Partriarchy Does Not Cause Violence Against Women (From Domestic Violence: Opposing Viewpoints, P 78-81, 2000, Tamara L. Roleff, ed. -- See NCJ-185753)

• NCJ Number: 185763
• Author(s): Mona Charen
• Date Published: 2000
• Length: 4 pages
• Sale Source: Greenhaven Press
• Publication Format: Book (Hardbound)
• Publication Type: Collected Work
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Opposing Viewpoints Series

Annotation

In this viewpoint, a syndicated columnist reports that the feminist view of domestic violence, in which men are aggressive, violent batterers who abuse women as a means of controlling them, excludes women who batter.

Abstract

Studies have found that women are just as violent as men in abusive relationships, and the feminist response to domestic violence, arresting and mandating treatment for men only and blaming domestic violence on hatred of women, does little to help abusive couples change their behavior. The feminist view of domestic violence is similar to the feminist view of rape, namely that all men are potential batterers and that battery is an expression of patriarchal control. The man is seen by feminists as the problem in all domestic violence situations. About 1.8 million females are victims of severe domestic violence each year, and about 2.1 million men are victims of domestic violence at the hands of both males and females. Both abusive husbands and wives need to learn how to control their behavior and communicate better with each other.