The Media
Both national and local media regularly fail victims when reporting on domestic abuse cases.
Victims are often blamed for the abuse or the perpetrator is ‘excused’ of their crimes by use of phrases such as ‘mercy killing’, ‘suicide pact’, ‘loving father’.
It is also common for media articles to include information about the perpetrator such as their job title or financial status, whilst minimising information about the victim.
Poor media reporting can be upsetting for victims and families and can also lead to false assumptions about the case.
The following images provide real-life examples of the media using victim blaming words select any of the images to see in full view.
Have a think about how these headlines could be better worded.
Have a look at the two articles below:
Why are we blaming Epsom College headteacher Emma Pattison for her own murder? | The Independent
How do you think articles like the Daily Mail one reinforce myths about domestic abuse?
Level Up are a feminist community campaigning for gender justice in the UK. They have developed guidelines for the media when reporting on domestic abuse and domestic homicide cases. The guidelines can be found at https://www.welevelup.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Media-Guidelines-V2-1.pdf