I’m commenting on the above story, any abuse is disgraceful.

All men are pathetic. They are vile creatures unworthy of the name humans.

Does that include you aswell Patrick

No Patrick you, with your innate fear of women, are pathetic. Me, I love women, and have never been treated with anything but love, and/or respect by all the women I have ever known. It is, of course, a two way street.

You do know that was sarcasm people

I believe it’s only a fraction lower Robin don’t know full stats but it does go unreported unfortunately.

But that never happens Robin ;)

I’m more interested in what controls they put in place in this survey?

@Robin, stats are exactly the same. According to the Amen yearly report. So why is the media reports all lopsided.

That’s exactly what I’d like to know too. Women can be very erratic and violent too. Violence in relationships is not all one way. It happens s lot more than many of these data compiling womens groups would care to admit.

@Seamus, thanks for the reference –

http://www.amen.ie/Downloads/Annual_Report_2012.pdf

“A 2005 study by the National Crime Council stated that 26% of the men surveyed had experienced
domestic abuse. It also stated that 13% of men and 13% of women had suffered physical abuse.
One in twenty men who are victim of domestic abuse report the abuse to the Gardai, whereas
one in five women report the abuse.”

For the record, I condemn unreservedly any violence by any person against any other, but I’m wondering why there appears to be a tendency to report only one side of it at at time. It seems fairer to report both together so people can make an honest assessment of the problem as a whole, not just one facet of it.

The Amen report looks at violence towards men in Ireland. This report looks at violence towards women across Europe, where practises such as FGM/Female trafficking are widespread. If you read the article you will see this. On a European and even more so on a global scale violence against women is far larger than violence against men. Hence why the report specifically looks at women and why there is such urgency to adopt the WHO guidelines in the hopes of bettering the lives of women such as those in Egypt/other middle eastern countries who suffer under a extreme partriarchal society. I hope this helps you understand why reports on violence tend to be focused towards women as many women are still struggling to obtain basic human rights. Noone can begrudge that this help is needed and urgently so

A report lately from Europe says there is only a two per cent difference. Guardian newspaper 2010.

The new WHO guidelines are based on violence against women on a worldwide scale which is far larger than violence against men. This report gives the EU perspective, its completely normal when looking at adopting these guidlines to look at what the situation is in Europe hence why the report focuses on women.

It is the same as global guidelines on carbon emissions – they lead to reports being undertaken looking specifically on the levels of carbon emissions in the EU to inform the situation in our own countries in addition to having press reports on what the EU situation is. Funnily enough the main problem seeems to be when an article focuses specifically on women – context for the report is disregarded (ie World WHO guidlines, after International Elimination of Violence against women day). I’ve yet to see someone complain about how reports on carbon emissions should also look at nuclear waste etc.

@CAK
While I agree with your comment no where in the article does it state the gender of the partners is 100% male. Also as you have brought Africa and India into this debate a lot of abuse of females in these countries is carried out by other females so while I agree with the sentiment of your comment you must admit that women are as guilty as men worldwide.

I’m afraid I don’t actually understand what you mean? I certainly have never heard of sexual abuse of females being carried out by other females as being endemic in India and Africa?? I’m afraid I also do not agree that “women are as guilty as men worldwide”. Alot of women living in India/ME/Africa live under strict patriarchail societies where they suffer to much greater extents than men. Hence the need for guidelines focuses specifically at women. There is also no need to mention guilt as alot of this can go back to lack of education/the society and its ideals – this is not the issue at hand.

I deliberately didn’t mention sexual abuse as this article was about physical abuse as well.
Abuse of women in the African and Indian continents is perpetrated by both females and males.
Correct me if I’m wrong but women can carry out sexual assaults on other women and it has been know to happen.
You cannot blame men only for abuses against women as women are as bad as men if that’s the environment they have grown up in.

Again Silver Fern you keep talking about blame. I would think also that if you compared women committing violent physical and sexual acts against other women that you would find these numbers to be neglibile compared to acts of physical and sexual violence of women by men. The WHO guidelines in this case are based on this widespread issue – not on something that you think has been ‘known to happen’. I also don’t know any environment where women have been brought up to commit phyiscal and sexual violence against other women. What is alot more common and what the guidelines address is a patriarchial environment where women are oppressed and men are brought up to believe they can do what they want to them.

Africa and the Middle East are examples of environments where women perform FGM on other women. Mothers bring their daughters to have it done, and bring them back from other countries to have it done because in the environment they currently reside it is unacceptable and illegal.
In Africa and India when new wives come into houses often times it’s the mother in law who is physically and mentally abusive to her a learned behaviour. In the Middle East second and third wives are often abused by the first wife of the man.
There is documented evidence on all of the above and all are carried out by women against women.

