Perspectives on Violence, Abuse, and Harassment Socio-cultural Issues. Cultural difference in values, attitudes, and behavioral norms across ethnic and racial group must be considered in any examination of violence. Unfortunately, data are scarce in this area. Overall , it has proved difficult to assess attitudes toward rape and other violent crimes. Some studies indicate that the public tends to blame victims of rape, rather than those who commit the violent act. In some cases, people believe the violence was justified. Cultural attitudes about violence toward women may be based on societal acceptance of male dominance. In many cultures , both men and women believe that a man has the right to control his wile's and daughter's behavior and that disobedient women should be punished. By legitimizing these acts of violence, cultures perpetuate violence against women. Women are particularly vulnerable to abuse by their partners in societies where there arc marked ine