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Christchurch study shows woman equally violent

Filed under: Domestic Violence — JohnPotter @ 11:07 am Wed 8th February 2006

A new publication calls into question the generally held view that casts males as the perpetrators of domestic violence and females as the victims. The study found that in most couples, men and women are about equally violent.

Lead researcher David Fergusson said agencies dealing with domestic violence should not assume men were the perpetrators or that women hit out only in self-defence.

“In fact, women initiate violence more than men.”

He said domestic violence typically involved both parties.

“If one partner was violent, so was the other one. This contrasts quite sharply with the dominant popular view that domestic violence is largely perpetrated by men on women.”

Professor Ferguson told TV3 News [download 5,421 KB wmv video], that our response to domestic violence has been shaped by a small amount of extreme violence.

“In those extreme incidents we find a predominance of males. But when we move away from the extreme to the more commonplace, both men and woman behave badly in the home.”

Darrell Carlin - TV3 News
MENZ activist Darrell Carlin told TV3 News that he is not surprised by the findings:

“There is a big industry out there, a violence industry. It’s all based on men being the bad guys.”

At the end of the interview Prof Ferguson said:

“There should be broader recognition of the wider issue of couple violence, and services there to assist people to deal with couple violence and its implications.”

Ferguson told the NZ Herald that those who dished out the violence were generally victims too.

“It’s mutual conflict, so they are violent households.”

The study may be seen to contradict the view that men are more violent in relationships.

“It is the case that severe assaults, the kind you see in women’s refuges, are probably committed by males, but most of the family violence that goes on involves mutual conflict between couples,” Professor Fergusson said.

“This study should reshape what we think about gender and violence …

“These are black-and-white stereotypes – males are brutes and females are victims – that dominate our thinking. The evidence doesn’t suggest that, but changing that view is going to take a lot of work. Anybody who challenges that view is likely to be criticised.”

3 Comments »

  1. I had to say something.
    As it was ‘no comments yet’.

    Everything that I have seen on DV.
    Says the same thing.
    My conclusion is the same as the professor.

    Sad that this can be stated as a conclusion in 2006.
    But the very behaviour of society.
    The behaviour of government.
    Is more oppression.

    Yet to come from the year 2006.
    Knowing already, males being slaughtered, by suicide.
    Police Safety Orders.
    And indoctrination, in our schools.

    Comment by DJ Ward — Sat 17th April 2021 @ 10:46 am

  2. https://menz.org.nz/2015/canterbury-dv-research-38-of-victims-are-men/

    Hmmm.
    How then is Police Safety Orders 90% against men.
    Once you take out lesbians.
    And old men in wheelchairs.
    All you have is normal relationships.
    At about 99% PSO given to the male.

    So WTF.
    There is another study, I may look for it.
    It said 35% female offender.
    And female arrested in 10% of events.

    So once the violent males are arrested.
    Including the falsely accused.
    What then is left.
    Non violent males.

    What then of the 25% male DV victims, safety, found at the footpath.
    Violence has happened, they must act, as the government demands.
    The police have identified it, as a violent woman.
    Bigotry the police decide.

    Issue the victim, the PSO.
    Protect the offender.
    She is a helpless woman.
    Present then, to the Family Court Judge.

    Yes the judge laments.
    The Police have made there decision.
    The male is the offender, the police assessed.
    Best interest of the child, I must decide.

    The coroner laments.
    We are too busy, data we can’t provide.
    There are so many dead.
    Twice a week, media, just a whisper.

    Another young man dies.
    And more, with older men.
    As the PSO is decided, and judged.
    Forget integrity of justice.

    How many dead men?
    Since 2006.

    Comment by DJ Ward — Sat 17th April 2021 @ 11:13 am

  3. When we were kids at the local fair one of the interesting slideshows was the Punch and Judy puppets along with the dialogue.

    We probably didn’t realise the talent of these artists or the role these activities played in society giving people at look at their household situations and perhaps even discouraging domestic violence as it was then.

    Even though the most obvious violence was Judy hitting punch with her rolling pin.

    Comment by Evan Myers — Sat 17th April 2021 @ 11:56 am

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