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Contents
One-day programme
Exercise 1 – Gender vs sex quiz
Exercise 1 – Gender vs sex quiz answers
Exercise 2 – Extent quiz
Exercise 2 – Extent quiz answers
Exercise 3 – Responding to violence
Trainer’s notes
List of hand-outs
Appendix 1 Why are some men violent? Additional notes for trainers 24-25
Appendix 2 Why does VAW happen? Alternative exercise 26-30
Appendix 3 When would you leave? Alternative exercise
Appendix 4 Equality and Diversity. Additional notes for trainer’s
31-32
33-37
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5-6
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10-22
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Understanding Gender, Gender Inequality and Violence Against Women
Programme
10:00am Welcome and Introductions
Practicalities, Aims, Learning Outcomes and Ground Rules
10:15am Gender versus Sex
Gender Stereotypes
Benefits and Disadvantages of Gendered Roles for Men and Women
11:10am Break
11:25am What Do We Mean by Gender Based Violence?
Definitions
Common Factors
Myths
Extent of the Problem
12:30pm Lunch Break
13:15pm Question/comments from morning and plan for afternoon
Responding to Violence Against Women-Focus on domestic abuse
Domestic Abuse-What do we mean
Why Are Some Men Violent?
Understanding Coercive Control
Why Do Some Women Stay?
14:10pm Responding to Violence Against Women-Focus on domestic abuse
How Violence Comes Up In Our Work
The Impact of Violence
Barriers
What Would Help?
15:00pm Break
15:15pm Violence Against Women and Child Protection
15:45pm Information on current initiatives, services and resources
Information on Local Policies etc
Evaluation
16:15pm Finish
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Women’s Support Project
From ‘Into the Lion’s Den by Oxfam
Please circle the answer you think is correct.
2.
1. How many domestic abuse incidents were reported to the police in Scotland in 2009/10? a) 27,681 b) 48,681 c) 51,926
3.
On September 22 nd 2010, how many women contacted Women's Aid in Scotland for the first time? a) 81 b) 123 c) 201
In Scotland a man can be charged with raping his wife even if they are still living together as man and wife. a) True b) False
4.
5.
6.
In Scotland in one year (2009/10) the number of cases of rape reported to the police: a) 884 b) 1,021 c) 1,921
In Scotland in one year (2009/10) the number of persons proceeded against for rape: a) 55 b) 92 c) 160
In Scotland in one year (2009/10) the number of rape convictions was: a) 41 b) 72 c) 103
7. The number of women who suffered some sort of unwelcome sexual attention before the age of 18:
.a) 1 in 2 b) 1 in 4 c) 1 in 12
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8. The number of men who suffered some sort of unwelcome sexual attention before the age of 18: a) 1 in 2 b) 1 in 4 or c) 1 in 12
The number of women who experienced childhood abuse such as rape and forced 9. masturbation a) 1 in 10 b) 1 in 20 c) 1 in 30
10. d) 1 in 40 e) 1 in 50
The number of men who experienced childhood abuse such as rape and forced masturbation: a) 1 in 10 b) 1 in 20 c) 1 in 30 d) 1 in 40 e) 1 in 50 men.
11. A survey on child sexual abuse showed how many prosecutions out of 1,051 incidents? a) 10 b) 100 c) 300
12 What percentage of children have accessed online pornography by age 10? a) 10% b) 20% c) 30%
13. In February 2011 a 20 year old Scottish man admitted sexually abusing children as young as eight. He was found to have groomed how many children on-line? a) 70 b) 170
C) 250
March 2011
granite house, 31 stockwell street, glasgow G1 4RZ tel: (0141) 552 2221 fax: (0141) 552 1876 email: wsproject@btconnect.com www.womenssupportproject.co.uk
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VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN – MYTHS AND FACTS
(ANSWERS)
1. In Scotland in 2009/10 the police responded to 51,926 domestic abuse incidents. (Scottish Government Statistics: Domestic Abuse recorded by the
Police).