John.. What really irks me when the issue of violence against women comes up is that men tend to avoid discussing the fact that it happens by changing the subject….. to…. lets see…women can be bitches!!!

So why are men violent towards women? The women that cook nice dinners, keep a good home are gentle and take good care of their children. Why do men thump the woman that his children depend on and love? What the f is going on in that mans head????

What’s cooking nice dinners and loving children got to do with anything here?

No one is denying some men are violent Sinead what people are asking is why do we never see articles like this on women abusing men or the WHO doing studies on females abusing males??. This is simple inbalance and misandry. Also asking why are men violent to women is such an absurd question. A) You may ask abusive men this! b) why say men instead of some men or a small minority of men?? C) Nice way to sway the argument bringing up children let me ask you the exact same question with the genders reversed and you’ll clearly see my point.

Why are women abusive to men who provide for them, cook for them, are gentle, loving, take care of them put a roof over their head for their whole life’s love them and the womans children. Why do women thump the men who her children depends on and loves? What the f is going on in the womans head????

Same can be said for violent women.

@Sinead. Men can be violent, women can be violent. Men can be passive, women can be passive, some men are psychotic, some women are psychotic, making sense now?
No I never reported any of this action, I walked away but god did she make my life a living hell for at least 2 years afterwards, she told all her friends I abused and bet her up, she stalked, threatened and made life hell and misery for my new girlfriend. I went to a solicitor for advice and all I got told was that the only solution was a barring order, I kept on thinking if I didn’t play her games it would die down, what an awful experience and how once a very nice and caring person can turn so vicious and nasty when a relationship doesn’t go their way! Its not gender exclusive, don’t ever fool yourself into thinking it is!

Stench of feminism all over this article. Fastest growing movement right now, here and in the UK. All about power not equality.

@Seamus. Also not forgetting the point that a lot of men put up with a psychotic partner over fear of loosing access/custody to their children. If a woman walks away shes guaranteed of taking children with her, if a man walks away he might never see his kids again.
I deplore violence of all kinds towards all individuals. Usually you’ll find the perpetrators are bullies, weak, low self esteem COWARDS!

Colin the reason for this is that ON A GLOBAL SCALE women suffer MORE violence both sexually and physically than men. For example, on the continent of Africa, in India and also across the middle east, also in EU and in particular cultures. As the WHO stands for the world health organisation they are concerned with a global perspective and hence designed a report to look at this global issue which affects women in a much greater proportion than men. This is the reality. This is why these guidelines are put in place.

I would agree with your comment regarding statistics in Ireland, for example, however the context for this report focusing on women is being completely ignored by all the male posters here. It is giving an EU perspective on a global issue that disproprotionately affects women. This is common practise with an policy measure being adopted anywhere.

Honestly its wearing how men can’t just look at this and say this is awful, these guidlines are a good idea and will hopefulyl help women instead of immediately thinking that there is an agenda against them.

Colin, John… Why are women violent.. Many reasons.. Hormones frustration, jealousy, manipulation, pure evil, personality disorder but the main reason for violence is because the women are bullies.

If a man cannot get a woman to talk about her behaviour when she is calm then she has serious problems so he needs to kick her out of the house and let her sort herself out on her own. A woman can change but not all women do sadly. Some are just selfish and evil.

I understand the worries battered husbands have about seeing their kids. The only thing i can say about that is that the truth always comes out in the end. And to always depend on the Grace of God.

This report is in light of the WHO guidelines on violence against women. On a global scale women suffer from physical and sexual violence on a much higher scale than men (take for example middle eastern countries). Noone can deny that this is the case and as such requires targeted guidelines (for example there is alot of controversy in Egypt at the minute as the government says it will not accept these guidlines yet sexual abuse has rocketed in the aftermath of the revolution).

This report gives us a perspective on what the situation is in the EU and comes the day after the International Elimination of violence against women day. As I have said in an earlier post it is not unusual that if a policy is being put in place on a global scale (any policy) that reports would be created to examine the situation in the EU, to inform policymakers and the population of where we stand in relation to the global situation. It is not as many men here seem to think a sign of a vendatta against men /that noone cares about men. The context of the report is important in explaining why it focuses on women.

The problem is the more reports are done and statistics and all these articles saying 25%- 50% of men (and nearly all reports specifically target men or victimise women) it will become ingrained in our society that men are violent.
Branding works and in this case its working well.

Also, a savage amount more money and taxes goes into research where women are the ONLY focus

I do not think it is ingrained in people that men are violent at all. If anything rather than this report it is the comment on the journal which viciously attack any female based report without any consideration of the context for that report that is a more worrying view of how young (presumably educated) males view women. Again, I’m very grateful that none of the men in my life would make such horrible comments.

