MENZ Issues: news and discussion about New Zealand men, fathers, family law, divorce, courts, protests, gender politics, and male health.

Male and Female Perpetrated Partner Abuse: Testing a Diathesis-Stress Model
by Reena Sommer
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Table of Contents
Chapter 2 Part 1
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Prior to 1970, studies focusing on family violence were virtually nonexistent. The lack of research in this area seemed to imply that violence within the family was “either rare, dysfunctional or a pathology traceable to mental illness or psychopathology” (Gelles, 1979, p.169). Yet, during the past two decades, abuse between intimate partners has become recognized by social scientists as a serious social problem; impacting on all levels of society.

A national U.S. survey on family violence was first conducted in 1975 by Straus, Gelles and Steinmetz (1980). This large scale investigation marked an initial attempt at estimating the prevalence of family violence in American families. In doing so, it has been responsible for raising our awareness about the problem of family violence. Since the publication of its findings, a plethora of literature including empirical and review works in this area has followed, drawing the attention of policy makers, legislators and service providers.

The approach to studying the problems associated with family violence has changed throughout the course of this literature’s development. Early research into family violence assumed that such behaviour could only be the result of a deranged mind. Support for this notion was advanced by society’s belief that the family as an institution, is committed to nonviolence among its members through the maintenance of benevolent and loving relationships. Since that time, sociologically based research has focused on establishing the prevalence, correlates, and social patterns of family violence (Straus et al., 1980). As a result of these studies, we have come to know that abuse within the family is anything but rare.
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A study which found that one third of women are physically or sexually abused by their partners is part of a misleading campaign, a men’s umbrella group representative says.

“The ongoing campaign seems to deny the existence of domestic violence of women against men,” Christchurch Men and Fathers’ Network facilitator, Don Rowlands, said.

University of Canterbury associate sociology professor Greg Newbold said the report should have also addressed violence against male partners.

“It’s not enough to say, yes, he assaulted me. Reports from New Zealand show that women commit low-level assaults more frequently.”

Profile given to domestic violence by the study could be dangerous. “Especially like this when men are not included. It gives rise to uninformed opinions.”

Spokeswoman for the National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges, Janet Lake, did not accept that domestic violence against men was as serious as that for women.

Bryce Hawkins, of support and personal development group MensTrust, said that anecdotally he was aware of a high incidence of women abusing men in Christchurch.

“A lot of this research comes out as if men are the big monsters.”

Auckland University senior lecturer in general practice and primary health care, Dr Felicity Goodyear (sic; should be Goodyear-Smith), said doctors should keep in mind that male patients might be victims of domestic abuse. “It can have a huge psychological effect on male patients.”

Women’s Refuge spokeswoman Cheryl Hann says the study proves what they already suspected.

Ms Hann says it is sad the statistics have been confirmed but it is a good wake-up call.

National News Release 9:01am 26 November 2004

Police have welcomed the findings of Auckland University’s research ‘Violence against women in New Zealand: prevalence and health consequences, says Inspector Rob Veale, Violence Reduction Manager.

“The report concludes violence is a common experience in the lives of women, and women are more at risk of experiencing violence from their partners than from other perpetrators,” he says.

Mr Veale said the report released today highlights concerns not just for police but for all communities in New Zealand.

“The first step in reducing violence in homes begins with a change of mind. Domestic violence survives when there is silence – when people believe that it’s private and personal, that it’s not their business.”

Mr Veale says police have always been on the front line when it comes to dealing with family violence. Police have a pro-arrest approach to family violence whenever they find evidence of an offence. “We are continuing to improve our understanding and response to family violence. Police have a number of initiatives in place, including training and improved methods of gathering evidence and identifying risk indicators, which helps Police assess the safety of people who may have been affected by the violence they may have experienced or witnessed.

“Police are committed to reducing family violence and we need the community alongside us to make it happen,” says Mr Veale.

Ends

One in three women will face violence from their partners in their lifetime, and the experience will cause long-term health problems, a study has found.

The University of Auckland study suggests New Zealand has a higher domestic violence rate than the United States of America or Australia.

