2009-07-16 12:16 | DHS PDF.
FOUND IT:
Child Welfare Practices For Cases With Domestic Violence
On the one hand, I can entirely understand the assumption of mother being the abused and father being the abuser. Statistically speaking, &c &c. On the other hand, I really don't like that the idea of men being abused or women being abusers is dismissed entirely.
"Domestic violence is more than the physical assault. The controlling tactics perpetrators use are reinforced by societal and cultural stereotypes and institutions that overall give more status and power to men. Cultural norms stress the importance of women staying in the relationship, regardless of the consequences." ("Definitions", page 12.)
The thing is, cultural norms also stress the importance of men not being seen as weak, because women could never possibly be the abusers. ("How could you let a woman do that to you?") So I entirely agree with their paragraph about cultural norms, I just think they don't take it far enough. I don't think that making the document gender-irrelevant, and inserting another paragraph in the Definitions section to explain cultural norms wrt men as abused/women as abusers, would take away from women. I think it would expand the concept of domestic abuse to include many more manifestations, and that can only be good.
I may write a letter.
Tags: what about the men?
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