Feminists (and others), could you explain your understanding of the domestic violence problem?

Question

I would like to see what everyone considers the truth about the current domestic violence problem (particularly in the United States) to be.

In other words, do you believe that it is overwhelming a problem caused by males that can only be stopped by males, do you think men and women are equally violent, or do you have another take on the issue?

Please cite a source if you use statistics. I'll post my take on it after I get a few replies.

Actually, I reported you, because you suggested that I "sniffed men's farts" and that "your sister could beat me up-" therefore, you were not contributing anything. I don't hate women- I want to see what feminists think about this issue.

First off, Allegra, I've already read the advocacy garbage AND the actual DOJ/CDC statistics from the report. That little group is, like usual, taking things out of context. Secondly, that "85%" statistic refers to a source "5" which WASN'T EVEN RECORDED on the citations at the bottom. Very shoddy, if you ask me.





Hey, I NEVER said that the DOJ statistics were garbage, I said the advocacy group was. The way they portrayed the statistics was shoddy and they didn't even cite one of the sources they supposedly had. That is AWFUL practice and even a high school student wouldn't make that mistake.

I'll add my input on the problem now.

A source:

http://www.csulb.edu/~mfiebert/assault.htm

It's an interesting read- it's basically a compendium of (often large) studies that concern violence in males and females.

From what I've read, in at least the younger crowd of people (college age and below), women tend to initiate more violence than men, sometimes at a level twice that of males when "mutual initiation" is excluded.

The main reason appears to be attention, i.e., "He wasn't listening to me."

I, unlike some, will put it in context, however, and recognize that males do more serious damage than females do for reasons of strength, while female violence is more often slapping/pushing, although they are more likely to use objects.

The updated death rates for 2004 are 1,159 women and 385 men, by the way, meaning that the ratio is almost exactly 75% male to 25% female.

Conclusion- males still perpetrate the majority of physical violence for the time being, but this may change.

The two radical feminist posters seem to have a severe problem with reading questions.

The question is, could you EXPLAIN your understanding of the problem. If you did not agree with one of the models I posted, you are MORE than welcome to post your own. Anecdotes, wonderful as they are for emotional argument, will NOT explain the severity, incidence, or prevalence of domestic violence. Get that, "militant poster/advocacy group poster?"

(Beating around the bush like that is getting on my nerves.)

WOW, "Militant Poster..."

"Is it because guns are so easy to obtain in the USA?"

And exactly WHAT do you have to say about Switzerland, a country where almost EVERYONE owns a gun? What explains their low crime rate?

"Experts" tend to be heathen fools who don't know what they're talking about. It will be MY generation, not YOURS, that will see an end to this problem.

Do you know WHY that gun murder problem occurred? Because the university didn't follow procedures and issue a lockdown when it should have. If it had FOLLOWED THE PROCEDURES, many of those students would be alive.

Think before you type, because you can't very well take back sheer idiocy on the Internet. (Or Internets, if you're Bush.)

Answer 1

Well, no, men and women are quite obviously not "equally violent." The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (http://www.ncadv.org/files/DV_Facts.pdf ) reports:

"In 2001, 85% of victims of domestic violence were women.

Young women age 16-24 experience the highest rate of domestic violence - 16 per 1,000 persons.

In 1999, 74% - or 1,218 - of the 1,642 persons murdered by an intimate partner were female.

In 2000, 1,247 women and 440 men were killed by an intimate partner."

Yeah. That's quite a lot more dead and otherwise victimized women than men.

You might learn something if you read up here: http://www.ncadv.org/resources/Statistics_221.html
_________________

Um, I don't care if you've "already read" the statistics. Whether you've read them or not, they now show and will continue to show that men are by and large the perpetrators of domestic violence, even if that 85 percent female victims was 80, or 70, or 65 percent.

And the U.S. Justice Department is a bunch of garbage? Right. No doubt.
_______________

Since the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence largely cited the DOJ for more than half its statistics, I'm not sure how you can call it a trash advocacy organization without having that "trash" reflect onto the place the organization got its information.

So here's something to consider:

Distorting Domestic Violence Figures: How Men's Rights Activists Misunderstand Feminism (http://www.washingtoncritic.com/?cat=21 )

February 24, 2007
Steven Guess

If you’ve ever met a “men's rights activist,” you’ve probably learned rather quickly that they are fixated on the idea that women beat up men as often, if not more often, than men beat up women in relationships. They further posit that feminists are conspiring to hide this from the general public. I must admit when I first heard the claim that women committed acts of violence against men in proportion to men, I was skeptical. Considering the source, I dismissed it as being part of another far-right-wing reaction to feminism. However, after doing some research, I did find that some of the information these individuals were pushing was true, although it did not seem to support the conclusions they demanded.

Most of the data which supports the men’s rights position on domestic violence comes from the research of Martin S. Fiebert, Professor of Psychology at CSU-Long Beach. Time and time again his research is used to suggest it is men who are the victims of relationship violence, not women. Even a cursory look on the Internet finds his research is used internationally by men’s activists to justify attacks on feminism. It is true that Fiebert’s data suggests that women are as aggressive, if not more aggressive, then men are in the context of domestic abuse. But what men’s rights activists continually misinterpret is the nature of that aggression, and Fiebert’s own view of patriarchy and the interpretation of his data.

