Domestic Violence and the Hip Hop Generation Understanding Challenges, Resources and Interventions to End Domestic Violence in this Generation
For many years, various advocacy groups and politicians have been
in an uproar over the music being created by the hip hop generation.
These much maligned and often misunderstood individuals, typically
African Americans between the ages of 15 and 38, have been on the
receiving end of harsh criticism far and wide. The level of
attention given to this genre of music begs the question, “So what's
the big deal?”
African Americans who are part of the hip hop generation are
shouldering responsibility for some not-so-flattering statistics.
For example, between 1977 and 1999, African American men and women
accounted for 43% of intimate partner homicides-a figure that
represents nearly 4 times the rate of African Americans in the
general population. For black women, the statistics are even more
horrifying. While black women make up only 8% of the U.S.
population, they account for more than a third of domestic
homicides. In the face of such daunting statistics, can we make the
argument that hip hop music substantially influence the violent
behaviors of a generation characterized as males who are thugs and
females who are sexual objects? The short answer is not necessarily.
When reported in the media, hip hop music is depicted as a genre
that glorifies violence and demeans women. This imagery is sold as
an all encompassing look at what the hip hop generation has to
offer. But not all hip hop music is as salacious as the media would
have us believe. And what about other forms of music? Is hip hop
just a scapegoat for what America 's families find detestable in an
increasingly violent world?
The August 2004 forum, Domestic Violence and the Hip Hop
Generation, delved into challenges that are creating barriers
to positive facets of the hip hop movement. The forum further
explored the potential of hip hop music as a vehicle through which
to mitigate the violence facing this generation. I encourage you to
keep an open mind about a musical genre that has-for better or
worse- made a lasting impression on our culture. Focus on the
positive energies that can be harnessed to bring about change,
because at the end of the day, we'll need to have all segments of
the population on board – including the hip hop generation – if we
are to end the violence that is destroying the fabric of America .
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