Since the beginning of media women were portrayed in a certain light creating a stigma that would last until people moved to change it. Based on the way that women are represented on television, our society is in turn served by saying we agree with that way of thinking. Usually not viewed as reliable individuals, women are often portrayed as helpless relying on the male characters in the scenarios that are regularly taking place. Women’s representation on television has significant value to female audiences because they view strong characters as role models, which is why it is so crucial that these gender norms are challenged through media. When it comes to the way that women are portrayed in the field of law enforcement, the show Law and Order: Special Victims Unit takes on the challenge of proving that women are equivalent to men regarding their ability to work. The show allows viewers to see both genders handling the same situations and being able to carry through without the problem. It provides an insight as to what female officers go through daily on the job, and the fight they have to make to get the same respect and authority.
Currently in its 15th season, Law and Order: SVU first aired in 1999 becoming an extremely infamous show. The detectives who are part of this team solve sexually motivated crimes as well as child-based crimes. The detectives include a strong female lead character Olivia Benson and other favorite female characters such as Amanda Rollins, Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot and Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak. The episodes often feature real-life crime stories and create plot-lines based on criminal offenses. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is one of the most successful and popular branches of the original show "Law and Order." Within the show itself, there are two main leading female detectives, Sergeant Benson and Officer Rollins. These two characters are educated women who have proven themselves to their male colleagues regarding their work, showing that they are up to par if not better suited than the men around them especially when dealing with cases surrounding topics that need to be adequately handled. Throughout the seasons of the show, Sergeant Benson has made her way up the ladder in rankings, becoming a sergeant while starting at the bottom like every other one of her colleagues. Detective Rollins who was later introduced into the show has also proved that the stereotype that surrounds female cops, being that female officers are not able to complete the same work as their male colleagues, is wrong.
In the episode Gridiron Soldier, Amanda Rollins is the head of the case. Cedric Jones, a young college football player, goes missing. Larry Jones, Cedric's uncle, contacts Rollins pleading for her help in finding his beloved nephew. Out of all of the officers within the department, Larry Jones wanted Rollins to find his nephew. He decided to do so because not only did he know her from previous encounters, but he believed in her ability to find his missing nephew. Jones had faith in her ability to complete the job, not using her gender as a bias in his decision. While he also knew Amanda personally, he had seen her in a negative time in her life when her gambling addiction was in control. The result of the case was that Cedric ended up coming out as gay, going back to the typical format of the special victims unit shows. In most television shows that are crime based, women officers are not considered to be up to par with their male colleagues. Women are usually the ones who are told what to do and are not thought of as the leader of the case.
Males are seen as active, show little emotion, and protectors. Women are seen as nurturers, soft-spoken, emotional, and submissive. The creators of Law and Order portray Detective Benson as a strong, active, protector like her male partner Stabler whom she often works on cases with. When a victim has been sexually assaulted, they hardly ever send in Stabler to talk to them, which I believe is because most of the victims feel more comfortable with Benson as she is more nurturing. According to the show, Stabler has a history of having a bad temper. His temper sometimes gets him into physical altercations. His compassionate side is seldom seen, even when his life at home and interactions with his kids was shown. This is another example of the representation of gender in the media, and the stigma that surrounds each.
The reasons that Stabler decided to join the Special Victims Unit is a portrayal of the gender roles given to him by society. Stabler felt that he had a responsibility as both a family man and ex-marine to protect everyone who he both loved and didn't know, from criminals who will potentially cause harm. Stabler's role is being the protector, which is another characteristic of the representation of gender in media. Detective Benson joined the unit because she was the product of rape, and wanted to fight for all the other people who suffered from what her mother did. Benson defies the gender stereotype because she proves that although she has a history with the traumatic events she in turn is able to be an example for other women that it's possible to overcome these hardships. She helps victims to cope and shares her story with them in order to create a relationship with the victim. By allowing her past to shape her and not destroy her, she proves that women are not emotionally fragile creatures and can cope with a hardship the same way as a man.
Realism on television can impact our perceptions of reality. When it comes to the production of a crime drama series, the portrayal of women is often overplayed and exaggerated. Crime Dramas usually feature subject matter related to male dominance. However, Law and Order : SVU adds female characters to change the entire dynamic of the show and its legal team. In most episodes, the plot lines correlate with the idea that females are usually the ones to be sexually assaulted. The show also shows that men can go through the same scenarios which break the stigma surrounding gender roles. The more significant social issue surrounding the idea of men falling victim to sexual assault is that it's not "supposed to happen" to men, solely based on the fact that they are a man. As a society one learns the norms for each gender, masculinity being emphasized to boys at a young age. By presenting episodes where men are the victims, the ideals for each sex become challenged by proving that we are all the same, and experience things the same way regardless of whether we are male or female.
While some feminists might argue that the show is "glamorizing" violence against women, that is contradicting the entire point of the show. There is nothing glamorous about violence, period. Violence towards both men and women is a real thing, and anyone who tries to make an argument saying that either gender does not face the same struggles can be proved wrong by watching a few episodes of this television show. The show analyzes gender roles in law enforcement and puts women in the spotlight at most times for the work that they can do. The show's creators argue that SVU raises important issues that are considered unimportant in mainstream media, such as violence against transgender people and sexual violence against men. They also point out that the cast and crew take an active role outside of work addressing the issues seen on the show. For example, lead actress Mariska Hargitay, Olivia Benson, is a trained rape crisis counselor and has founded a charity for survivors of sexual assault. Law & Order SVU deals with many hard-hitting topics such as rape, sexual assault, and child abuse, yet still manages to add the aspect of equality into the show.
Overall the way that women are portrayed in today’s media is still a developing concept. There is still a movement to push for women to be equally represented, but for right now I personally feel that there is definitely times where we are not represented correctly, but there are many we are. Law and Order: Special Victims Unit is an example of women being shown in a light where they have abilities that are different than a man, that come in use for sensitive subjects. Since the beginning of time we have learned that women are an essential part of society in order for there to be a balance amongst us. No matter how the media may portray women, it will always have an impact on the young viewers watching and may determine the value they see within themselves. The media should be held responsible for improper representation, but it may be a while before that occurs.