ONDIVORCE GENERAL AND CONTACT MESSAGEBOARD
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Subject: Domestic Abuse...
Posted By obiwan_kenobi_again on 25-11-2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8376943.stm
To be taught in schools...
I thought PM Browns line. 'violence against women and girls was "an obscenity"'.
True... but methinks he forgot 50% of the population are men - and they get 40% of the abuse...
lol... good old Brown...
Follow up comments
Added By Simes 2p on 25-11-2009
http://www.familylore.co.uk/
On the one hand, as the BBC reports: "More than £13m of funding is being provided to help support victims of sexual and domestic violence".
On the other hand, as The Times reports: "Dozens of law firms are having to turn away vulnerable clients, including victims of domestic violence, because they have exhausted this year's legal aid budgets."
Added By obiwan_kenobi_again on 26-11-2009
so there IS a two tier system after all....
nice move by the Gov... they can then blame the lawyers...
Added By Owl1 on 26-11-2009
I think Simes's point is that despite the government initiatives to fund education programmes raising awareness of DV and its root causes victims who qualify often cannot access funding for legal aid to escape their situation as the government has cut back on that front.
If that is the case they create a two tier system whereby non-earning DV victims ( more often women but not always) cannot access the support of the legal system to get out of the intolerable situation they find themselves in. Education programmes don't necessarily help them although it may change long held prevailing mysoginistic attitudes that women deserve the treatment they get.
I don't think the government are seeking to blame lawyers at all. They are just not taking an integrated approach to solving the problem. Sadly thats often the case. All the education programmes in the world won't help you when you are trying to escape a violent bully and you don't have the funds to get a non-mol order to protect you and your children,
Good on them for trying to address the root causes though. At least its one small step in the right direction.
Added By obiwan_kenobi_again on 26-11-2009
shame they missed half of the equation eh?
Added By sometimesitdoesn'twork on 27-11-2009
obi, I think you are missing the point that the launch of the education program and the quotes tie in with the anniversary of Refuge. Refuges were set up by women for women. No one else was going to set up a service. Originally a lot of volunteers raised public awareness of the plight of women (and children) who at the time were mostly dependent on men for housing and couldn't escape abusive relationships. Whilst both men and women may experience incidents of DV, women are more likely to experience repeated and severe forms. See hospital statistics.
There has been a lot of donkey work highlighting the issue and campaigning for funding to support female victims. Rather than highlighting DV against men and campaigning for funding men's groups have mainly chosen to attack the services for women. That is not the way to gain public and government support or funding for male DV victims. Constant criticism does not elicit change.
Recently the main focus for men's groups has been fathers' rights and there has been some success in highlighting the issue of contact breaking down and securing funding. One single father has set up Dad's House (google) to provide accommodation and support for single fathers. So it can be done and it is beyond me why it has taken men so long to do something constructive to set up their own DV services for men.
Added By obiwan_kenobi_again on 28-11-2009
ok- fathers rights are a COMPLETELY sep issue than DV.
ONE hostel out of 65 MILLION people!!! lol... curb my enthusiasm.
I reflect on my own experience with my local police... not good.
so- the fact that the abuse is not as severe excuses the almost total lack of acknowledgement and support for men?
Support should be given ! its an equality matter !
we certainly do have a two tier justice system - and men are at the bottom.
i accept the point about woman creating refuse etc- however we are not talking about the development of hostels - that has grown out of desperation- we are talking about a program of education that has been DESIGNED... very different matter...
I can see the uproar if the gov had introduced a PHSE subject - healthy hearts- and only spoke about how heart illnesses affected men and boys...
Its another example of how men are being treated by this gov...
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