Why Olivia Benson is the Role Model We Need Right Now

Why Olivia Benson is the Role Model We Need Right Now

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re looking at reasons “Why Olivia Benson is the Role Model We Need Right Now”.

For this video, we’ll be looking at why Mariska Hargitay’s character is idolized and how she became one of the most iconic characters in television history. Since this video will cover pivotal moments in “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”, this is your spoiler alert.

Do you agree with us? Let us know in the comments why you think Captain Olivia Benson is the shero that our world needs!

As the leading lady of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” since 1999, Olivia Benson is the longest running prime-time live-action character in TV history! During the show’s run, we’ve seen her demonstrate her compassion, determination, and dedication to her job again and again. This devotion has allowed her to gradually climb up the ladder within the Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department. Benson became a detective in 1998, was promoted to Sergeant after Sergeant John Munch’s retirement, and is promoted to Captain in the series 21’s episode “I'm Going to Make You a Star". This is impressive on its own, but especially when you consider the fact that she did so as a woman in a male dominated profession.

It’s no surprise that Olivia was able to achieve so much. She’s extremely passionate about her work and strongly motivated by traumatic experiences she conquered in her past. As revealed in the pilot episode, Benson’s mother was assaulted and Olivia conceived as a result. Benson discloses to Detective Amanda Rollins that her mother struggled to love her, due to the associations with her attacker. In the ninth season, Olivia volunteers to take down a corrupt corrections officer and survives an attempted assault herself. Using what happened to both her mother and eventually herself as motivation, Olivia continues to fiercely advocate for sexual assault survivors.

She undergoes another traumatic ordeal at the hands of kidnapper William Lewis. However, she remains unwavering in her dedication to helping survivors overcome their own traumas. She does her best to eliminate any self-blame that they may have, assuring them that none of it was their fault. While most of her work takes place in New York City, in season 12’s “Behave”, she goes above and beyond by travelling across the country to seek further evidence to support a victim’s case.

However, she’s also capable of recognizing her own shortcomings. In season 22, Jayvon Brown is falsely accused of a crime he did not commit. Rightfully upset with his treatment by Captain Benson and the NYPD, he files a lawsuit. The event helps Olivia realize her own biases and she takes accountability for her actions and works towards improving the NYPD.

On top of being compassionate with survivors, Oliva has always been great with children, treating cases involving young victims with care. In season 7, the episode “911” is devoted to Olivia's rescue of an abducted young girl, Maria. Her heroic performance in this episode even earned Mariska Hargitay an Emmy! In the ninth season, Benson toys with the idea of adoption and in season fifteen, this idea becomes real when she’s granted temporary custody of Noah Porter. Ignoring her past issues with her own mother, she adopts Noah in season sixteen and is excited to officially enter motherhood. Benson is a hard-working mom and proves that she’s capable of juggling two babies: her son and her job.

Although Captain Benson’s profession is far from easy, she remains professional with each member of her squad. She appreciates the relationships she shares with them, especially her cherished friendship with her former partner of over 12 years, Detective Elliot Stabler. Not only is she close to him, she’s also close with his family. In the series "Law & Order: Organized Crime", she participates in a family-held intervention when Stabler begins to show signs of PTSD in the wake of his wife’s murder. Although fans of Olivia and Elliot have rooted for them to cross the line of professionalism, this has yet to happen. The partners were always just that and Olivia has always respected Elliot’s family and marriage. However, during the intervention, Elliot does admit his love for Benson, giving fans a glimmer of hope.

What makes Olivia Benson such a great role model is the fact that she’s both relatable, and heroic. She’s vulnerable, but still a force to be reckoned with. In season 21’s "The Darkest Journey Home”, Benson admits that she can relate to a victim, because she too is a survivor.

Not only is actress Mariska Hargitay an ally for sexual assault victims on SVU, she’s involved in spreading awareness off-screen. In 2004, Mariska founded a non-profit, the Joyful Heart Foundation, that helps victims of abuse and sexual assault. She also produced and starred in the Emmy Award-winning 2017 HBO documentary “I Am Evidence”, where she shed light on the treatment of sexual assault cases.

Both on screen, and off screen, then, Hargitay is the hero that we need today.