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[maps19799]

I've had the weird experience where professors who are ostensibly humanitarian have treated violence by other graduate students in a very inconsistent fashion. Somewhat like admitting age discrimination exists for some posters, but denying it exists for other posters. The inconsistency is some cases involves a current professor making fun of a male student who violently attacked me (and others), and a professor who ignored this male student's attack on me and some other students over a period of several months. In other cases, more than the book is thrown at the student. Has anyone else had this sort of inconsistent treatment of violence by students? Why would an ostensible humanitarian make a joke out of a student beating up another student? Sexist? What about the professor who originally dismissed the whole thing? Sexist? I find these serious inconsistencies problematic. 

[sockgumbee]

First, people need to be trained to deal with sexual harassment/violence. We don't expect fire fighters to go put out a blaze without training after all they are dealing with a crisis. Sexual harassment/violence is a crisis.

Second historically, in the United States it's only been a generation since it was okey for
-husbands to force a wife to have sex--ie rape
-husbands to beat their wives.
If a wife called the police, generally it was seen as a private matter--not a public matter.
-the legal system to base its laws on the idea that if women were raped, sexually assaulted they asked for it--by their attire, actions etc. The Madonna-Whore dichotomy.
Since a generation is say 20-25 years there are plenty of people whose mindset is still in the pre-1970s before Rape Crisis Centers and the push for laws based on what a 'reasonable person' could expect not just a 'reasonable man.'

I've notice that when people have to deal with things that they don't know how to deal with--or probably more likely have to deal with something that they have been taught that never happens, does not exist--ie a nice person getting sexually assaulted, they get angry at the person/victim or laugh it off. Behind these reactions is usually fear.

Maybe I'm missing something--but in regard to your particular situation
1) Does your school have some kind of policy manual for handling assault including sexual assault? In all honesty the gender of the person assaulted doesn't matter nor does the gender of the person who did the assaulting. The policy should outline ways to deal with this crisis.
a) If your school has policies would behoove someone to bring it to the professor's attention as well as bring the whole situation to the attention of Student Affairs or whatever body handles such problems.
b) If your school does not, I'd say that it would time to find out how to implement such a set of policies.

One thing that many campus women's center have tried to do, over the years is to create a method for dealing with these unpleasant facts of life, rape, sexual harassment, assault, hostile environment etc.

To answer your question I'd say the professor's actions are sexist. But I'd say the bigger problem is that no one has taken this beyond the professor or that if they have gone beyond the professor that no one that has the power is doing anything about this student.

So sorry you've had to deal with this.

[babbit]

I am very sorry for what happened to you. My overall experience of academics is that they are no more compassionate, humanitarian or sympathetic to victims of crime or violence than any other group of people. Some may even be a bit less so. Others' experience may of course be different.

[mended_drum]

May I ask how your professors know about this attack?  At my school, we are told as little as possible about such events for fear of lawsuits if we spread rumors or treat alleged victims or perpetrators differently in class.

[coneflower]

Has the HR office been informed? At universities where I've worked, these situations are taken very seriously by HR. In fact, all administrators are required to attend workshops on harassment, including sexual harassment. The faculty handbooks at these universities have all included a policy statement regarding all kinds of harassment.

[beacon1]

How were you violently attacked? Words? Fists? Feet? If it was through words, exactly what words were spoken? You say there was an attack, we need to know what you are calling an attack.

[sockgumbee]

Dear Maps19799,

Please ignore Beacon's questions. Hu does not realize they are harrassing. We don't need to know anything you don't want to tell us.

[yellowtractor]

I can't believe I'm doing this, but I am going to side with Beacon1 here, to the extent that this is(n't) about taking sides:  that is, if what the OP wants is advice about what to do.  If this is what the OP wants, then we need to know more about the nature of the abuse, and what actions those directly and indirectly involved may have already taken.

But in rereading the original post, the OP has not, in fact, asked for advice about what to do.  S/he has asked some specific questions:

Has anyone else had this sort of inconsistent treatment of violence by students? Why would an ostensible humanitarian make a joke out of a student beating up another student? Sexist? What about the professor who originally dismissed the whole thing? Sexist? I find these serious inconsistencies problematic. 

My answer is that sadly, I have indeed witnessed graduate students and tenured professors who would consider themselves liberals, both politically and ethically--who would proudly proclaim their liberality--treat one another with contempt and worse, especially when it comes to gender.

And yes, I find this both appalling and mind-blowing.  Why do they do it?  I can only imagine that the prejudices that afflict both the human condition in general and our society in particular run more deeply than certain liberal pieties are able to reach, independent of real-life experience.

On one occasion when I personally witnessed something of this sort, back in graduate school, I later went to the professor in question--who was very proud of his activism during the peace and counterculture movements of the 1960s--and asked him about his behavior.  He was profoundly nonplussed.  "That was Vietnam," he said.  "This is a graduate seminar."

OP, I hope you have a support network there.  More importantly, I hope you've been able to take steps to ensure your safety and comfort.

[beacon1]

I can't believe I'm doing this, but I am going to side with Beacon1 here, to the extent that this is(n't) about taking sides:  that is, if what the OP wants is advice about what to do.  If this is what the OP wants, then we need to know more about the nature of the abuse, and what actions those directly and indirectly involved may have already taken.

