The BBC struggles to understand the word “row”

July 2, 2013, Louise Pennington, Media Complaints,

The headline is : Man knocks woman's teeth out in row

What actually happened: A 31 year old woman was punched twice in the face after stopping to help another woman after witnessing two people in an "argument".

I'm not sure where to even start dissecting this piece:

1. There's the idea that the woman got punched in the face as punishment for having a row in public; as if it's completely normal to punch someone in the face during a "row".

This is not a "row". It's male violence.

2. It's the woman's fault for intervening to help another person.

Yep. Stopping to help out someone in trouble means you deserve to be punched in the face.

You deserve to have your jaw broken.

3. It is not an "argument" when someone else intervenes. People don't wander the streets looking for "arguments" to intervene in. People intervene when there is a serious issue of violence.

4. There is another possible victim whose completely missing from the narrative.

The euphemisms for male violence have got to stop.

It is not a "row" if someone gets their jaw broken.

This language blames victims and erases perpetrator responsibility.

URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-23127778

Domestic Abuse, Language, Media, Violence

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