Vice President Joe Biden introduced the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in the United States Congress in 1990. This act, which passed in 1994, was a momentous piece of legislation that changed “law enforcement practices, improved the criminal justice system, and created a network of services for victims” (1is2many, n.d.). When Vice President Joe Biden entered the office he appointed Lynn Rosenthal, to be the first ever White House Advisor on Violence Against Women. Ms. Rosenthal’s role is to counsel Vice President Joe Biden on issues regarding domestic violence and sexual assault, serve as liaison to domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy groups, and foster collaboration across federal agencies (1is2many, n.d.).
In 2011, in an effort to reduce dating violence, Vice President Joe Biden started the 1is2many initiative, which uses “technology and outreach to get the message out and help reduce teen dating violence” (1is2many, n.d.). As part of the 1is2many initiative, a PSA was released in the spring of 2014 to address the issue of sexual assault and our responsibility to stop it.
In 2011, in an effort to reduce dating violence, Vice President Joe Biden started the 1is2many initiative, which uses “technology and outreach to get the message out and help reduce teen dating violence” (1is2many, n.d.). As part of the 1is2many initiative, a PSA was released in the spring of 2014 to address the issue of sexual assault and our responsibility to stop it.
A fault of the PSA is that it is seen through a heteronormative lens, thus a relationship is between a boy and girl. Furthermore, the PSA seems to assume that all victims are women and all attackers are men. Another fault of the PSA is that women are spoken about only in relation to men. Women are not just sisters, wives, and daughters; women are people and individuals who deserve respect.
A positive to the PSA is that it calls for action – joining the movement to speak out against violence and assault as well as not standing by if you see something happening. The PSA also speaks directly to the aggressors, which turns the focus to those causing the harm rather than blaming the victims.
References
1is2many (n.d.) About vice president Biden’s efforts to end violence against women. 1 is 2 Many. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/1is2many/about