I am not saying it is already ingrained but we must be careful. Priests and paedophilia are closely linked now through constantly being in the media.
Just say priest and it enters your head.

I would be concerned about this happening to all men. Also it shouldnt be reported as ” just men”. It should say which countries/ areas / religions/ ethnic groups etc have these results been tested on and based on instead of tarring all men.

Also what background are the women from that make these statistics.
The statistics are to vague and that is why men are getting defensive on here.

Not that easy to do!

@ sinead. Im glad you got my point. It was not intended as a personal attack.

I never said they didn’t, but to deny that certain cultures have a higher rate of misogynistic violence than others is both ignorant and insulting towards the people who suffer as a result of that violence.

Why do you believe that one cultural group is more violent than the others Al?
It’s more environmental than cultural if you grow up in an environment of abuse your are more likely to abuse.
Males and females in these environments are as abusive as each other. The types of abuse may vary from gender to gender but by and large it’s environmental rather than cultural.

Culture also plays a large part in determining whether or not a young man grows up believing it is okay to hit a woman. Ergo, a man from a culture where wife beating is permissible or even encouraged is more likely to hit women himself, is he not?

I think your missing my point Al the house you grow up in is what ultimately shapes you that is your environment.
So for example two families of the same culture grow up in the same province the great grandfather in one beat up his wife, the other treated his with respect this carries on through the generations; then the daughter from the one where they have respected women throughout and never laid a finger on each other marries a son from the other family, should she expect to be beaten up because they are from the same culture?
Your environment shapes you more than your culture. It happens across Ireland but we don’t condone it.

I don’t deny that that’s the case, I’m merely reiterating that the abuse of women is a lot more prevalent along certain cultures than others, and this stems largely from the attitude towards women prevalent amongst those cultures. You can’t really deny that cultural norms do play a role in determining the prevalence of abuse in a society…which doesn’t preclude the possibility of good people such as your hypothetical example.

I don’t disagree but it’s too easy label the culture your brought up in when your environment is ultimately the deciding factor.
I have seen first hand the effects of someone’s environment over their culture on how they treat women not pleasant at all.
It’s multi facetted, it’s also across both genders and it is simplistic to argue that men are more aggressive than women in domestic violence cases as that is not the case.

Seamus that is not the bottom line at all. This is not a black and white issue.

Although I live in the developed world that does not mean that I don’t care about the treatment of women worldwide. I fully support the development of these WHO guidelines. I do agree with you regarding a lack of articles on domestic violence against men. This could indeed be due to media bias or indeed underreporting by males of this violence meaning that statistics are harder to come by and hence research harder to form.

I am making the point that this article and report deals exclusively with females as it is a report undertaken in light of WHO guidelines that are trying to address the global issue of a lack of womens rights, where sexual and physical abuse disproportinately affect women and hence I do not understand why commentators are attacking it. It is unfair.

As I said I am a big supporter of womens rights, especially in least developed countries but if an article was posted on domestic violence against men I would not use that comments section as a means to give out that the article was about men not women. I have brothers and a boyfriend and violence against men is also important to me. What we do not see in this article is male commentators showing the same respect and interest in what happens to their sisters/mothers/women in their lives rather using the comments section to spout bile on a topic that is not relevant to this current topic.

I also have seen this alot on journal articles and don’t understand why one of the commentators who feel so strongly about it don’t write an opinion piece putting forward their views. This would be a much better use of time rather than hijacking the thread on an important issue like this one.

@Cak, you are leaving out one key point here,the very corner stone of feminism ( particularly radical feminists) is domestic violence. They have jumped on it like a rash to highlight how men are all bastards blah blah. Yet, a previous poster on this topic mentioned Erin Pizzey who opened the very first womans shelter in the UK for the same reason domestic violence and what did she find ??? that a certain percentage of women were more the perpetrators of violence than actually being victim of domestic violence.

Hijacking what is an important piece.?? Ok, here is a fact in Scotland the government gave 100 million to domestic violence against women (which effectively has been hijacked by Feminists) Yet only gave 20,000 to male support groups. ?? yet the stats and studies that have been reported is exactly the same. ????

Finally, when was the last time you read anything on men who suffered domestic violence on any media site in the last year ????.You have not that is why ???

@CAK, (Erin Pizzey) in fact she opened one the first women’s shelters in the world and received in her own words Death Threats from feminists groups because she dared to mention domestic violence against men. Eventually fled England to flee that rabble as they hounded her everywhere she went.

Hopefully now, you will see the hidden agenda behind all these articles.

Seamus.. Yes i agree i have not read anything about domestic violence against men.. If ye did more writing and less brooding there might something to read, what do ta think

@Sinead, LOL your right. maybe men should start playing the victim card like women of a certain ilk have being doing since the birth of feminism.