The Sourcebook on Violence against Women reports that 14.8% to 36.1% of women will experience sexual violence in their lifetime. They also cited studies indicating that up to 26.4% of women have experienced domestic violence (Renzetti, Edleson, & Bergen, 2011). With approximately one in four women experiencing sexual violence or violence perpetrated by a partner, many researchers seek to point fingers. There are several theories that have something to say on the matter. However, it is important to realize that at the heart of all of these theories is how they manifest in the daily lives of men and women. Media is a portal to how children are socialized, what consumers buy, and the lifestyle choices people make (Tallim, J). There is no doubt that media is thriving in America. Magazine sales exceed $4.5 billion each year. Magazines are widely accessible to the general public. The Magazine Publishers of America found that 93% of American adults read magazines. The growth trend over the past five years shows that after the Internet, magazines are experiencing the greatest growth in media usage (Magazine Publishers of America & International Periodical Distributors Association, 2010). Most of the public would agree that American culture has become hypersexualized. Feona Attwood goes so far as to describe this transformation as “mainstream media ‘pornography’… [with] women increasingly targeted” (Attwood, 2005). Efforts have been made to combat this phenomenon by encouraging women's empowerment, but the results are yet to come. A comparison between Men's Health and Women's Health magazines, owned by the same company, shows how the media portrays men and women and perpetuates a violent and sexual culture that cultivates v...... middle of paper ... ...through the abuse they teach men are acceptable. The media is a powerful source of information for people of all ages. Consumers spend $86 million per week on magazines (Magazine Publishers of America & International Periodical Distributors Association, 2010). The media should work to restructure the way boys and girls are socialized and the gender roles of men and women. Magazines should focus on empowering women rather than showing them scantily clad as sex objects. All articles in Men's Health and Women's Health do not follow stereotypes or condone violence or the objectification of women; however, articles that perpetuate violence far outweigh those that set a good example for men and women. Men's health and women's health must step up and learn to empower women instead of leaving them vulnerable to domestic violence..