The Rights Of Man

RADIO FIVE FEATURE ON MALE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS - SUNDAY 24TH (FROM 10PM)

The ManKind Initiative have said today that BBC Radio 5 Live (693/909mw and digital) will be producing a feature on male victims of domestic violence on Sunday 24th February from 10pm.

It will feature at some time on that show so you may have to listen for a while.

ANTI-FREEZE CASE SHOWS ONCE AND FOR ALL THAT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AFFECTS MEN AND WOMEN

The sad court case involving Kate Knight's failed attempt to murder her husband (he is still left blind, deaf and has to bring up his son) with anti-freeze she put in his curry, raises a number of points.

Firstly, the shocking case received the coverage it deserved (link), (link), (link), (link), (link) and elsewhere as well.

Secondly, though extreme, it proved once and for all that domestic abuse is not just a man on women situation. This case should be brought up time and again, whenever groups like the Government, Refuge, Women's Aid et al talk about domestic abuse just affecting women. It is a clear example that domestic abuse is a social problem not a one way gender problem. It was disappointing that commentators did not pick up on this point.

Now we await the sentencing...it must be long...very long...

NSPCC PROPAGANDA INFLUENCES CHILDREN TO THINK MEN ARE SOLE PERPATRATORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

The endemic demonising of men is most characteristically shown by organisations only showing women as victims and men as perpetrators of domestic violence.

It is particularly sad and worrying when this includes charities like the NSPCC and the message is sent out strongly to children. Whilst they try and recognise that men can also be victims, the posters and leaflets are all showing men as perpetrators.

Often organisations do this in an unthinking way, preferring to swallow the constant propaganda from the likes of Women's Aid, Refuge, The Government and others. They fail to check the facts that 33%-40% of domestic violence victims are men and that 1 in every 4 incidents are against men. These are Home Office figures.

These links show the propaganda and the demonisation of fathers by the NSPCC. Only women can be victims in the eyes of the NSPCC.

Whole Woman Leaflet (link) - there is nothing to help fathers suffering from domestic violence;

Feel Safe At Home (link) - aimed at children, only talks about a mother being hurt;

Facing Forward leaflets (apologies for the poor scans) - aimed at corporate supporters.

Download NSPCC1.pdf

  Download NSPCC2.pdf

HOME AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE - DOMESTIC VIOLENCE THIRD HEARING

The next hearing of the Home Affairs Select Committee Inquiry into Domestic Violence is happening on Tuesday 19th February at Portcullis House, Parliament (link). It is likely to be available to watch on-line (link).

IT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

This is the most important hearing so far because it is taking testimony from groups operating in this field.

Concerns have been raised that the only men's group is the MALE ADVICE LINE which is run by Respect, who largely deal with male perpetrators of violence. Charities such as the ManKind Initiative and Mens Aid have not been called to give evidence. Will the plight of the male victim get a hearing?

NEW BOOK - THE WOMAN RACKET BY STEVE MOXON

Steve Moxon, well known male rights activist and also the man who exposed the immigration scandal at the heart of the UK Government, has published a major new work, called The Woman Racket (link). More detail can be found here (link).

The book challenges the myths about the downtrodden woman and exposes how men are the discriminated sex.

At its heart it is a work that applies science to challenge the politically correct view of the elites that woman are the discriminated sex and men are the privileged sex. He argues that it is the other way round.

His view is that men should not apply for victim status as that plays into the hands of the politically correct, and that it should be the victim status of women that should be revoked.

This is highly recommended and is a vital weapon in the fight for male equality. Let the battle commence.

THE PLIGHT OF A MALE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM REVEALED

The Independent on Sunday had a two page feature (link) on the plight of a male domestic violence victim and also revealed that male domestic violence charity The ManKind Initiative (link) is running out of funding. In addition, there was another interview with Erin Pizzey who described the bias against men.

It is refreshing that a national newspaper were prepared to organise a feature on this and maybe, just maybe, the voices of male victims are starting to be heard.

