“What is the Truth About Family Violence?”

We are sending this report to the media, and those persons and organizations who deal with family violence, in the hope that we can correct a serious misunderstanding about this very important issue.
We want to make it clear that we have been working to end family violence for over a decade. One of us is an original incorporator of our local women’s shelter. We were members of the “Century Club”, those who contribute over $100 annually. We have sponsored benefit events for our shelter that attracted national media attention. Since we began publishing scientific studies on family violence the women�s shelter has returned our contributions. Much of the women�s shelter movement is seriously misinformed about the causes and scope of family violence. We were also seriously misinformed. We have learned a lot during the last 10 years.

Read More

Domestic Violence in Australia: ARE WOMEN AND MEN EQUALLY VIOLENT?

Conventional wisdom holds (i) that physical domestic violence is mainly perpetrated by men against women; (ii) that violent men, being physically stronger, inflict more pain and serious injuries than violent women; and (iii) that physical violence runs in families. To examine all three beliefs, we bring to bear nationwide sample survey data. In investigating domestic

Read More

The Family Law Act – 1975 – Divorce Statistics 1971 – 1996

Senator Lionel Murphy introduced his Family Law Bill into the Senate as a replacement for the Matrimonial Causes Act. Senator Murphy introduced the Bill with the words “Mr President, this measure is a most important social reform. It will affect the lives of many.” (Hansard 13.12.73) The Family Law Act was passed in December 1975

Read More

Gender Differences in Patterns of Relationship Violence in Alberta

Men and women, respectively, reported similar one-year prevalence rates of husband-to-wife violence (12.9% and 9.6%) and wife-to-husband violence (12.3% and 12.5%). However, differential gender patterns of reporting were identified. On average, men reported that they and their female partners were equally likely to engage in violent acts and to initiate violent conflicts.

Read More

MRA Comments on ‘Violent Women’ article – Sunday Mail

MRA Comments on the “Violent Women” article, Sunday Mail (Brisbane)28 March 1999 It isinteresting to note the “minimisation techniques used by Ian MacDonald of Relationships Australia (Queensland), Meeta Iyer of the DVRC and “Peter” from the Men’s DV Telephone line. MacDonald, I would venture to suggest, exhibits, by the use of certainwords, a typical attitude,

Read More

VIOLENT FEMMES – Women aren’t the only victims of domestic violence

Even now, long after the relationship ended, I still have trouble uttering that simple, painful acknowledgment: “I was a battered man.” Saying it makes me cringe makes me feel like a coward or a wimp. At first I would switch off whenever I saw a newspaper article or TV report about domestic violence because I

Read More

Females in a fury

A rise in female crime figures is challenging preconceptions of the “gentler” sex.
Anne, a 29-year-old mother of four young children, recently spent nine months in jail or the armed robbery of a Footscray clothes shop.
Equipped with a stolen bolt-action rifle in January 1996, she held up two women, threatening to shoot them unless they opened the till. When they refused, Anne grabbed a handbag from one of the women and ran out of the shop. No shots were fired.
She received a 23-month sentence, but was paroled after nine months and released in July 1997.

Read More

Females in a fury

A rise in female crime figures is challenging preconceptions of the “gentler” sex.
Anne, a 29-year-old mother of four young children, recently spent nine months in jail or the armed robbery of a Footscray clothes shop.
Equipped with a stolen bolt-action rifle in January 1996, she held up two women, threatening to shoot them unless they opened the till. When they refused, Anne grabbed a handbag from one of the women and ran out of the shop. No shots were fired.
She received a 23-month sentence, but was paroled after nine months and released in July 1997.

Read More

Men suffer equally on violence in the home UK – 1999

 Latest research finds DV figures vastly exaggerated and both men and women likely to be victims in equal numbers. Note the comment about women being injured more often. This is not supported to any great extent by research in Australia. For example using statistics for crime related injuries in the home a University of WA

Read More