2. On 22nd September 2010, 123 women contacted Women’s Aid groups in
Scotland for the first time ( Scottish Women's Aid Stats - website).
3. TRUE. In Scotland a) a man can be charged with raping his wife even if they are still living together as man and wife. In 1989 the principle was finally established that rape in marriage is a crime when the man and woman are living together as well as when separated.
4. In Scotland in one year (2009/10) a) 884 cases of rape were reported to the police. (Scottish Police and Court Statistics).
5. In Scotland in one year (2009/10) the number of persons proceeded against for rape was b) 92
6 In Scotland in one year (2009/10)) there were a) 41 convictions for rape
(Scottish Police and Court Statistics).
7. a) 1 in 2 women will have suffered some sort of unwelcome sexual attention before age 18. ( Exploratory Study of the prevalence of sexual abuse in a sample of 16-21 yr olds , Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit, University of
North London, Department of Applied Sciences, University of North London,
Ladbroke House, 62 - 66 Highbury Grove, London, N5 2AD. 1991).
8. b) 1 in 4 men will have suffered some sort of unwelcome sexual attention before age 18. (As above).
9. Childhood abuse such as rape and forced masturbation is experienced by b) 1 in 20 women
10. e) 1 in 50 men. (As above).
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11. A survey on child sexual abuse showed that out of 1,051 incidents there were a) 10 prosecutions. (As above).
12. 30% of 10 year olds have accessed pornography online. More than 8 out of
10 14 year olds report that they regularly access hardcore pornography via computer, whilst two thirds watched hardcore images via mobiles. Michael
Flood, Psychologies magazine 2010
13. Police have spoken to almost 250 children against whom some form of on-line offence was committed. In February 2010 the man admitted 32 charges, including having sex with three 13-year-old girls and a 14-year-old. (Press reports)
March 2011
granite house, 31 stockwell street, glasgow G1 4RZ tel: (0141) 552 2221 fax: (0141) 552 1876 email: wsproject@btconnect.com www.womenssupportproject.co.uk
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Trainer’s Notes
10:00am Welcome, Introductions and Background
Participants’ introductions - name, job role, experience in work on gender equality or
VAW. Any particular reason why attending today?
Practicalities:
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Breaks-morning and afternoon, lunch is provided
Toilets
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Fire Alarm and Exits
Mobiles
Mixture small and large group discussion
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Evaluation form at the end
Handouts available
Aims of This Training:
 To Explore the causes and effects of violence against women
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To highlight the different forms of violence against women that women, children and young people experience.
To explore how the needs of women, children and young people who experience gender based violence are met.
Learning Outcomes:
Participants will be able to:
(slide2)
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Explain the difference between gender and sex
Understand the benefits and disadvantages of gendered roles for women
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 and men.
Define gender based violence and understand gender inequality as the root cause.
Understand the impact of violence against women and have improved awareness of barriers to accessing help.
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Be aware of links between violence against women and child protection.
Identify helpful services and resources
Ground Rules: (slide3)
The trainer may want to indicate that violence against women is a sensitive subject and that participants are welcome to take a break if they feel they need it – if a separate ‘quiet’ area is available make this known to participants.
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The trainer may also want to comment on whether they are available at breaks or at the end should any participants wish to raise a personal issue or discuss a work situation in detail.
Any Questions?
10:15am Gender versus Sex (slide 4:Exercise 1)
Either ask people to complete the ‘gender versus sex’ quiz, or if time is tight ask someone to volunteer to explain what the difference is between gender and sex.
If people are hesitant, could ask how many people have just realised they don’t really know, or thought they were both the same? This is a common reaction.
Once people have offered suggestions, show slides 5 and 6 .
Ask for examples of a time when gender roles changed markedly in the UK. A good example is during WW1 and 2, when government campaigns urged women to work on the land and in factories, taking over what was until then seen as ‘men’s work’.