A second study, by Auckland University of Technology (AUT) researchers, published yesterday found that 44 per cent of women interviewed at an Auckland emergency ward had suffered partner violence in their lives, and one in five had been victims of partner violence in the past year. The statistics have prompted fresh pleas for early intervention by doctors.

The first study involved 2855 women aged 18 to 64 in Auckland and Waikato. It found 15 per cent of women had suffered physical abuse from someone they are not in a relationship with, while 10 per cent will face sexual violence from a man they are not involved with.

“We teach women to fear walking into dark alleys and (violence) by strangers, but the biggest risk for women is violence from their partners,” said researcher Dr Janet Fanslow.

“These are very worrying statistics. As men we should be ashamed,” said Brian Gardner, national manager of the National Network of Stopping Violence Services.

“As a man in New Zealand I feel sad and ashamed that so many men are beating, abusing and killing their partners. That’s not how to support and care for those close to us.”

Christchurch Women’s Refuge manager Annette Gillespie said … it was important to remember that physical abuse also included things such as pinching, restraining, pulling and flicking. “And these will be surrounded by a whole lot of other abusive tactics.”

Women’s Refuge, thirty years established in New Zealand, is widely assumed to be universally respected, and to be the only such agency offering help, counselling and accommodation to victims of family violence. In N.Z. it holds an annual Appeal Week every June, complete with much innovative, and even at times highly questionable, media coverage and celebrity support.

Yet all is far from being what it seems with Women’s Refuge, and many have had deep concerns about its operation and huge amounts of public funding, and even long before this most recent call to have it greatly boosted.

Read this recent article by Barbara Faithfull: Public Enquiry Overdue: Let’s Start With Women’s Refuge

Intimate Partner Violence within a cohort of Pacific mothers living in New Zealand

Reducing violence by Pacific peoples has been identified by Pacific communities and government agencies as an important issue. However, there is little research into the nature of intimate partner relationships among Pacific families living in New Zealand.

This study reports the 12-month estimated prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) experienced by a cohort of Pacific mothers living in New Zealand. The Conflict Tactics Scale was completed by 1,095 women who had given birth in the past 12 months, and who were married or living with a partner as married.

The 12-month prevalence of “victimization” through verbal aggression was 77%, 21% for “minor” physical violence, and 11% for “severe” physical violence.

The 12-month prevalence of “perpetration” of verbal aggression against a partner was 90%, 35% for “minor” physical violence, and 19% for “severe” violence towards their partner.

The father of Christchurch woman Lisa Hiddleston says a manslaughter verdict handed down to her killer is “right and proper”.

Scott John Blackmore, 30, was last night acquitted of murdering his former partner Hiddleston by a jury in the High Court in Christchurch, and instead found guilty of manslaughter. He will be sentenced on December 17.

Blackmore had been the primary caregiver to the children and Hiddleston the breadwinner. He “lost it” when Hiddleston refused to deal with him over the custody of the children, Blackmore’s lawyer, Jonathan Eaton said.

Hiddleston saw what Blackmore was dealing with and tried to help him:

“When (Lisa) had gone, I was helping Scott with what he had been through. I could see he was being ripped to pieces. He was a brilliant father. He was trying his best for the two girls. He eventually just snapped. That’s how the jury saw it too.”

Hiddleston felt no-one had the right to take a life, but he would make his peace with Blackmore.

“At the end of the day he is still the children’s father. He will never get the children again. His punishment will be the loss of the children,” Hiddleston said.

The Dominion Post November 13, 2004, NEWS Pg. 2

The treatment of schizophrenics at the Te Whetu Tawera unit is a “disaster in the making”, says psychiatrist Ian Goodwin, who runs the acute section of the Mason Clinic in Auckland.

Dr Goodwin said Te Whetu Tawera had adopted the theories of Auckland University psychology senior lecturer John Read that schizophrenia was caused by childhood abuse and not a medical condition. As a result, many schizophrenics admitted to the unit were being denied treatment or discharged early, developing problems that saw them end up with the police or the courts, he said.