In a 2002 interview with the L.A. Times, Fiebert was quoted as saying that part of the reason society thinks men are not abused by women is because men are afraid to come forward and admit they’ve been beaten up by a woman. “That comes from a culture of patriarchy,” Fiebert argues. “In western society, [men are] in charge of the family, and the economics and the power of the family. Therefore, when it’s demonstrated that the person in a position of power doesn’t have the power, it’s an area of ridicule and humiliation.”

Fiebert’s analysis is certainly in line with many prominent feminist theories on the subject. In her short essay "Supremacy Crimes," Gloria Steinem suggests that masculinity is built on the assumption “that males are superior to females, that they must find a place in a male hierarchy, and that the ability to dominate someone is … important.” If Steinem’s view is correct, then a woman who is able to dominate a man is considered humiliating from a masculine point of view, since it inverts the hierarchy and makes a female physically superior to a male. Both Fiebert and Steinem are saying what men’s rights activists won’t: a patriarchy suppresses or ridicules stories about violence and rape committed against men because they portray women in a dominant role. In fact, an organization devoted to battered men writes, "Domestic violence against women is not socially condoned. Men who do beat women typically feel shame and try to keep it a secret. Most men have little respect for a man who 'beats his woman.'"

In 1997, Fiebert found that the most prominent reason why women attacked men without regard for their safety was "I believe that men can readily protect themselves, so I don't worry when I become physically aggressive." In other words, the perception of men as the more powerful figure was one of the main reasons women felt they could attack their husbands or boyfriends. While his study did suggest that women are more likely than men to use household objects as weapons in domestic violence cases, Fiebert never suggested that men suffer more injuries than women as a result of their violence. In part, then, the assertion that women are more dangerous than men in society is patently sexist.

And yet, men’s rights activists turn the issue against feminists, suggesting that it’s feminism which teaches that violence committed against men is unimportant or nonexistent. One blogger self-identified as Daran, writing from "Creative Destruction," writes that feminism “looks at female oppression through a microscope and male oppression through a telescope.” The overarching message is that both men and women are oppressed by society and that feminism cares only for female oppression and not male oppression. This fits into the idea that feminism is “whitewashing” the violence women perpetrate against men and other women, while vilifying men as being the big bad rapist. Of course, it is difficult to make a case for inequality while arguing that both men and women are equally unequal.

The perception that feminism is the reason society is not sensitive to the needs of men is quite backward. According to feminism, society is purposely not sensitive to the needs of men as a right of passage, calling on men to dominate their rivals or face humiliation, to be a provider and not need the help of anyone. This is a major reason why men would not wish to come forward to talk about their experiences out of shame and humiliation. It is the perception of men as the protector, the provider, rather than the nurturer and healer, which accounts for much of the social organizing and family disputes which assign gender roles that many men and women rightly view us unfavorable to their preferences and needs.

Contrary to the assertion of men's rights activists, many feminist organizations and individuals have begun talking about the objectification, exploitation, and oppression of men. One group, the Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action, writes: "the objectification of men’s bodies is associated with the emergence of a new consumer culture. Men have long held the power of 'the gaze' over women’s bodies and still do. With the growth of men’s style magazines and male modeling, men are being subjected to 'the look' of both women and men. This is exemplified by the range of new body-sculpting magazines and exercise machines that are being promoted. Men are being encouraged to have 'rock-hard abs' and a totally toned physique (a hard body). Also, men are proving to be almost as susceptible as women to a loss of self-esteem and dissatisfaction with their body image. The male image is increasingly being sexualized, eroticized and so feminized."

But while many feminists are willing to take on some of the issues raised by men’s rights activists, they fall short of wanting to call back progress made on women’s liberation.
Feminists consider men to be potential victims of the patriarchial society in addition to women. But as Keith Nurse, a feminist writer for CAFRA, correctly points out, "the men-as-victims argument is associated with a counter movement to reassert the dominance of men and masculinity." To portray women as dominating society and men as suffering is a complete distortion of reality.

Given the evidence and the feminist research on these issues, I think it’s only fair that men's rights activists be more honest about domestic violence instead of misinterpreting data and laying the blame for insensitivity toward men on feminists rather than the patriarchy feminists spend their time talking about.

- originally published at Men's News Daily

Answer 2

The bombings in the MIddle East have been horrific and the Americans serving in the military commit suicide more than fatalities on the front line. What is going on with our miltary over there to come back in such mental conditions? How can the bombings and the political conflicts within the walls of others nations not cause much bitterness? Could that be why we don't get the news or see any video of these continuing occurences? I wouldn't watch those reports long either. There was a Facebook post today that says "Darkness cannot drive out Darkness, only Light can do that." NY loves B. This world needs a MLK, Jr. to combat this international darkness with light. The international policies since WWII have created havoc and new alteratives need to be found and implemented. My husband had been a marathon runner for years. One of my favorite vacation spots is Boston. I love the mannerism, location, nice summers and all around atmosphere. I am not surprised at the interaction of individuals coming to assist Monday. We have a great country and wonderful citizens that need to live in peace. Terrorist always pick a place where people throughout the world will be. 9/11, WTC had a great deal of people from other nations, as well.

