\u00a0femicides:<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Inter||||||||” text_text_color=”#231F20″ text_font_size=”17px” text_line_height=”1.8em” link_font=”||||on|||#EB2127|” link_text_color=”#231F20″ header_font=”Manrope|600|||||||” header_text_color=”#231F20″ header_font_size=”85px” header_2_font=”Manrope|800|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#231F20″ header_2_letter_spacing=”-0.04em” header_2_line_height=”1.1em” header_3_font=”Manrope|800|||||||” header_3_text_color=”#231F20″ header_3_font_size=”28px” header_3_letter_spacing=”-0.04em” header_3_line_height=”1.3em” max_width=”845px” custom_margin=”||27px||false|false” header_2_font_size_tablet=”32px” header_2_font_size_phone=”28px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_3_font_size_tablet=”32px” header_3_font_size_phone=”28px” header_3_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”2″ make_equal=”on” module_class=”fullwidthrow pac_drh_tab_col_one” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”1200px” custom_padding=”18px||30px||false|false” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”left” animation_intensity_slide=”1%” pac_drh_column_numbers_tablet=”pac_drh_tab_col_two” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.33)” custom_padding=”30px|20px|20px|30px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_blurb title=”1″ content_max_width=”1100px” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_level=”h6″ header_font=”Manrope|800|||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_text_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.88)” header_font_size=”29px” header_line_height=”1.2em” body_font=”Inter||||||||” body_text_color=”#231F20″ body_font_size=”17px” body_line_height=”1.8em” max_width=”700px” module_alignment=”left” custom_padding_tablet=”||20px||false|false” custom_padding_phone=”||20px||false|false” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” header_font_size_last_edited=”off|phone” custom_css_free_form=”selector h3 {|| font-size:24px;|| font-family: ‘Manrope’, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif;|| font-weight: 800;|| letter-spacing: -0.04em;|| line-height: 1.1em;||}” custom_css_blurb_title=”position: absolute;||left:-48px;||top:-40px;||z-index:-1 !important;||width:40px;||height:40px;||border-radius: 100%;||background:#EB2127;||padding:2px 5px;” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_css_blurb_title_last_edited=”off|desktop” custom_css_blurb_title_tablet=” font-size: clamp(60px, 5vw, 80px) !important;||position: absolute;||left:5px;||top:-10px;||z-index:-1 !important;” custom_css_blurb_title_phone=” font-size: clamp(60px, 5vw, 80px) !important;||position: absolute;||left:5px;||top:-10px;||z-index:-1 !important;”]<\/p>\n \u201cHe killed his wife and went to eat dumplings.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFirst he threw the furniture out the window, then his wife.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHe killed his daughter and went drinking.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.33)” custom_padding=”30px|20px|20px|30px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_blurb title=”2″ content_max_width=”1100px” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_level=”h6″ header_font=”Manrope|800|||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_text_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.88)” header_font_size=”29px” header_line_height=”1.2em” body_font=”Inter||||||||” body_text_color=”#231F20″ body_font_size=”17px” body_line_height=”1.8em” max_width=”700px” module_alignment=”left” custom_padding_tablet=”||20px||false|false” custom_padding_phone=”||20px||false|false” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” header_font_size_last_edited=”off|phone” custom_css_free_form=”selector h3 {|| font-size:24px;|| font-family: ‘Manrope’, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif;|| font-weight: 800;|| letter-spacing: -0.04em;|| line-height: 1.1em;||}” custom_css_blurb_title=”position: absolute;||left:-48px;||top:-40px;||z-index:-1 !important;||width:40px;||height:40px;||border-radius: 100%;||background:#EB2127;||padding:2px 5px;” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_css_blurb_title_last_edited=”off|desktop” custom_css_blurb_title_tablet=” font-size: clamp(60px, 5vw, 80px) !important;||position: absolute;||left:5px;||top:-10px;||z-index:-1 !important;” custom_css_blurb_title_phone=” font-size: clamp(60px, 5vw, 80px) !important;||position: absolute;||left:5px;||top:-10px;||z-index:-1 !important;”]<\/p>\n \u201cHe chopped up his wife in front of the children. A horror at the barbecue.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoasia\u2019s body lay riddled with holes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHe saw his mother lying in a pool of blood.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBloody massacre in the stairwell.