Thanks to Rod Carveth for his thoughtful response. Rod, I sense that we
probably agree on general points and disagree on specifics, but I appreciate
the care and lucidity with which you've made your points. I'll continue
to think about them.
Alison McKee
Department of Film and Television
UCLA
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> To Alison
>
> In response to your post:
>
> 1) You indicate that "some" of the research on domestic violence indicates
> that men can be victims, too. So as not to leave that statement hanging,
> there is only "some" literature because until recently domestic violence
> was automatically defined as violence against women.
>
> 2) We should always look at the context of research, as well as where the
> research is coming from. But Murray Strauss and Richard Gelles have
> never seemed to have any political agenda that should make us suspicious,
> and Suzanne Steinmetz is a feminist.
>
> 3) Perhaps my statement about personal social reality was overstated.
> On the other hand, your experience has shaped how you see the issue.
> My experience has been different, and influences my perception. What
> is "true" is something that we need to seek, and is not an exercise
> in irresponsibility, as you hinted at in your first post.
>
> 4) Finally, on the discussion of statistics, consider the following:
> over 90% of domestic violence reports come from women. How should
> we treat that "fact?" That men are 9 times as likely as women to
> abuse their partners? That men are AT LEAST 9 times as likely to abuse women
> and that the figure is understated because women are reluctant to report
> abuse? That men rarely report abuse, thus skewing the figures on
> REPORTED incidents of domestic violence?
>
> A couple of other posts suggested that the "truth" about domestic violence
> can be found in the "fact" of how many women popular shelters. Do men
> also populate these shelters? If so, how many? Or, are they discouraged
> from calling, because of either male socialization, or by how they are
> treated if they do call the shelter (that is, would they be believed)?
>
> Anyway, if I inadvertently distorted what you said in your first post,
> I apologize.
>
> Rod Carveth
> University of Bridgeport
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