12 month versus lifetime victimization statistics; are men forgetting, are women inventing?

AlphaWookie · 2014-06-23T05:16:30+00:00

So much more study needs to be done on memory and lying. I would not be surprised if there were not biological differances along with sex differances.

BlindPelican · 2014-06-23T06:55:43+00:00

I think memory is a part of it. The rest of it is how men process emotions and stress. We tend to repress and compartmentalize rather than retain details so it makes sense for that lifetime rate to be lower for men.

It's sort of an extension of that classic trope - a couple is fighting and the woman brings up something from years before that the man has completely forgotten about, even if the event was stressful to him as well.

ARedthorn · 2014-06-23T10:09:53+00:00

You're absolutely right- and it goes WAY deeper in the psyche, too. I mean, men seem to warp their memories of most trauma just this way- like that time you were riding your skateboard, and tried to skid down the railing of the bridge?

...

Wasn't that awesome!?!

No. No it wasn't. It was stupid. You fell, broke your arm, and could have died. But the pain faded, the arm healed, and pretty soon the memory of those things faded- until all that was left was a story... One where you tried and sorta succeeded at doing something cool- at least, surviving something. You tell it as a cool story, because that's what you want it to be, and you believe it.

Everything- everything - is stories. Memory is just the ones we tell ourselves.

There are other problems with lifetime numbers, too... They tend to compound statistical errors, and especially under-reporting issues. For example, if, right now, 1/4 of all men have had sex w/o consenting to it, but simply haven't made the connection to having been raped (the reason doesn't matter), such that only 5% report it... What happens when improved cultural awareness makes them realize it... Now we have these 3000 guys showing 150 guys one year, and so on for 5 years. A meta-study on all 5 years will show total 750 guys out of 15000 (still 5%)... Next year, next 3000 guys report 750 rapes (25%). Updated, the meta-study on all 6 years now shows total 1500 guys out of 18000 (8-9%). Close, but no cigar. Data needs to be viewed year-by-year only... And carefully analyzed to see if any jumps are statistical errors, genuine, or signs of old data being bad (which it is, in this case). Going year by year makes this last easier to see.

I, personally, am fond of the Department of Justice's NCVS. 40,000-160,000 respondents yearly. It only asks about the last 6mo. It asks about rape 2ce- first using the word rape, then the next question asks using a gender-neutral fair definition ("sexual assault can be hard to talk about. Have you, any time in the last 6 months, been forced or otherwise made to participate in unwanted sexual acts?" "Describe any details").

Even as far back as 2008, men represented 20+% of all sexual assault victims, and 40+% of all rape/attempted rape victims (10-12% of rape victims, 60+% of attempted rape victims). The ratio has consistently been approaching parity since 1997... In 2012, they found that 38% of rape victims (just rape, not attempted rape) were male. That's 2 men for every 3 women.

You can look at the data here, with full custom data tables (so you can break each crime down by not just victim gender, but see which gender is more likely to be attacked by a partner or stranger, at a given age, with a weapon, with injuries, by race, you name it), over all 15 years so far: http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=nvat

Good stuff. Well... Awful, but good data.

MRSPArchiver · 2014-06-23T03:07:26+00:00

Post text automatically copied here. (Why?) (Report a problem.)

guywithaccount · 2014-06-23T04:11:10+00:00

Don't have anything to add at this time, but have an upvote.

TRPACC · 2014-06-23T10:10:27+00:00

A honey Badger has suggested that the male memory conforms to the dominant narrative, and the female is kept fresh by the same narrative.

sfinney2 · 2014-06-23T16:57:15+00:00

Could you link to what you're basing the 12 month vs. lifetime discrepancy on if you get a chance?

DavidByron2 · 2014-06-23T23:52:06+00:00

The same thing happens when you compare white women with other minority groups. While men are the most oppressed in this respect you do see it with other minority groups. Minority groups are not privileged like white women, so they do not readily recall attacks against them as being a big deal or being a crime, they just accept it as part of their life and tend to forget about it.

2DJuggler · 2014-06-23T17:09:30+00:00

I have seen the difference in the 12 vs lifetime data in the CDC study. Let's not jump to unfounded conclusions that edge on conspiracy theories. The fact is we don't know why the data is like this and we should be looking for the real answer not the one that is the most satifiying to belive.

Part of the issue with the data is that there are simply a lot more responses for the lifetime numbers than the 12month making it statistically more reliable. Regardless just because memories can be fingal thing doesn't mean the data is wrong and we certainly have no evidence that people are intentionally lying. Let's stick to the facts people.

Title	12 month versus lifetime victimization statistics; are men forgetting, are women inventing?
Author	[deleted]
Upvotes	22
Comments	21
Date	June 23, 2014 3:07 AM UTC (12 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/28ubfn/12_month_versus_lifetime_victimization_statistics/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/12-month-versus-lifetime-victimization-statistics.998856 https://theredarchive.com/post/998856

Comments