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”2″ make_equal=”on” module_class=”fullwidthrow pac_drh_tab_col_one” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”1200px” custom_padding=”18px||30px||false|false” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”left” animation_intensity_slide=”1%” pac_drh_column_numbers_tablet=”pac_drh_tab_col_two” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.33)” custom_padding=”30px|20px|20px|30px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_blurb title=”3″ content_max_width=”1100px” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_level=”h6″ header_font=”Manrope|800|||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_text_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.88)” header_font_size=”29px” header_line_height=”1.2em” body_font=”Inter||||||||” body_text_color=”#231F20″ body_font_size=”17px” body_line_height=”1.8em” max_width=”700px” module_alignment=”left” custom_padding_tablet=”||20px||false|false” custom_padding_phone=”||20px||false|false” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” header_font_size_last_edited=”off|phone” custom_css_free_form=”selector h3 {|| font-size:24px;|| font-family: ‘Manrope’, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif;|| font-weight: 800;|| letter-spacing: -0.04em;|| line-height: 1.1em;||}” custom_css_blurb_title=”position: absolute;||left:-48px;||top:-40px;||z-index:-1 !important;||width:40px;||height:40px;||border-radius: 100%;||background:#EB2127;||padding:2px 5px;” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_css_blurb_title_last_edited=”off|desktop” custom_css_blurb_title_tablet=” font-size: clamp(60px, 5vw, 80px) !important;||position: absolute;||left:5px;||top:-10px;||z-index:-1 !important;” custom_css_blurb_title_phone=” font-size: clamp(60px, 5vw, 80px) !important;||position: absolute;||left:5px;||top:-10px;||z-index:-1 !important;”]<\/p>\n \u201cShocking\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUnbelievable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou won\u2019t believe what we discovered.\u201d<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.33)” custom_padding=”30px|20px|20px|30px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_blurb title=”4″ content_max_width=”1100px” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_level=”h6″ header_font=”Manrope|800|||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_text_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.88)” header_font_size=”29px” header_line_height=”1.2em” body_font=”Inter||||||||” body_text_color=”#231F20″ body_font_size=”17px” body_line_height=”1.8em” max_width=”700px” module_alignment=”left” custom_padding_tablet=”||20px||false|false” custom_padding_phone=”||20px||false|false” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” header_font_size_last_edited=”off|phone” custom_css_free_form=”selector h3 {|| font-size:24px;|| font-family: ‘Manrope’, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif;|| font-weight: 800;|| letter-spacing: -0.04em;|| line-height: 1.1em;||}” custom_css_blurb_title=”position: absolute;||left:-48px;||top:-40px;||z-index:-1 !important;||width:40px;||height:40px;||border-radius: 100%;||background:#EB2127;||padding:2px 5px;” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_css_blurb_title_last_edited=”off|desktop” custom_css_blurb_title_tablet=” font-size: clamp(60px, 5vw, 80px) !important;||position: absolute;||left:5px;||top:-10px;||z-index:-1 !important;” custom_css_blurb_title_phone=” font-size: clamp(60px, 5vw, 80px) !important;||position: absolute;||left:5px;||top:-10px;||z-index:-1 !important;”]<\/p>\n \u201cHe killed his wife in front of their grandson. It was a mad love.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cShe rejected his love, so he reached for a gun. He neither ate nor drank, and then he shot.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA gruesome finale to a lovers\u2019 quarrel. A terrified grandmother watched everything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe stabbed his beloved to death. He loved her so much.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”2″ make_equal=”on” module_class=”fullwidthrow pac_drh_tab_col_one” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”1200px” custom_padding=”18px||30px||false|false” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”left” animation_intensity_slide=”1%” pac_drh_column_numbers_tablet=”pac_drh_tab_col_two” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.33)” custom_padding=”30px|20px|20px|30px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_blurb title=”5″ content_max_width=”1100px” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_level=”h6″ header_font=”Manrope|800|||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_text_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.88)” header_font_size=”29px” header_line_height=”1.2em” body_font=”Inter||||||||” body_text_color=”#231F20″ body_font_size=”17px” body_line_height=”1.8em” max_width=”700px” module_alignment=”left” custom_padding_tablet=”||20px||false|false” custom_padding_phone=”||20px||false|false” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” header_font_size_last_edited=”off|phone” custom_css_free_form=”selector h3 {|| font-size:24px;|| font-family: ‘Manrope’, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif;|| font-weight: 800;|| letter-spacing: -0.04em;|| line-height: 1.1em;||}” custom_css_blurb_title=”position: absolute;||left:-48px;||top:-40px;||z-index:-1 !important;||width:40px;||height:40px;||border-radius: 100%;||background:#EB2127;||padding:2px 5px;” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_css_blurb_title_last_edited=”off|desktop” custom_css_blurb_title_tablet=” font-size: clamp(60px, 5vw, 80px) !important;||position: absolute;||left:5px;||top:-10px;||z-index:-1 !important;” custom_css_blurb_title_phone=” font-size: clamp(60px, 5vw, 80px) !important;||position: absolute;||left:5px;||top:-10px;||z-index:-1 !important;”]<\/p>\n “The beautiful mother was killed”<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”6″ content_max_width=”1100px” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_level=”h6″ header_font=”Manrope|800|||||||” header_text_align=”center” header_text_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.88)” header_font_size=”29px” header_line_height=”1.2em” body_font=”Inter||||||||” body_text_color=”#231F20″ body_font_size=”17px” body_line_height=”1.8em” max_width=”700px” module_alignment=”left” custom_padding=”23px|||||” custom_padding_tablet=”||20px||false|false” custom_padding_phone=”||20px||false|false” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” header_font_size_last_edited=”off|phone” custom_css_free_form=”selector h3 {|| font-size:24px;|| font-family: ‘Manrope’, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif;|| font-weight: 800;|| letter-spacing: -0.04em;|| line-height: 1.1em;||}” custom_css_blurb_title=”position: absolute;||left:-48px;||top:-40px;||z-index:-1 !important;||width:40px;||height:40px;||border-radius: 100%;||background:#EB2127;||padding:2px 5px;” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_css_blurb_title_last_edited=”off|desktop” custom_css_blurb_title_tablet=” font-size: clamp(60px, 5vw, 80px) !important;||position: absolute;||left:5px;||top:-10px;||z-index:-1 !important;” custom_css_blurb_title_phone=” font-size: clamp(60px, 5vw, 80px) !important;||position: absolute;||left:5px;||top:-10px;||z-index:-1 !important;”]<\/p>\n \u201cHe only hit her once.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cA man who doesn\u2019t beat his wife will ruin his liver.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row module_class=”fullwidthrow pac_drh_tab_col_one” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”1200px” custom_margin=”2px|auto|-9px|auto|false|false” custom_padding=”19px||22px||false|false” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”left” animation_intensity_slide=”1%” pac_drh_column_numbers_tablet=”pac_drh_tab_col_two” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Inter||||||||” text_text_color=”#231F20″ text_font_size=”17px” text_line_height=”1.8em” link_font=”||||on|||#EB2127|” link_text_color=”#231F20″ header_font=”Manrope|600|||||||” header_text_color=”#231F20″ header_font_size=”85px” header_2_font=”Manrope|800|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#231F20″ header_2_letter_spacing=”-0.04em” header_2_line_height=”1.1em” header_3_font=”Manrope|800|||||||” header_3_text_color=”#231F20″ header_3_font_size=”28px” header_3_letter_spacing=”-0.04em” header_3_line_height=”1.3em” max_width=”845px” custom_margin=”||27px||false|false” header_2_font_size_tablet=”32px” header_2_font_size_phone=”28px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_3_font_size_tablet=”32px” header_3_font_size_phone=”28px” header_3_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \n The way we speak about violence against women is not merely a matter of journalistic style or scholarly convention\u2014it is a matter of social responsibility.<\/p>\n Such responsibility is required not only from journalists, but from everyone working with violence-related issues and handling graphic or sensitive material. The narratives analyzed above demonstrate that language can not only describe violence, but also distort it, trivialize it, and conceal its systemic nature. Therefore, counteracting these practices cannot be limited to individual editorial choices. In line with United Nations guidelines, it should become part of broader regulatory standards for public communication and of national anti-violence strategies.<\/p>\n The importance of this responsibility is also emphasized in the Istanbul Convention.<\/p>\n According to Article 17: This means that the media are not merely passive observers of reality, but active participants in shaping social attitudes toward violence against women.<\/p>\n In this context, adopting the survivor-centred and trauma-sensitive approach\u2014already present in Spanish and British criminology\u2014becomes crucial. These approaches focus respectively on the person experiencing violence and on taking into account the trauma experienced by survivors and their living relatives. They require constructing narratives that prioritize the safety, dignity, and subjectivity of the harmed person and the grief of their loved ones, rather than media attractiveness or sensational value.<\/p>\n Closely connected to this is the perspective of feminist victimology, which emphasizes the need to analyze violence within the broader context of gender inequality, power relations, and structural social conditions.<\/p>\n Applying these perspectives in practice and in work involving sensitive material means abandoning simplistic, sensationalist, or stigmatizing narratives in favor of language that is precise, contextualized, and responsible. It also means shifting attention\u2014from the form of the narrative to the experience of violence itself and its underlying causes.<\/p>\n It should be remembered that although violence against women is well described in legal and criminological literature, the way society understands it\u2014and therefore the effectiveness of prevention efforts\u2014is largely shaped through language and mass media communication. We must also remember that media language shapes not only the attitudes and perceptions of ordinary audiences, but also those of representatives of the justice system.<\/p>\n That is why the way we speak about violence matters. It requires social responsibility and sensitivity to language, which\u2014through the six harmful narratives described above\u2014can symbolically reproduce violence.