Slide 7
Another example is that in the 1930’s, in 26 out of 48 US states, it was against the law to employ married women – motive was to prioritise jobs for men so as to reduce political unrest.
10:25am Gender Stereotypes (slide 8)
Put people into groups of 2 or 3 depending on numbers and space, - since it is a fairly quick exercise it is usually best to ask them to work with people sitting beside them, although try to avoid everyone sitting with their colleague/friends. Ask people to list gender stereotypes for women and men. (5 minutes or so)
Write up responses and/or show slide 9
What are stereotypes based on? (Gender)
What do you notice about lists? (Tend to be opposites, with male list more positive)
Even where the female stereotype refers to an apparently valued characteristic, e.g. caring, the value is not reflected in status or financial terms i.e. care jobs tend to be part time and poorly paid.
Highlight ways in which the gender stereotype can impact on women and men, for example how does society view a mother who regularly goes out to the pub at night,
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as compared to a father who regularly does? When women are being assessed they are often judged by the negative stereotype .
Even if services are not judgemental, individuals may well expect there to be a gender judgement – which creates barriers.
Benefits and Disadvantages of Gendered Roles for Men and Women (Slide 10)
Still in the small groups, ask people to list any benefits and disadvantages arising from gender stereotyping, for women and men as groups . They should end up with
4 lists – 2 for men, 2 for women. Give an example, e.g. men, as a group , earn more
(10 minutes or so).
Ask for examples and then show slide 11 and slide 12
Discussion points:
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Are benefits and disadvantages equal?
Note that there are considerable disadvantages for men as well, but these are not always acknowledged as due to gender.
Have they included being subjected to violence as a disadvantage to women?
If not they may have included things like-women have less freedom movement. Ask what causes this? Highlight experience of violence as one of the most sensitive indicators of gender inequality. In countries where women have a few legal rights, levels of individual and cultural violence will be higher.
Addressing gender should improve life for women and men – even if men as a group have to lose some benefits, whilst women as a group would gain more. (Slide 13)
11:10am Break
11:25am What do we mean by Gender Based Violence? (Slide 14)
Put people in different small groups – 4 or 5 per group, depending on numbers.
(10-15 minutes)
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Ask them to list forms of violence that would fall under the heading of ‘gender based violence’, and discuss whether women and men suffer these forms of violence equally, and whether women and men carry out these forms of violence equally?
Feedback-either write up responses and/or show slide15 and discuss:
 Do women and men suffer these equally?
 Do women and men carry out violence equally?
 GBV definition (slide16)
 Summary of main points (slide 17)
 Common Myths (slide 18) If time allows can ask participants if they can think of any other common myths .
 Common factors across different forms of violence (slide 19) . These arrive from gender inequality, social attitudes and myths about violence against women.
 UN quote (slide 20) this slide reinforces the message that the root cause of violence against women is gender inequality and that violence and the fear of violence limits women’s freedom.
 Equality Act 2010 (slide 21) -The Gender Equality Duty places a responsibility on public bodies to take gendered needs into account when planning and delivering services.
Highlight that a choice is being made to use violence/be abusive.
12:00pm Extent of the Problem (slide 22:Exercise 2)
Ask participants to complete the quiz and then take feedback and discuss as time allows. They can do it individually or in pairs, and you won’t be checking their answers!
Let them know they will get a copy of the answers and references as a handout. Run through the answers – you can ask people to volunteer their responses.
Were there any answers which really surprised them?
Present statistical information:
Domestic abuse stats 09-10 (slide 23)
Rape Crisis Scotland helpline (slide24)
Child sexual abuse prevalence stats (slide 25)
Child sexual abuse stats (slide 26)
Violence/health impact stats (slide 27)
Commercial sexual exploitation stats (slide 28)
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12:30pm Lunch Break
13:15pm Questions, Comments from This Morning?
