Domestic Violence "Epidemic" Afflicting Women? Hardly....

[dmp]

Great article; sources in link following quote:

In the daft urban archipelago I call home, self-actualization draws energy from what's been called punitive liberalism. Well, here we go again, thanks to a random survey of 3,429 Puget Sound women in 2003-04, conducted by the Group Health Center for Health Studies, Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center; and the University of Washington. The researchers found that 92 percent reported not having suffered physical violence at the hands of their partners in the last year, while 8 percent did. However, despite this data point, other findings lead one of the "scientists" to declare in this Seattle Times article that domestic violence against women is "an enormous problem that's buried in our society", cutting across all demographic groups.
Continue reading "Domestic Violence "Epidemic" Afflicting Women? Hardly...."

The lynchpin of the piece is that 44 percent of the women surveyed reported having suffered physical or verbal abuse from a partner or lover "at some point in their adult lives."

Physical or verbal abuse by a partner "at some point in their adult lives." That's a rather elastic parameter. Compared to physical abuse perpetrated by a partner within the last year, which as noted above, yields a very different result - albeit one downplayed greatly in the hed, lede and body of the story. It's unfortunate, but hardly coincidental, that unsupported editorializing by echo chamber sources is allowed to dominate the presentation and stand unchallenged in a purportedly objective report, with no acknowledgement whatsoever that men suffer domestic violence from women, too.

A newspaper's "commitment to diversity," if sincere, would entail that news editors insist both that reporters contact some credible mens' advocates, to add context on the highly charged issue of domestic violence, and that they present other data which could cast in a different light the report of said male-driven "epidemic" afflicting women.

Attentive Times readers once were able to glean some of that context, thanks to this 2001 op-ed by Bellevue attorney Lisa Scott. It's titled, "Gender Bias No Cure For Domestic Violence." The resulting letters to the editor were quite lively. (Free reg. req., and entirely worth it).

Now let's tackle the actual leading causes of injury for women. Take a look at the second of two pages in this table, from "Health In The United States, 2005," by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers For Disease Control, National Center For Health Statistics. It gives a very different view, by examining exactly what sorts of injuries put women in hospital emergency rooms. (If your browser somehow delivers you to the first page of the 550-page report, please scroll to Table #89, pages 328-329. Also, the link comes up faster for me on my PC running IE, versus my iMac running Safari, but it works on both).

The table shows that in the most recent two-year period reported (2002-2003), unintentional injuries such as falls, "unintenional striking by or against an object or person," motor vehicle or traffic mishaps, and cutting and piercing accounted for more than seven times as many ER visits than did intentional injuries, for women ages 18-24. For women ages 25-44, unintentional causes were responsible for more than eight times as many ER visits than intentional injuries.

Intentional injuries are not further categorized - and obviously include self-inflicted injuries. But the point is clear. In the aggregate, any sort of intentional injury of a woman, including battering by brutish, moronic males, is far less likely to send her to the hospital E.R. than are accidental causes such as falls, bumps and collisions, car and traffic accidents, and cuttings and piercings. Are these not then an even more "enormous problem that's buried in our society?"

Additionally, the chart shows intentional injuries are trending downward, from 1995-96 through 2002-03, for women in those two key age groups.

It's true that some domestic violence cases are not reported, and that all victims do not always go to emergency rooms. However, this is also true with respect to other, unintentional causes of emergency room visits covered in the report, so the general comparison must hold.

Read more:

http://www.soundpolitics.com/archives/006217.html

 

[Nuc]

100% of all human beings suffer verbal abuse at some point. What a bunch of crap.

 

[5stringJeff]

100% of all human beings suffer verbal abuse at some point. What a bunch of crap.

How the hell would you know that 100% of humans suffer verbal abuse, you idiotic piece of crap? I bet you can't even spell "5-string bass," let alone play one!!!

Just kidding dude. I agree with you.

 

[Diuretic]

I haven't had my second coffee yet....is this based on self-reporting? if so, self-reporting surveys are notoriously dodgy.

Is there an epidemic of domestic violence against women?

Let's put it this way. In any given period of 24 hours where I live there are usually quite a few reports of men biffing their female partners either in the house or chasing them down the street with some sort of weapon or stabbing them in the house or in the front garden or out in the street. I don't know about epidemic, but it's very common. In the working class suburbs the cops get called. In the posh suburbs she says nothing until she can see her doctor.

 

[HopeandGlory]

There's these things called hope and pride . . .

Hope the bastard will change one day and too much pride to tell.

Working in a busy Casualty (ER) dept. you see it all too often. Used to happen fairly regularly on station too. The RAF Wive's Clubs are like the jungle drums - if one of the wives is being abused you can bet all the others will know about it.

 

[Joz]

I'm not sure I understand what message the article was trying to make.
Are we for or against abuse?

 

[dilloduck]

I'm not sure I understand what message the article was trying to make.
Are we for or against abuse?