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Inter||||||||” text_text_color=”#231F20″ text_font_size=”17px” text_line_height=”1.8em” link_font=”||||on|||#EB2127|” link_text_color=”#231F20″ header_font=”Manrope|600|||||||” header_text_color=”#231F20″ header_font_size=”85px” header_2_font=”Manrope|800|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#231F20″ header_2_letter_spacing=”-0.04em” header_2_line_height=”1.1em” header_3_font=”Manrope|800|||||||” header_3_text_color=”#231F20″ header_3_font_size=”28px” header_3_letter_spacing=”-0.04em” header_3_line_height=”1.3em” max_width=”845px” custom_margin=”||27px||false|false” header_2_font_size_tablet=”32px” header_2_font_size_phone=”28px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_3_font_size_tablet=”32px” header_3_font_size_phone=”28px” header_3_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row module_class=”fullwidthrow pac_drh_tab_col_one” _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”1200px” custom_margin=”2px|auto|-9px|auto|false|false” custom_padding=”72px||22px||false|false” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”left” animation_intensity_slide=”1%” pac_drh_column_numbers_tablet=”pac_drh_tab_col_two” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Inter||||||||” text_text_color=”#231F20″ text_font_size=”17px” text_line_height=”1.8em” link_font=”||||on|||#EB2127|” link_text_color=”#231F20″ link_line_height=”1.2em” ol_line_height=”1.8em” header_font=”Manrope|600|||||||” header_text_color=”#231F20″ header_font_size=”85px” header_2_font=”Manrope|800|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#231F20″ header_2_letter_spacing=”-0.04em” header_2_line_height=”1.1em” header_3_font=”Manrope|800|on||||||” header_3_text_color=”#231F20″ header_3_font_size=”24px” header_3_letter_spacing=”-0.04em” header_3_line_height=”1.6em” background_image=”https:\/\/femicideinpoland.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/double-quotes.svg” background_size=”custom” background_image_width=”4vw” background_position=”top_left” background_horizontal_offset=”0%” background_vertical_offset=”4%” max_width=”845px” custom_margin=”||21px||false|false” custom_padding=”17px|||5vw|false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”17px|||5vw|false|false” custom_padding_phone=”17px|5%||49px|false|false” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” header_2_font_size_tablet=”32px” header_2_font_size_phone=”28px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_3_font_size_tablet=”” header_3_font_size_phone=”20px” header_3_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” background_last_edited=”on|phone” background_image_width_phone=”36px” background_horizontal_offset_phone=”1%” background_vertical_offset_phone=”3%” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_css_main_element_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_css_main_element_phone=”background-position: left top 4% !important;”]<\/p>\n David Livingstone Smith, Less Than Human: Why We Demean, Enslave, and Exterminate Others<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A Matter of Linguistic Sensitivity or What Is Symbolic Violence? The language used to\u00a0talk about violence against women and femicides matters. Why? Behind language stand concrete images that help audiences organize their understanding of the world, assign roles to\u00a0actors, connect causes with consequences, identify patterns, and classify events. The language of law and the way […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1618,"parent":1609,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1617","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/femicideinpoland.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1617","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/femicideinpoland.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/femicideinpoland.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/femicideinpoland.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/femicideinpoland.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1617"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/femicideinpoland.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1617\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2180,"href":"https:\/\/femicideinpoland.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1617\/revisions\/2180"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/femicideinpoland.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1609"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/femicideinpoland.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/femicideinpoland.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1617"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/h2>\n
Trivialization<\/h3>\n
Macabre Framing<\/h3>\n
Excessive Sensationalism<\/h3>\n
Romanticization and Neutralization of the Crime<\/h3>\n
Stigmatization & Stereotypes<\/h3>\n
\u201cAn Arab\/Latino\/Black guy murdered a Polish woman.\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n
\u201cThe neighbor turned out to be a murderer.\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n
\u201cKrystian brutally murdered his beautiful wife. He burned her body and covered it with dirt and trash.\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n
Humorization & sexist jokes<\/h3>\n
<\/h3>\n
Conclusions<\/h3>\n
<\/h2>\n
\u201cParties shall encourage the media and the private sector to participate in the elaboration and implementation of policies and to set guidelines and self-regulatory standards to prevent violence against women and to enhance respect for their dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n
Making monsters from perpetrators relieves us of the need to understand how ordinary people become capable of cruelty<\/h3>\n