NCFM is an educational tax exempt corporation. Why? Because we believe education is the key to changing the world into a better place for all of us. There’s no better example than that found in the story below by one of our long term and loyal members …
I LOVE teaching!
I’m teaching my second semester of family law to paralegals at Pasadena City College (one night class). Its 45 students, 90% female. Last night we covered domestic violence. As you can imagine, I had alot to say. I explained the history, from Erin Pizzey in England to Patricia Overberg in Los Angeles County.
I showed the latest stats straight from the Centers for Disease Control showing more than 1 in 4 women and 1 in 5 men were domestic violence victims, and 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men were severe domestic violence victims. I showed how the Associated Press covered that study by totaling ignoring male victims. I showed this Channel 13 news video covering my filing of the lawsuit against the State of CA on behalf of 4 battered me. Then I showed this ABC news video covering our appellate victory 3 years later in Woods v. Horton. I talked about how the L.A. Times and Daily Journal, at that time (and still for the L.A. Times), were totally biased and reactionary on this issue and refused to cover it accurately. And I talked about how the State of California now is not giving sufficient answers to our Public Records Act request regarding the enforcement of Woods, so there may need to be further action.
To be fair and balanced, I gave credit to feminists for bringing the issue to light when attitudes were different. But I talked about how it was misframed to neglect male victims, and still is, often intentionally. I talked about how, when we filed the lawsuit, there was a huge backlash by those who falsely claimed I was trying to “shut down” or “take from” DV shelters, making *me* out to be the bad one, when it was me who told the courts they can “reform” rather than invalidate the unconstitutional statutes (the appellate court agreed and did so). How they said male victims should “build their own shelters,” even though men pay over half of the taxes that fund these shelters. And how they claimed I was trying to force the mixing of sexes in shelters, when I suggested hotel vouchers at minimum.
The class loved the topic and asked excellent legal questions, so much that we’re behind now. Students hung around after class to talk.
Thank you Pasadena City College for this opportunity. Students are learning about this and I’ll never stop telling it.
Marc A.
Well Sophie, why don't you try looking at the link to the Centers for Disease Control instead of just citing date from a media source that ignores male victims? The Centers for Disease Control is part of the federal government and it did a major comprehensive survey nationwide and found More than 1 in 3 women (35.6%) and more than 1 in 4 men (28.5%) in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime" and "About 1 in 4 women (24.3%) and 1 in 7 men (13.8%) have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner (e.g., hit with a fist or something hard, beaten, slammed against something) at some point in their lifetime." See executive summary at http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/pdf/NISVS_Report20...
So Sophie, how do you justify ignoring male victims and calling that "balance"?
I really don't understand how this person can be teaching any kind of class–let alone one about domestic violence.
"Fair and balanced?" is this FUX "News?"
Some statistics:
http://www.safehorizon.org/index/what-we-do-2/dom…
The Victims
One in 4 women will experience domestic violence during her lifetime.
Women experience more than 4 million physical assaults and rapes because of their partners, and men are victims of nearly 3 million physical assaults.
Women are more likely to be killed by an intimate partner (30%) than men (5%).
Women ages 20 to 24 are at greatest risk of becoming victims of domestic violence.
Every year, 1 in 3 women who is a victim of homicide is murdered by her partner.
The Families
Every year, more than 3 million children witness domestic violence in their homes.
Children who live in homes where there is domestic violence are also victims of abuse or neglect in 30% of 60% of such cases.
A 2005 Michigan study found that children exposed to domestic violence at home show greater symptoms of trauma, including becoming sick more often, complaining frequently of headaches or stomachaches, and being more tired and lethargic.
A 2003 study found that children are more likely to intervene when they witness severe violence against a parent – which places the child at great risk for injury or even death.
The Circumstances
Domestic violence is most likely to occur between 6pm and 6am for both female and male victims.
Domestic violence happens at home in more than 60% of reported incidents.
More domestic violence-related homicides occur in rural areas than in suburban or urban areas.
The Consequences
Among battered women living in shelters, 88% experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder because of domestic violence.
Among women brought to emergency rooms because of domestic violence, most were socially isolated, had lower self-esteem, and had fewer social and financial resources than other women not injured because of domestic violence.
Girls who witness domestic violence are far more likely to become victims themselves, thus continuing the cycles of victimization.
Boys who witness domestic violence are also far more likely to become abusers, of both their spouses/partners and their children, thus perpetuating the cycles of violence in their own homes.
Nearly 50% of homeless women and children are homeless because of domestic violence.
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, domestic violence is the third leading cause of homelessness among families.
Domestic violence costs more than $37 billion a year in law enforcement involvement, legal work, medical and mental health treatment, and lost productivity at companies.
… #1 FACT: MOST CASES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ARE NEVER REPORTED …
Well Sophie, why don't you try looking at the link to the Centers for Disease Control instead of just citing date from a media source that ignores male victims? The Centers for Disease Control is part of the federal government and it did a major comprehensive survey nationwide and found More than 1 in 3 women (35.6%) and more than 1 in 4 men (28.5%) in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime" and "About 1 in 4 women (24.3%) and 1 in 7 men (13.8%) have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner (e.g., hit with a fist or something hard, beaten, slammed against something) at some point in their lifetime." See executive summary at http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/pdf/NISVS_Report20...
So Sophie, how do you justify ignoring male victims and calling that "balance"?
The CDC figures are more reliable than the oft-cited Department of Justice (DoJ) figures because the CDC does not use crime-based language in its surveys like the DoJ does. Non-crime based, sociological surveys consistently confirm that "women are as physically aggressive, or more aggressive, as men in their relationships with their spouses or male partners (and that men account for 1/3 of physical DV injuries). Almost 300 of these studies, using various methodologies, are summarized http://www.csulb.edu/~mfiebert/assault.htm For example, this 32-nation study by the University of New Hampshire found women are as violent and controlling as men in relationships worldwide. http://www.unh.edu/news/cj_nr/2006/may/em_060519male.cfm... http://pubpages.unh.edu/~mas2/ID41E2.pdf
Im confused Marc to see you defending CDC over DOJ. I thought saw a lot of of backlash on misinformation or biased facts from various MRA's and conservatives in the CDC Nov. 2011 report. Even you, yourself,left some commentary on this matter?
http://www.ifeminists.com/e107_plugins/content/co…
-http://www.saveservices.org/2012/01/pr-centers-for-disease-control-should-remove-flawed-rape-survey-says-washington-post-editorial/
-http://www.saveservices.org/2011/12/pr-media-criticized-for-biased-coverage-of-cdc-violence-report/
Cameron, the backlash from MRAs on the CDC report was about their definition of rape. That's a very different issue from the methodology they use to survey domestic violence. Apples and oranges. Their survey of rape included alcohol influenced sex, which is not necessarily rape. But their surveys of *domestic violence* are much more reliable than the DoJ's because the CDC is not a crime agency like the DoJ is.
http://menshealth.about.com/cs/mentalhealth/a/sui… – Males Suicide rates !!! Harry, take a look brother !!
Why is this not repordet in the media ??? Why ??