HOME AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE - DOMESTIC VIOLENCE : SOME RECOGNITION OF MALE VICTIMS

Having viewed the first hearing of the Home Affairs Select Committee (link) on Domestic Violence, it is clear that the submissions made by groups about male victims has at least been recognised. Progress for male victims at last.

(02:00) - ACPO admit that male under-reporting is a problem;

(28:00) - CPS asked about the male victims in DV courts. The conclusion was that 11% of victims are men.

The above means there is clear under-reporting because men make up 40% of victims. The authorities need to do more to help men come forward.

ERIN PIZZEY CAMPAIGN TO HIGHLIGHT MALE VICTIMS

In an article for the Independent last week (link) Erin Pizzey outlined a questionnaire that she had created asking female perpetrators of domestic violence against men to speak about their experiences. It is featured at ifemininezone (link), a feminist on-line magazine that is gender neutral (i.e. it does not attack men and actually as a mens section)

Erin is a pioneer when it comes to domestic abuse, having set up the first refuge in the UK in the 1970S. Since then though, she has been an avowed campaigner for male victims and wrote this renowned paper on it (link). She is also a patron of The Mankind Initiative, a charity that helps male victims.

The tide is turning, albeit slowly, where the media are starting to turn the spotlight onto male victims. The interesting angle is that it is women who are having the most success in raising this issue then men.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - WATCH THE FIRST HEARINGS OF HOME AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE ONLINE

As announced last year (link), the Home Affairs Select Committee would be holding an inquiry into domestic violence. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to make clear the dismal support that male domestic violence victims receive.

An number of men's organisations such as The ManKind Initiative, Men's Aid and Dewar Research submitted responses, though have not been asked to give oral evidence yet.

The first hearings start on Tuesday (tomorrow) 22nd January 2008. Appearing are:-

10.15am

Chief Constable Brian Moore, Association of Chief Police Officers lead on domestic violence

Jude Watson, Domestic Violence Implementation Manager - Crown Prosecution Service

11.00am

District Judge Marilyn Mornington, Family Justice Council

Phil Mackin, Intervention and Substance Abuse Unit, National Probation Service

These are open to the public and are normally broadcast on Parliament TV (link). For more information, please see here (link).

FATHERHOOD INSTITUTE LAUNCHED - DADS FRUSTRATED AT SECONDARY ROLE

A welcome new addition to the pantheon of groups supporting men is the Fatherhood Institute (link) which came into being came into being on 7 January 2008, a successor organisation to Fathers Direct. It is part funded through a £300,000 grant from the Government.

To quote from its site its aim is "to promote good practice in public services and industry, in recognition of the aspiration of fathers to be more involved in their children’s lives and in response to the increasing body of research that demonstrates the importance of father-child and mother-father relationships to children."

At its launch, it also produced a report "The Difference A Dad Makes" (link) that will dismay the anti-male feminist fundamentalists who want to relegate men to the outer sphere of society.

"7 out of 10 mums (68%) believe dads are as skilled at parenting as they are, yet the father role is seen as still secondary by much of society, according to new ICM research launched by the Fatherhood Institute today.

The new institute says involving fathers has a major impact on child welfare yet they spend on average a month less with their children than mums every year, mainly because of unsocial hours and inflexible working."

Full press release available at (link) and the launch was covered in The Guardian (link) and Daily Telegraph (link).

The organisation has been campaigning for a fairer Child Support Agency institution and also for the family courts/CAFCASS to be reformed. Two areas that the female fundamentalists have used to undermine the male role in bringing up and supporting their children.

Harriet Harman, one, if not the, biggest enemy of UK men, launched the new organisation probably as a sop to her conscience and to enable her to say "Look, the Labour Government does support men". Do not believe it.

Let us hope the Institute is successful but hope that because it is reliant on Government for its funding, it is not captured by the Government (Classic New Labour tactic of funding groups that oppose it, thereby effectively gaining control of them) and still and must remain an independent voice.