Auckland District Health Board mental health services clinical leader Nick Argyle said though Dr Read’s position was “extreme”, schizophrenics needing medication were being given it.

Dr Read, the university’s director of clinical psychology, recently published a book, Models of Madness, that developed his theory that schizophrenia was caused by trauma such as childhood sexual abuse and should not be dealt with by drugs and other medical treatments. His theories have sparked controversy in New Zealand and overseas.

It is understood that Dr Read, who is British, uses an adopted name. Auckland University refused Official Information Act requests from The Dominion Post two years ago to give details of his background, qualifications or the institutes where he obtained his qualifications. It said publicity would put him at risk.

A member of the UK Fathers 4 Justice organisation visited Men’s Centre North Shore last night. Paul Robinson’s mother Sonia told us that she was proud of her son for taking part in a protest which stopped London traffic for hours last February after they climbed onto gantries over arterial roads.

Five fathers are now being charged with criminal conspiracy by causing “banners to be on or over a road in such circumstances that it would have been obvious to a reasonable person that to do so would be dangerous”.

Sonia talked to about 25 local fathers and supporters about the increasing radicalism of the British father’s movement. She said that activists had been working for years lobbying politicians and making submissions “but no-one would listen”.

Since fathers have begun high-profile protests which cause major disruptions the numbers joining the movement have skyrocketted. Fathers 4 Justice has also received some large donations from wealthy supporters. Sonia told us that as well as the well-publicised appearances of superheroes, protests have included supergluing the doors of Family Courts closed and stuffing dead fish into a CAFCAS letterbox slot so that staff could not go to work. She said she thought it a pity that things had got so extreme, but there seemed to be no alternative way to get official attention.

As Sonia demonstrates, it is not just fathers who are behind the UK protests. So many grandmothers and partners of affected men have joined that a new group called Purple Hearts has been formed specifically for female supporters.

NZ Union of Fathers members at the meeting could be seen looking enviously at Fathers 4 Justice’s numerous media cuttings, not to mention their professional brochures and posters. There was no time to look at two videos, including one of Bob Geldorf, so these will be shown at a later date.

Also at the Men’s Centre meeting was a man involved with the newly-formed Fathers 4 Justice in Germany. Michael Hickman has a website set up primarily so his sons can contact him, but it also has extensive resources of use to men dealing with the German family law system.

A video planned for recent Counsel For Child workshops in Wellington and Auckland run by the Family Law section of the New Zealand Law Society has been banned because it is critical of the NZ family Law system.

A former chairman of Men’s Center North Shore was invited to present to the workshops because of his experience as a self represented litigant in Family Court proceedings.

“I was pleased to be asked to present to the Law Society. I welcomed the opportunity to present the concerns of opponents of the Family Court and engage in constructive dialogue with Family Court practitioners to improve the way the Court deals with self represented litigants”, the former chairman says.

“When I was first approached by the society I was asked to talk about my experience of Counsel for Child as a self represented litigant. I explained to organisers I had only represented myself in a High Court appeal which did not involve Counsel for Child.”

“Organisers were delighted with my suggestion that I produce a video presenting my experience of the Family Court system and interview others who had more experience dealing with Counsel for Child as Mackenzie friends for other self represented litigants.”

“Unfortunately, when Law Society gatekeepers saw a draft transcript my invitation was withdrawn and the video effectively banned.”

“I believe criticism of Family Court professionals including Judges caused The Law Society major embarrassment. Furthermore, the inclusion of comment from National M.P. Judith Collins met with a chilly reception from workshop organisers.”

“In light of Judge Boshier’s recent comments about opening up the Family Court to closer scrutiny I was disappointed my video was deemed inappropriate to be shown to Law Society members. I acknowledge my video raises serious questions regarding the behaviour of professionals within the Family Court system but believed an audience of experienced Family Court practitioners could cope with the material.”

“While the material in the video is of a personal nature the issues raised are of public concern.”

Read a transcript of the video: The NZ Family Court: A Father’s Odyssey

Union of Fathers protestors picketed the Auckland workshop.