I'm for it but only ocassionally---more than that get's boring. :funnyface

 

[Joz]

Maybe if you mixed them up a bit.

Really tho', this is serious stuff.

 

[Diuretic]

My take on it is that the article is trying to minimise domestic violence. Of course it's bullshit. I don't give a rat's arse about the so-called declining rate of domestic violence. I've seen enough of it over the years to know it's not going away.

But to be fair I also get very cranky with those who seek to use the fact of domestic violence as some sort of political propaganda. The fact that it exists is obvious, squabbling about the rate for political reasons is really stupid.

 

[Joz]

My take on it is that the article is trying to minimise domestic violence. Of course it's bullshit. I don't give a rat's arse about the so-called declining rate of domestic violence. I've seen enough of it over the years to know it's not going away....

You are right, it isn't going away. But why do you suppose that is? I mean what is making people so angry that they have to hit, humiliate or devalue someone they have vowed to love? Or their child? There are a few women on this board who understand what domestic violence is first hand.

 

[Diuretic]

You are right, it isn't going away. But why do you suppose that is? I mean what is making people so angry that they have to hit, humiliate or devalue someone they have vowed to love? Or their child? There are a few women on this board who understand what domestic violence is first hand.

The dynamics of dv are incredibly complicated. I've heard some people say it's a working class phenomenon. Of course that's rubbish. It goes right across society. It's just more private in the middle and upper class. I have no idea what causes a man (and let's not get cute, yes women commit dv but it's overwhelmingly men doing it) to bash the woman he wooed. I don't know why it is. I should but I don't.

 

[Joz]

...... I have no idea what causes a man (and let's not get cute, yes women commit dv but it's overwhelmingly men doing it) to bash the woman he wooed. I don't know why it is. I should but I don't.

Men beat up their wives. Women beat their children. We're a society of bullies.

What confuses me is when a man dates a woman and then after he is bound to her starts this crap. If he was able to not do it then, he should be able to continue not doing it.

A friend of mine recently told me the night her aunt got married her new hubby beat her terribly. Of course Dad & Brother returned the favor threatening his life, and Auntie spent her wedding night at her parents. She filed for divorce.

 

[Diuretic]

Men beat up their wives. Women beat their children. We're a society of bullies.

What confuses me is when a man dates a woman and then after he is bound to her starts this crap. If he was able to not do it then, he should be able to continue not doing it.

A friend of mine recently told me the night her aunt got married her new hubby beat her terribly. Of course Dad & Brother returned the favor threatening his life, and Auntie spent her wedding night at her parents. She filed for divorce.

This is going to sound really stupid but I think that's when the "she belongs to me, she is my property" attitude kicks in.

Re your example - not uncommon, sadly. She is lucky she had Dad and Brother to deal with the cowardly bastard.

 

[Emmett]

I am also not real sure I "got it" from the article. What I do know is that men who "hit" are punks. Yellow cowards who "run in battle". Very much like child molestors they are weak individuals who use a weaker victim as a way of sustaining any display of control strengh they may have.

Hitting an innocent person who possesses no ability to defend themselves is the most cowardly display of weakness a person can portray.

Personally I am not the slighest bit interested in statistics associated with this sickening problem. 1% or even one time is too much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No woman will ever truely love a man who has hit her. She may fear him and stay with motivated by that fear sadly but in her heart she will not truely love him. A man should be the protector of his family and never allow them to be hurt by anyone, certainly not himself.

 

[Joz]

This is going to sound really stupid but I think that's when the "she belongs to me, she is my property" attitude kicks in.

No, I don't think that sounds stupid at all. There's alot of that mentality that still exists. Also, "I'm the boss". And the clincher, "The wife is to submit to her husband" crap. I think there's a certain amount of mental illness.

My roommate Di, from Academy, met a young man, R, while home on leave. He was sweet & kind & treated her as good as any young man could. She married him probably a year or less after graduation. Di soon got pregnant & had a little girl. She asked that I come see her when A was about 9 months old, so she & R travelled the 2 hours to come get me. One afternoon Di told me R had been abusing her. In fact, he'd knocked her thru their front door. Did this until she was 8 months pregnant. He stopped the last month so she wouldn't lose the baby. He picked up where he left off after A was born.

To a young girl of 19, I had no idea how to deal with something like this, other than I told her to get out of the marriage, which she did. She was in a world I couldn't begin to relate to. In fact, I'm not sure I'd know much more how to deal with it now.

 

[Diuretic]

You gave good advice. It's incredibly difficult to intervene if you're not an authority figure, even family tend to shun wanting to know about it sometimes.

But you know, every woman should be told that if it happens then that very first time is critical in my view.

If she is conned into not telling the authorities because "I didn't mean it, I was drunk/angry/frustrated/upset, I won't do it again, blah blah blah...." It does happen again because the second time's always easier.

The first time he does it he should be arrested, put in front of a court and at the very least be given a suspended sentence contingent upon him getting a psychological analysis and undertake a programme to get him to cut out. She might want to consider if she is going to leave or not.

