Another feminist Myth busted Does Patriarchy Cause Domestic Violence? Domestic violence programs often make the claim that “domestic violence is all about power and control.” Indeed, it appears that our entire approach to stopping domestic violence programs has been premised on the belief that patriarchal dominance is the fundamental cause of the problem.4 Lenore Walker once explained, “The causes of men’s violence against women include preservation of men’s need for power and status.”5 Likewise two leading practitioners have posited that “men in contrast [to women] appear to use violence to dominate and control.”6 The Power and Control Wheel, which depicts strategies that persons can use to exert influence over another, is an educational tool used widely by domestic violence advocates. FIFTY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE MYTHS 2 But research paints a very different reality: • One study found Mexican men who valued dominance and independence were less likely to resort to partner aggression.7 • One review concludes, “When comparing men’s and women’s use of controlling behaviors, research using nonselected samples has found that there are no differences in their overall use.”8 • Meta-analyses found no consistent link between traditional gender attitudes and partner assault.9,10 • A 32-nation survey documented a link between dominance and physical aggression, but the connection turned out to be stronger for female-initiated than male-initiated aggression.11 mediaradar.org/docs/RADARreport-50-DV-Myths.pdf - Bretto
Posted on: Fri, 01 Nov 2013 14:31:17 +0000