Gervais and Eagan (2017) argued that the sexual objectification of women leads to violence both by teaching people to treat women as objects rather than subjects and by changing cultural expectations for how men should treat women.

What is the relationship between objectification and violence?

Examining the impact of objectification in the domain of sexual assault, Loughnan et al. (2013) found that an objectified woman is blamed herself for being raped and is perceived to suffer less. Dehumanization also underlies maltreatment and violence toward ethnic or racial minorities and animals.

What is objectification and how is it harmful?

A cycle of objectification

In turn, they become preoccupied with their physical appearance and sexual value to others. This process of “self-objectification” leads women to experience unpleasant feelings such as shame and anxiety. If repeated, it can eventually lead to long-term psychological harm.