Second time - arrested again, no bail, off to prison for a few weeks while she is moving out and speaking to a lawyer (assuming she didn't leave the first time it happened).

 

[Joz]

....
But you know, every woman should be told that if it happens then that very first time is critical in my view. .....If she is conned into not telling the authorities because "I didn't mean it, I was drunk/angry/frustrated/upset, I won't do it again, blah blah blah...." It does happen again because the second time's always easier.

As with anything.
I have never has a man raise his hand to me. Not sure what I would do in a moment like that. I know I wouldn't stay.
But I have been in a situation where a person becomes unreasonable and you're damned by anything you do. It became a way of life.

 

[Joz]

I am also not real sure I "got it" from the article. What I do know is that men who "hit" are punks. Yellow cowards who "run in battle". Very much like child molestors they are weak individuals who use a weaker victim as a way of sustaining any display of control strengh they may have.

Hitting an innocent person who possesses no ability to defend themselves is the most cowardly display of weakness a person can portray.

I'm inclined to adopt the "gettin' is as good as givin' policy here. If more men banned together & beat the sh*t out of such a man, when they did this, they might just get the hint. Even Pavlov's dogs learned.

No woman will ever truely love a man who has hit her. She may fear him and stay with motivated by that fear sadly but in her heart she will not truely love him. A man should be the protector of his family and never allow them to be hurt by anyone, certainly not himself.

I think you're right here. Love is a very fragile thing.
Fear motivates us for many things, but it can also keep us stuck in an undesireable situation. And when there's children involved, the situation is compounded. Wise & admired [by me] is the woman who gathers enough strength to leave a man such as this.

 

[The ClayTaurus]

I am also not real sure I "got it" from the article. What I do know is that men who "hit" are punks. Yellow cowards who "run in battle". Very much like child molestors they are weak individuals who use a weaker victim as a way of sustaining any display of control strengh they may have.

Hitting an innocent person who possesses no ability to defend themselves is the most cowardly display of weakness a person can portray.

Personally I am not the slighest bit interested in statistics associated with this sickening problem. 1% or even one time is too much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No woman will ever truely love a man who has hit her. She may fear him and stay with motivated by that fear sadly but in her heart she will not truely love him. A man should be the protector of his family and never allow them to be hurt by anyone, certainly not himself.

Excellent, excellent post. 100% spot on well done sir.

 

[Emmett]

No, I don't think that sounds stupid at all. There's alot of that mentality that still exists. Also, "I'm the boss". And the clincher, "The wife is to submit to her husband" crap. I think there's a certain amount of mental illness.

My roommate Di, from Academy, met a young man, R, while home on leave. He was sweet & kind & treated her as good as any young man could. She married him probably a year or less after graduation. Di soon got pregnant & had a little girl. She asked that I come see her when A was about 9 months old, so she & R travelled the 2 hours to come get me. One afternoon Di told me R had been abusing her. In fact, he'd knocked her thru their front door. Did this until she was 8 months pregnant. He stopped the last month so she wouldn't lose the baby. He picked up where he left off after A was born.

To a young girl of 19, I had no idea how to deal with something like this, other than I told her to get out of the marriage, which she did. She was in a world I couldn't begin to relate to. In fact, I'm not sure I'd know much more how to deal with it now.

Joz, I take it you are a young woman and certainly an intelligent and enlightened one. You decision to give the advice to your precious friend to leave her loser husband was indeed correct. Unfortunately there are alot of folks in this world who do things we do not understand. I tend to believe that if we could we would be capable of the behavior. I don't believe the behavior has to be understood to be dealt with. For me, that is for the tree huggers. My advice to your friend would have been to wait until he went to sleep and hit him as hard as she could with a large heavy object.

A man with any real ego or sense of pride would never strike ANYONE except to defend against attack or to protect the weak. I always taught my boys when they were in school to look after smaller kids and never provoke a fight with anybody and used the pitch about how popular that would make them as a tool to acheive that. It worked. I'm proud of the fact that my sons never hurt anyone except when challanged. They are both recovery agents and have been attacked a few times but I also taught them to properly protect themselves to a point where an immediate threat was stopped.

We men are funny creatures. Most of us are driven by our hormones and ego. If we channel that energy properly we can be very loving, protecting leaders of our families but unfortunately the moral decay of our generations has led us elsewhere. Dads not in the home, the divorce rate and other contributing factors have caused role models for men to be scarce in our modern day society. In my opinion, random easy access to violent videos, violence in movies, the absence of parents and so forth slowly affects each generation a little more each increment. This is proven by skeletonized little league fields, the absence of community programs and a simple desire on all of our parts to just not CARE.

I got the impression that you were really affected by the experience your friend endured, that is why I wanted to shoot my two cents worth in. I would also go so far as to say it would be wise to be very patient in dating and so forth. The right folks are out there. There are alot of wonderful people in the world and birds of a feather will eventually get together.

Peace