Why is it so hard for you to believe that you could be reasonable? or is it that you think because I hold a certain philosophical view that I am unreasonable...

First we can never assume that someone sees the world as it really is. In fact, any good psychologist would tell you we see the world as we care to see it. Unfortunately, sometimes that is completely devoid of reality. We need to know how the OP sees the world if we are going to give her good advice. Is it possible that she has drawn a faulty conclusion. Is it also possible that we might give her faulty advice based on how we see the world (which has nothing to do with the reality of what happened). Wouldn't it be prudent to observe the facts first?

[yellowtractor]

First we can never assume that someone sees the world as it really is. In fact, any good psychologist would tell you we see the world as we care to see it. Unfortunately, sometimes that is completely devoid of reality. We need to know how the OP sees the world if we are going to give her good advice. Is it possible that she has drawn a faulty conclusion. Is it also possible that we might give her faulty advice based on how we see the world (which has nothing to do with the reality of what happened). Wouldn't it be prudent to observe the facts first?

Certainly, as I said.  As I also noted, the OP did not ask for advice.

OP, would you like to return to the thread and tell us more?

[marlborough]

Well, I got kicked out of my university's Anti-Racism workshop two weeks ago after insisting that the two trainers stop making Rainman and lobotomy jokes.

Some people can be so caught up in being against one "ism" that they totally overlook the others. 

[beacon1]

First we can never assume that someone sees the world as it really is. In fact, any good psychologist would tell you we see the world as we care to see it. Unfortunately, sometimes that is completely devoid of reality. We need to know how the OP sees the world if we are going to give her good advice. Is it possible that she has drawn a faulty conclusion. Is it also possible that we might give her faulty advice based on how we see the world (which has nothing to do with the reality of what happened). Wouldn't it be prudent to observe the facts first?

Certainly, as I said.  As I also noted, the OP did not ask for advice.

OP, would you like to return to the thread and tell us more?

The OP has ask for advice... The op ask has anyone experienced what she experienced without telling us the exact nature of it... how can we give her information if we don't understand what she is talking about?

[yellowtractor]

Has anyone else had this sort of inconsistent treatment of violence by students? Why would an ostensible humanitarian make a joke out of a student beating up another student? Sexist? What about the professor who originally dismissed the whole thing? Sexist? I find these serious inconsistencies problematic. 

The OP has asked

1) Has anyone else experienced behavior of the sort s/he describes (however vaguely)?

2) Why would a professor who claims to be a liberal or a humanitarian treat evidence or charges of violence as a joke?

3) Could it be sexism?

In other words, the OP has requested corroboration and possible explanation, but not advice per se (in terms of what to do or how to deal with the situation).

It is perhaps worth noting that the OP has not logged back onto the fora since making hus initial post.  Although I empathize, I find it difficult to know where, if anywhere, to take this in the absence of hus participation.

[beacon1]

Has anyone else had this sort of inconsistent treatment of violence by students? Why would an ostensible humanitarian make a joke out of a student beating up another student? Sexist? What about the professor who originally dismissed the whole thing? Sexist? I find these serious inconsistencies problematic. 

The OP has asked

1) Has anyone else experienced behavior of the sort s/he describes (however vaguely)?

2) Why would a professor who claims to be a liberal or a humanitarian treat evidence or charges of violence as a joke?

3) Could it be sexism?

In other words, the OP has requested corroboration and possible explanation, but not advice per se (in terms of what to do or how to deal with the situation).

It is perhaps worth noting that the OP has not logged back onto the fora since making hus initial post.  Although I empathize, I find it difficult to know where, if anywhere, to take this in the absence of hus participation.

Corroboration of what? She has not told us one specific thing about what has happened to her other than she was "violently attacked". God knows if I was ever "violently attacked" that I would be telling the tale from a hospital bed. The OP's definition of violent attack is definitely not the same as mine... so I need to know what her definition is before I can considerately respond. Did she get her feelings hurt (narcissistic injury)? Was she threatened sexually? Was she held down or restrained? Did the professor make fun of her female anatomy? What did he specifically say or do?

[yellowtractor]

Corroboration of what? She has not told us one specific thing about what has happened to her other than she was "violently attacked". God knows if I was ever "violently attacked" that I would be telling the tale from a hospital bed. The OP's definition of violent attack is definitely not the same as mine... so I need to know what her definition is before I can considerately respond. Did she get her feelings hurt (narcissistic injury)? Was she threatened sexually? Was she held down or restrained? Did the professor make fun of her female anatomy? What did he specifically say or do?

Corroboration:  "Has anyone else had this sort of inconsistent treatment of violence by students?"  Either you corroborate by saying yes, or you say no.  The OP does offer some content--the charge that a professor made a joke about one student beating up another student, and the charge that a professor "made fun of" a male student in a way that apparently left the OP feeling belittled, the violence minimized.  (Not sure whether these refer to the same event.)  This was the basis for my response, which was to corroborate in the affirmative.

I don't think you can say that your definition of "a violent attack" is different from the OP's, because the OP has not returned to specify whether she means physical violence or verbal violence.  Certainly "beating up" suggests physical violence--but that was one grad student on another, not the professor.  ...But really, Beacon, I think this is all beside the point, until and unless the OP returns to the fora and says more about what happened, and/or what s/he wants from us.