We all have choices in how we use power but injustice happens when there is an imbalance of power. This usually results in exploitation, abuse or oppression.
Statistics documenting the abuse and misuse our bodies and the bodies of others;
Body abuse occurs when there is rape (1 every 60 seconds in the US, and 1 in 4 college women plus date rape and rape as a war crime ); unplanned pregnancies (increases likelihood of violence against the woman 2 to 4 times; 25-50% of pregnant adolescent girls are likely to be battered); child pornography and prostitution (1.8 million children); brutality against the sexual minority communities (an increase of 24-133% of violence as backlash from the Supreme Court decision in 2003 striking down sodomy laws); genital mutilation (100-140 million worldwide); criminalizing sexual behaviors between consensual adults; and the intentional withholding of both sex education and information and access to emergency contraception.
Body misuse occurs when there is ignorance, ambivalence, or hatred towards our bodies. This is expressed in a variety of ways. Some examples include: eating disorders (4-20% of young women in the US); adolescent “cutting” (20% adolescents report doing this at least once); low self-esteem (78% of 18 year old girls do not like their bodies); and the inability to make sexually healthy choices (50% of unplanned sex is under the influence of alcohol).
Because the US society normalizes sexual objectification and superficial sex leading to further denigration of the physical and perpetuation of a harmful mind/body split that encourages body abuse and misuse, to act justly is to address the need to heal and integrate the mind, body, and spirit.
Justice occurs when we both prevent abuse and advocate on behalf of those traumatized as well as promote the freedom to pursue sexual desires, needs, or preferences in a non-abusive and non-exploitive manner. When everyone’s body is respected and treated with dignity then we will have body justice.
And peace happens when justice prevails.
