SEX UNDER PRESSURE: JERKS, BOORISH BEHAVIOR, AND GENDER HIERARCHY

SEX UNDER PRESSURE: JERKS, BOORISH BEHAVIOR, AND GENDER HIERARCHY, an essay by Scott Anderson, argues that sexual pressure by men against women doesn’t need to result in coercing in order for it to be considered sexual assault.   While the essay is rather lengthy, his main two points are that “gendered social institutions…add pressure against women” and that there is a greater likelihood of male violence against females as opposed to vice versa.

The main argument against this is that pressure cannot legally be considered on the same playing field as coercion.  The very definition of coercion is persuasion through force or threats, two influences of sexual acts that are almost universally deemed illegal.  Regular persuasion however, shouldn’t be viewed as a wrongdoing or illegal.  Everyone has a right to be a “smooth talker” or a convincing or likeable person without being punished for it. Being persuasive shouldn’t put one on the grounds of punishment, as everyone has a right to use their words in any way they like as long as it isn’t threatening or irrevocably harmful to another.

The reason that I don’t believe that this objection stands up is because it fails to take into account the different various societal influences on different genders.  Much of our world is influenced by a male point of view, and society has also created certain standards for men. Therefore, what might be seen as regular fliting for men is in fact coercing, but is hidden by the fact that our view of flirting is dominated by what men consider to be flirting.  Passive aggressive suggestions and physical contact to the point of groping is often viewed as the normal, simply because men decide what the “normal” is.  Another aspect to consider is the use of/ threat of violence.  Men are much more likely to be aggressive or violent, both from a biological standpoint (greater levels of testosterone) and a societal standpoint.  Society has taught us from a very young age that men are supposed to be the aggressors while women are submissive. This has led to women feeling that the risk of violence outweighs the potential benefits of reporting abuse.  Also, women feel that it takes it too far to report this kind of behavior, because it’s simply “boys being boys.”

In conclusion, I feel that sexual pressure has to take into account the fact that we live in a male dominated society and from both a physical and social standpoint, women are much likely to both use and report the threat of male abuse,