REVIEW OF RADIO 4 PLAY AND DOCUMENTARY ON MALE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE

As stated at the weekend, BBC Radio 4 ran two programmes today about male victims of domestic abuse.

The play called Believe Me was extremely moving and showed the slow burn of domestic abuse that many male and female victims face. And it was very clever in the set up so it was not obvious what was to happen but showed the gut wrenching nature not only of the abuse Tyrone suffered but also the scandal of false allegations and the pain that many men suffer because of them.

All too real for so many men.

I have to say congratulations to the playwright and Radio 4 for making the play although there was not much made in the BBC's pre-coverage about the false allegation issue which was absolutely central to this.

If domestic abuse against men is one Britain's last taboos then false allegations by female perpetrators of domestic abuse against men, is the last of the last taboos.

In terms of the documentary, the Last Refuge, threading the case studies through the documentary, especially the one used throughout, added real weight. As did the comments made by the Dyn Project who added real depth and knowledge to the subject. Even though the commentator from Dyn raised the issue of screening, he at least explained why and also raised the fact that there may be a need to screen females as well. I liked the point about reiterating that many men get arrested even though they are the victim - not often you hear that on national radio!

One of the commentators was bizarre though - the guy from the Nottingham Domestic Abuse Forum, who seemed more intent in trying to undermine the case for support and awareness of male victims. His research and assertions involved 14 (yes, 14) people, that his screening tool is well established (has anyone heard of it?) and the way he bizarrely tried to dumb down men by saying the figure is the 2000 Scottish Crime Survey were wrong (based on research of 22 people!!) and that male refuges were never full.

The person from Dyn then contradicted him as obviously did the explanation at the start of the programme from the Montgomery Centre which offers housing support for men.The question is why was he included if the show was about supporing male victims? However, it was perhaps useful in showing the type of misandry that male victims face from many in the domestic abuse establishment.

The show did not really reach any conclusions but having said all of that, it is better it was aired because again it is another example of the issue being raised and placed on the radar.

We are still waiting though for the political elite and its officer class to take the plight of male victims seriously...

Posted by Skimmington

Comments

[Douglas]

Overall, a good, believable presentation. One could nit-pick but it did a good job of putting over the plight of men in domestic violence, as well as highlight some of society's misandrist policies about it.

[Sick of Lies]

Sorry to post totally off-topic but what are your thoughts on Bristol Labour MP Kerry McCarthy's latest excuse on her blog that she wasn't being sexist when she agreed with a journalist that all men in Bristol should be DNA testing in the hunt for the killer of Joanna Yeates?

http://kerrymccarthy.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/the-dna-issue/#comment-839

[Skimmington]

The problem here I think 'Sick of Lies' seems to be one of mis-reporting and usual churnalism from the media (ie someone gets a story, then others copy it, twist it but never factcheck it) as she is saying she didn't say what she was accused of.

If she did say it, as one of Harman's fans she'd be proud of it.

Not that I feel comfortable sticking up from one of Harman's flunkies, mind you.

[Sick of Lies]

What she does seem to admit to is this, though:

“I think the outraged accusations of sexism from some quarters, i.e. why was I only asking for men to be tested, are to be frank, a little silly. I was only asked about men, so responded on that basis.”

It seems to me that a journalist asked her if she thought it would be a good idea for all males within a certain age group - and only males - to be DNA tested by police. Her answer to this question was basically 'yes'. So she was prepared to acquiesce in sexism.

The newspaper's seemed to report that it as if she suggested it, though. However, her revelation here still doesn't absolve her of supporting and actively endorsing sexism against men.

The tabloids' sensationalism would be kind of like (and I know this is an extreme analogy) newspapers in 1940 misreporting that Marshal Petain had invaded and occupied France - when, in fact, it was Marshal Petain who collaborated as head of the puppet Vichy regime with those who invaded and occupied France.

So, basically, whilst not being the prime instigator of the sexism against men herself, she is nevertheless prepared to go along with it to the extent of letting it be known that she fully approves of it.

Now, if Kerry McCarthy had spoken up and said she was in favour of DNA tests if it included women, too then she would not be guilty of supporting sexism. But she didn't; therefore, she is.

[Sick of Lies]

Curiously, she's also keen to point out later in her blog entry that she'd be prepared to give a 'voluntary' DNA sample herself.

No doubt she sees this as the ultimate proof that she is not being sexist against men - but the key word here is 'voluntary'. When it comes to men being DNA tested she agrees that it should be 'compulsory' but when it comes to her, as a woman, being DNA tested she accedes to this only on the condition that it is 'voluntary' (i.e. as a woman she should have the choice of being able to refuse to be DNA tested if she wants to whereas a man should not have the choice).

[John Kimble]

McCarthy comes from a party with a history of keeping innocent men's DNA on file.

She proved her man hating credentials in the prominent role she played opposing equality for vicitms of false rape allegations.

Anyone should refuse to give a DNA sample out of principle until labour's DNA database is purged of all every single last innocent individual.

[Sick of Lies]

Obviously, no disrepect to Joanna or her family as this is a very terrible tragic thing to have happened, but around the same time a 20-year-old man, Nathan Tomlinson, has gone missing too - similarly to Jo last seen after a works party just before Christmas.

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1404878_lost_and_heading_the_wrong_way_home_cctv_reveals_last_known_movements_of_missing_christmas_partygoer_nathan_tomlinson

Police, relatives and loved ones have noted that they are very disappointed with the lack of media publicity given to Nathan's disappearance.

[Glen Poole]

....I thought the play was excellent and the documentary v good too (and 95% positive for those of us who care about male victims)

The play was particularly pleasing for me because I was at a BBC Radio drama meeting in Manchester in 2003 when a up and coming woman writer pitched an idea for a drama on a male victim of domestic abuse. The BBC commissioner chairing the meeting dismissed the idea out of hand. The reason she rejected the idea was because she said ‘it didn’t happen’. I challenged this statement only to be told – “I don’t want to pull rank but I worked in a women’s refuge and I know it doesn’t happen

http://brightonmanplan.wordpress.com/2011/01/10/bbc-makes-a-drama-out-of-male-domestic-violence-victim/

[Glen Poole]

....on the issue of mass DNA testing the issue of sexism for me is more to do not with the focus on men as suspects - much as I find the idea of DNA testing every man in a city utterly distasteful the focus on men at least makes statistical sense

the issue of sexism for me is more to do with the fact that we seem to give far greater concern to female victims than male victims, read more on this here:

http://brightonmanplan.wordpress.com/2011/01/10/every-man-in-bristol-is-a-murder-suspect-says-mp/

[Liz B]

I am a woman and I believe the saying what is good for the goose is good for the gander. I wonder how women would feel if they had to go through the day to day fears every man has to go through. If they truly want "equality" it should be in all venues. It is time we stop hiding our heads in the sand and give men the same rights that women have.