Report on Media Portrayal of Domestic Violence in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

An analysis of a recent television broadcast reveals significant concerns regarding the handling of domestic violence allegations, directly contravening the principles of several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The incident highlights a failure to uphold standards related to gender equality, public health, and institutional justice.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

The broadcast featured explicit allegations of domestic violence, which represents a severe violation of SDG 5 (Gender Equality), particularly Target 5.2, which calls for the elimination of all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres.

Summary of Allegations

During the program, Brittany Cartwright made the following accusations against her estranged husband, Jax Taylor:

• Aggressive behavior
• Throwing a coffee table, resulting in physical injury
• Throwing barstools
• Throwing and breaking a Stanley cup, a phone, and a laptop
• Physically throwing her into rose bushes, an act reportedly captured on video and corroborated by other individuals present.

These alleged actions undermine the fundamental right of women to live free from violence and abuse, a core objective of SDG 5.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The network’s response to the disclosures demonstrated a significant lapse in promoting SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being). This goal aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, encompassing both physical and mental health.

Discrepancies in Support and Messaging

1. Selective Health Resources: While a hotline for substance abuse was displayed, aligning with Target 3.5 (strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse), there was a critical omission of resources for domestic violence victims. This oversight fails to provide support for viewers who may be triggered or in need of help, thereby neglecting the mental and physical well-being of a vulnerable population.
2. Victim-Shaming Narrative: The moderator’s immediate pivot from the abuse allegations to questioning the victim about a subsequent relationship could be interpreted as a form of victim-shaming. This narrative shift detracts from the severity of the violence and can negatively impact the mental health of survivors, contrary to the promotion of well-being outlined in SDG 3.4.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

The incident calls into question the accountability of the media network as an institution, as measured against the standards of SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). This goal emphasizes the need to build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels and to significantly reduce all forms of violence.

Institutional Accountability Failures

• Lack of a Clear Stance: The network’s ambiguous handling of the perpetrator’s status on the program, framing his exit as a personal decision rather than a consequence of his alleged actions, suggests a failure to hold individuals accountable. Strong institutions, as envisioned by SDG 16, must demonstrate a zero-tolerance policy for violence.
• Platforming Abusive Behavior: For over a decade, the individual’s problematic behavior has been broadcast, arguably normalizing actions that are antithetical to a peaceful and inclusive society. By failing to take decisive action, the institution may be perceived as complicit in perpetuating harmful social norms, thereby undermining the objectives of SDG 16.1 to reduce violence.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article discusses issues that are directly and indirectly connected to the following Sustainable Development Goals:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: This goal is relevant due to the discussion of mental health and substance abuse.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality: This is a primary focus, as the article centers on domestic violence against a woman by her male partner.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: This goal is connected through the themes of violence, victim shaming, and the institutional response (or lack thereof) from the media network.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
  • Explanation: The article mentions that Jax Taylor was “seeking professional help” and ended the episode “tearfully lamenting,” which points to issues of mental health and the need for well-being.
• Target 3.5: Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol.
  • Explanation: The article explicitly references Taylor’s “struggles” with substance abuse, his past involving “coke,” and his stated commitment to “sobriety.” Furthermore, it notes that the show displayed a “hotline screen was shown for people struggling with substance abuse issues.”

SDG 5: Gender Equality

• Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres.
  • Explanation: This is the most prominent target. The article details acts of domestic violence, a form of violence against women in the private sphere. Brittany Cartwright describes how Taylor “was extremely aggressive. He threw the coffee table… He threw both barstools… He threw me into the rose bushes.”

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.
  • Explanation: The domestic abuse detailed in the article, including throwing objects and physically throwing a person, is a clear example of the “forms of violence” this target aims to reduce.
• Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.
  • Explanation: While the violence described is between adults, the article notes the couple has a child (“mother of his child,” “mending fences with your son”). Domestic violence in a home creates a harmful environment for children, making this target relevant by implication.
• Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.
  • Explanation: The article critiques the institutional response to the violence. The host’s pivot to a question that seemed “oddly coded in victim shaming” and Bravo’s “wishy-washy” stance, failing to explicitly condemn domestic violence, represent a failure to provide a just and supportive platform for a victim, which relates to the principle of ensuring justice.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Indicators for SDG 5 (Target 5.2)

• Indicator 5.2.1: Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to physical, sexual or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner.
  • Explanation: The article provides a qualitative account of this indicator. Brittany Cartwright, an ever-partnered woman, details being subjected to physical violence (“threw the coffee table…threw me into the rose bushes”) and psychological violence (implied through the aggressive and controlling behavior) by her intimate partner. The existence of video evidence from a “Ring camera doorbell” is a specific form of documentation for such an incident.

Indicators for SDG 3 (Target 3.5)

• Indicator 3.5.1: Coverage of treatment interventions (pharmacological, psychosocial and rehabilitation and aftercare services) for substance use disorders.
  • Explanation: The article implies this indicator by mentioning that a “hotline screen was shown for people struggling with substance abuse issues,” which is a form of promoting treatment interventions. Taylor’s decision to seek “professional help” and commit to “sobriety” also points to the utilization of such services.

Indicators for SDG 16 (Target 16.1 & 16.3)

• Indicator 16.1.3: Proportion of population subjected to (a) physical, (b) psychological or (c) sexual violence in the previous 12 months.
  • Explanation: The article provides a specific case study for this indicator, describing the physical and psychological violence Cartwright was subjected to.
• Implied Indicator for Access to Support (Target 16.3): Availability and promotion of support systems for victims of violence.
  • Explanation: The article highlights a failure related to this indicator by stating, “there was no similar message shown to viewers who might need help dealing with domestic violence.” It then provides the National Domestic Violence Hotline number, underscoring the type of support system that was missing and is crucial for ensuring access to help, a component of justice for victims.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: variety.com