| |
|
||||||||||||||||
|
|
February
26, 2007
This event is based on the ideology of the White Ribbon Campaign (WRC). The WRC claims it recognizes that most men are not violent. However, the WRC website infers that the silence of men about domestic/dating violence suggests that men in general do condone violence against women.
There are a number of important messages being missed in this male only WRC pledge. Respect does not appear on demand nor will it present itself when only one person/gender gives or receives it. Respect must be earned, respect must be shared, respect is a two way street (ChooseRespect.org).
The message of the WRC is not one of equal respect. The obvious ideological message of the WRC is that boys/men are the violent aggressive perpetrators concerning dating/domestic violence and girls/women are their docile and passive victims. From the White Ribbon Campaign (WRC) website retrieved February 2, 2007 Basic Philosophy: We are concerned about all forms of violence [bold and italics added]. We are deeply concerned about violence against children, which is committed by both women and men (although men commit most acts of sexual violence against children.) We are concerned about the many forms of men's violence against other men, whether it's in a bar, on a playground, or in a sports arena, and whether it's because of someone's skin colour, sexual orientation, culture, or simply because they looked the wrong way. And we are concerned by any acts of violence by women against men, although these are comparatively rare [bold & italics added]. The WRC claims it is concerned "about all forms of violence" and throughout its website the WRC uses the Statistics Canada 2000 Report on Family Violence to document female victimization and male offending. However, the WRC website and programs willfully chooses to ignore the fact that the Statistics Canada 2000 report on Family [italics added] Violence documents that, "The 5-year rate of violence was similar for women (8%) and men (7%). And math is not my strong suit, however, the survey also documents that women are twice as likely as men to report their victimization to the police. It is apparent, see below, that female familial victimization is more injurious and lethal than male. However, male victimization does seem to be a serious issue and it certainly is not rare. Which raises the, as yet unanswered question, how is it possible for the WRC to claim it is concerned about "all forms of violence" and then report that male victimizations are "comparatively rare?" Who is responsible for this misinformation? And, what does the WRC expect to gain by minimizing female offending and marginalizing male victims? Statistics Canada (2000) Report on Family Violence The WRC may contact me at rldavis-at-post.harvard.edu and let me know why I should become involved in their campaign to convince society that our sons are assertive and aggressive male predators who, both as young men and adults, will harbor a dark and sometimes hidden desire beat, batter and sexually assault our passive and docile daughters.
Richard L. Davis served in the United States Marine Corps from 1960 to 1964. He is a retired lieutenant from the Brockton, Massachusetts police department. He has a graduate degree in liberal arts from Harvard University and a second in criminal justice from Anna Maria College. He is a member of the International Honor Society of Historians and the American Society of Criminology. He is a college instructor for Quincy College at Plymouth, MA in Criminology, Criminal Justice and Domestic Violence. He is the vice president for Family Nonviolence, Inc. in Fairhaven, MA. He is also the vice president for the Domestic Abuse Helpline for Men and Women. He is an independent consultant for criminal justice domestic violence policies, procedures, and programs. He is the author of Domestic Violence: Facts and Fallacies by Praeger publishers and has written numerous articles for newspapers, journals, and magazines concerning the issue of domestic violence. He has columns concerning domestic violence at http://www.policeone.com, and http://www.nycop.com, is a distance learner instructor in Introduction to Criminal Justice and Domestic Violence for the Online Police Academy and has a website. He and Kim Eyer have a domestic violence website The Cop and the Survivor. He lives in Plymouth, Massachusetts with his wife and the youngest of five children. He experienced domestic violence professionally for 21 years as a police officer and personally as a child and as an adult. In his retirement he continues to use his education, experience, and training to help the children, women, and men who have had to endure violence from those who profess to love them. He may be reached here. |
Archives Mandatory Arrest and No-Drop Prosecution Primary and Dominant - Aggressor Arrest Policies Liz Claiborne Inc. (Part 1) A Case Study of Deception Liz Claiborne Inc. (Part 2) Power, Control and Emotional Abuse Liz Claiborne Inc. (Part 3) Break The Silence Why the Dating Violence Double Standard? Domestic Violence Awareness Month The “Context and Nature” of Oppression Complete
Archives for Richard L. Davis
| ||||||||||||||
 |
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
