Words Matter – A guide to reporting male violence

The words we use when communicating with each other hold a lot of power.

When you look at how the world talks about male violence against women and girls; crimes like rape, sexual assault and domestic abuse, it’s incredibly victim blaming.

It’s so important that professional communications teams within the Constabulary, my Office - and I would argue the wider public and charity sector - get it right when talking to the public and the media, about these crimes.

Last week, my Office in collaboration with Gloucestershire Constabulary and Stroud-based not-for-profit ‘This Ends Now’ launched “Words Matter”.

Words Matter is a set of guidelines, written with Police Communications teams in mind, and gives direction on how best to talk about a whole host of male-dominated crimes.

It’s important that these teams get their press releases, social media posts and website articles right, because the media find their stories from these sources.

These guidelines have been in the works for almost three years. They’re extensive, and question victim blaming language on a whole new level.

For example, using passive language and not using the active voice in a headline. Typically, you read a headline that says ‘a woman was raped’. No mention of the perpetrator who raped her. Male violence doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Removing the man at fault takes men out of the question and makes a reader only focus on the woman. Did she ask for it? Where was she? What was she wearing?

No victim ever chooses to be a victim. But offenders choose to offend.

Words Matter recognises the nuances of language and gives practical, specific advice when reporting and talking about male violence against women and girls. And hopefully, by initiating a change in language and the media’s reporting of these crimes, the ripple effect will be a reduction in victim blaming and misogyny generally.

The guidelines were produced in consultation with experts such as: Women’s Aid, The Hollie Gazzard Trust and Zero Tolerance. It has been well received by the national policing community and local partners here in Gloucestershire.

Tackling male violence against women and girls was a priority in my first term of office and remains a priority in my second. It features heavily in my Police and Crime Prevention Plan, which sets the agenda for policing in Gloucestershire.

You can read the guidelines here: Words Matter