Answer 3

These stats aren't from the US, they're from Canada, but here goes:

Spousal Violence in Canada, 1995-1999

Physically Injured
Women: 40%
Men: 14%

Received medical attention
Women 15%
Men 4%

Hospitalized
Women 11%
Men 2%

Time off daily activities
Women 35%
Men 10%

10+ assaults
Women 25%
Men 11%

Feared for their lives
Women 38%
Men 5%

Statistics Canada, 2002:15

Now. I do acknowledge that men are assaulted. However my understanding of domestic violence is that it is assault on the *basis* of gender, so I do have a hard time believing that men and women assault each other for the same reasons.

And, well, to be frank, men are more likely to commit domestic violence when they do not have a lot of education and/or when they do not make a lot of money. I don't want to offend anyone by explaining further, but it is pretty much self-explanatory how "masculinity" and aggressiveness fits into the picture here. Oh, and women who make less money are more likely to be assaulted.

Source: "Violence Against Women" in Crime in Canadian Society, 5th ed., Robert A Silverman, James J Teevan, and Vincent F Sacco

(Yeah, I'm supposed to be studying for my soc exam so I have my text books right here)

Answer 4

My take on it will be very brief, It has absolutely nothing to do with feminism. At the same time it has nothing to do with obedience and or that type of a living situation. Domestic violence has been around long before that. It has nothing to do with control and dominance though the characteristics do appear. It has everything to do with the sins of the father visit the third and fourth generations. Why it occurs like this I have no idea. This is how it goes.
Women and men are equally as violent; women are just sneakier usually playing on their feminine card. This is not to be taken badly. Men are cited more because their males, thicker skin and all that; who would suspect a tiny little 4'11" woman compared to a 6'5" man; OK you got the drift.
How should it be solved? Some good and hard table discussion beginning with male on male/ female on female, later on moving into the male on female table discussions.
Now while these talks are going on certain tests should be administered to check for a bent chromosome or whatever and chemical imbalances. From what I understand it's based upon deep rooted anger, that anger has to come from someplace; it usually is not from the one they beat upon, not that person usually is a catalyst that triggers the anger. No battered person should ever blame themselves.

Answer 5

I don't think that DV is a problem OVERWHELMINGLY caused by men, but I don't think that women are EQUALLY as violent, either. One need only look at the statistics on violence, in general, to see that men are just a tad more violent than women, right?
http://www.mincava.umn.edu/documents/factfantasy/factfantasy.html

But I do believe that male victims of DV get a raw deal when it comes to law enforcement and the courts...and no, it's NOT "feminism's fault." It's the leftovers of Patriarchy, that see women as "weak", and men as "dominant"...incapable of being victims of "weak" women. Our social biases, inherent in our culture, marginalize the suffering of male victims, labeling them as "wuss" and "whipped"....or worse.
Of course there are biological differences that give men a physical advantage over women, but that doesn't mean that men can't be victimized by women...and strident social labels that place men and women in strict, gendered categories and the social biases that arise from this contribute largely to the problem that male victims face. Working to change these social biases will go a long way toward changing the attitudes that cause men to get such unfair treatment.

Answer 6

FACT:

"Patriarchal Values: Gender roles increase violence towards women. Many males believe they have the right to maintain control over women. When they feel their dominance is threatened, they tend to react with violent behaviour".
http://www.deal.org/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=537&Itemid=634

Additionally, here's a timeline of the Battered Women's Movement. Notice the disgusting patriarchal-hot air-trash? Hard to miss.
http://www.mincava.umn.edu/documents/herstory/herstory.html

"do you believe that it is overwhelming a problem caused by males"

You already know the answer to that question. A lot more logic and a lot less denial on your part should solve your riddle.

Answer 7

It's all about control and dominance, that sense of ownership and masterful power that is behind domestic violence. It doesn't really matter if there is alcohol and drugs involved, and it is certainly not restricted to a particular race, or social class.

Answer 8

I really don't care which gender inflicts it more or which gender gets it more. The point is, domestic violence in all its forms is a disgusting practice and must be stopped.

Answer 9

If men and women are truly equal, than women can fix their own problem with domestic violence. Its either a matter of they cannot fix it themselves, so they need everyone's help (admiting weakness and acknowledging that equality on all levels will not work) or they hold onto the notion that women can do anything men can, and admit that women are just as violent as men.

Its never right to hit anyone out of anger, be the attacker man or woman, but to finger domestic violence as the sole fault of the male population is rediculous. Women can just as easy beat men as men do women, but everyone likes the easy heart tug of the "defenseless" woman getting abused.

Answer 10

They are feminists and you are feminized. The poster of the question had to have gave me a thumbs down because he hates women. Why do you hate women??