Everyday in the newspapers there are reports about gender violence, and usually the victim is a woman. The following list of questions should help you to avoid falling into stereotypical traps which just reinforce negative attitudes about women.

• who commits the violence
• what is the sex, ethnicity, class, age of the victim of violence
• is the use of violence challenged in any way in the article?
• is there any suggestion that the violence is either right or wrong in each case?
• are there any negative consequences of violence shown? (e.g. is the suffering by the victim explored in any way?)
• does the violent person win, get a reward, become powerful, get success, become a hero?
• or is the violent person punished, challenged, ostracized, for being violent?
• is the victim portrayed in a negative light to suggest that he or she deserves the violence? (e.g. the 'bad guy' deserves to be shot; the prostitute deserves to be raped, and the 'evil woman' deserves to be beaten).
• is the violence presented as an acceptable way of resolving conflicts (compared with other ways?)
• is the violence treated as entertainment? Does the language reflect the seriousness of the crime?
• are cartoons used to depict certain kinds of violence?
• is violence glamourised and how?
• is there anything sexual in the relationship between the aggressor and the victim?
• how often are force, coercion, and violence, shown as part of a sexual encounter?
• how often is there some form of sexual arousal on at the same time as violence is being committed? (e.g. is the victim shown semi-clothed, or in a sexually titillating way before or after violent acts, or murder?)
• are women shown trying, at first, to repel aggressive or violent sex, and then eventually "giving in" or consenting? - What is the message?

Gender sensitive media have a key role to play in development.