Teen Violence and Supremacy Crimes

Teen Violence and Supremacy Crimes

Teen Violence 2

While both Ricki Anne Wilchins and Gloria Steinem agree on hatred and violence in this world, Wilchins believes that gender stereotyping and society's ignorance and lack of knowledge surrounding the issue is a constant threat to our kids in school. Steinem contends that gender and race, specifically the white male, play a large role in teen violence and supremacy crimes.

At the heart of their controversy is a disagreement about facts. Each author differs on the reasoning behind teen terrorism and hate crimes. Wilchins offers that there is regular harassment of gays and straights, whites and blacks, feminists and transgendered alike. Teens are bullied every day at school and often times these crimes are laughed off or covered over. Teens are persecuted and taunted ritually by those that feel they are too "feminine", "wimpy" or "gay". Teen terrorism can be committed by anyone. There is not one specific characteristic that identifies an offender, just the fact that they lump or stereotype individuals into groups where they feel they should belong, rather than allowing an individual to live a safe existence. Gender dominance is not the issue according to Wilchins. Gender equality is a serious, social problem she is vehemently defending.

In contrast, Steinem argues that teen violence must be examined within a social frame that includes gender and race. It is a documented fact that hate crimes, violent and otherwise, are overwhelmingly committed by white males who are apparently straight in sexual nature. Virtually all the serial, sexually motivated, sadistic killings characterized by stalking, imprisoning and torturing are usually committed by intelligent, white, middle class heterosexual males with a need for superiority. Society romanticizes the sadistic nature of males and pushes them toward "defending" their manhood and establishing dominance within their culture. The male acts out feelings of feminism, aggression, superiority, control and homophobia. The male dominant culture presents dominance as a natural right, elevates whiteness and empowers one form of sexuality.

The facts in these two arguments derive from the author's dramatically different values and assumptions. Wilchins is