Make it clear to the group that the focus in the afternoon is moving from the broader
‘gender based violence’ to ‘domestic abuse’ and mostly reflecting the largest problem area of men being violent to women. It should be acknowledged that domestic abuse however may happen in same sex relationships and women may be violent to men, whilst this is less common it is not less serious. It is also helpful to highlight that there are many links between different forms of violence against women. For example: rape and sexual assault is a common feature of domestic abuse; women who have experienced violence and abuse are more vulnerable to sexual exploitation.
What do we mean by Domestic Abuse? (Slide 29)
You can ask participants to volunteer their own definition or just show slide of
Scottish Government definition from the National Domestic Abuse Strategy. Having a common definition sets the scene for the afternoon.
Slide 30 -Domestic abuse (as gender based abuse) can be perpetrated by partners or ex-partners and can include physical abuse (assault and physical attack involving a range of behaviour), sexual abuse (acts which degrade and humiliate women and are perpetrated against their will, including rape) and mental and emotional abuse
(such as threats, verbal abuse, racial abuse, withholding money and other types of controlling behaviours such as isolation from family and friends). Scottish
Government National Strategy on Domestic Abuse.
Why Are Some Men Violent? (Slide 31)
Have written on a flip chart:
Social
Conditioning
Why
are
some
men
violent
to
women?
Power
and
Control
Learned
Behaviour
Encourage the group to call out both the reasons they believe and ones that are commonly held by other people.
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Write up each reason under the appropriate heading and encourage discussion if there is any disagreement or lack of understanding.
Once examples are listed, trainers should process them starting with male excusing and women blaming examples. These should be challenged as they play no part in explaining male violence towards women. The social conditioning and learned behaviour examples should then be discussed using training notes and summary information.
This is an opportunity for participants to put domestic abuse into a social/institutional context but without denying individual men’s responsibility. See APPENDIX 1 for additional trainers notes. An alternative exercise, which instead looks at common causes /excuses for violence is given at APPENDIX 2
Points likely to be raised under each category include:
Social Conditioning
(things usually experienced by all men)
Media pressure
Macho expectations
Society endorses male violence
Institutional and school hierarchies
Misogyny
Aggression in sport
Learned Behaviour
(things that some individual men experienced)
Witnessing violence as a boy
Psychological development
Conditioning within the family
Boys rewarded for aggression
Condemned for softness
“Cycles of violence”
Choice
Male Excusing
(independent individual circumstances)
Alcohol or drug dependency
Stress, poverty, oppression, and unemployment
Can’t control himself
Anger management
Mental illness
It’s just family arguments
Testosterone
Power and Control
Because he can
Privacy of home
Patriarchy
Oppression of women
Society endorses
Responsibility
Communities Collude
Lack of sanctions
Ineffective laws (or ineffective use of law)
Benefits him
Gains control over women
Women Blaming
(things that place responsibility for violence with women)
She likes it
She’s attracted to violent men
She deserves it/asks for it
She doesn’t do as she is told
She gives as good as she gets
She is a natural victim
She enjoys the ‘moral high ground’
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Tell the group:
In looking at responses to the question, “why are some men violent to women?” Male violence is often excused by suggesting that the violence is not within a man’s control (e.g. drink or drugs). It is important to recognise the elements of choice and responsibility that always exist and which counter the suggested inevitability of male violence towards women.
Add the words “choice” and “responsibility” to the sheet beside power and control.
Some aspects of social conditioning and learned behaviour need to be acknowledged as contributing to a context within which men’s power and control over women and children are largely accepted and in many ways promoted. It is clear that in domestic abuse the violence is functional and men make personal choices to use violence.
Violence is always the responsibility of the person choosing to be violent.
Present the following information. If time is tight, or depending on your audience, you may wish to skip over slides 30 and 31 and instead use only the ‘features’ of domestic abuse.
Intimate Partner Violence (slide 32)
 Situational couple violence (fighting).
 Intimate terrorism (what we call domestic abuse).
 Violent resistance (when the person who is usually the victim fights back or lashes out. This includes victims of domestic abuse who have murdered the abusive partner).
Reframing Domestic Abuse (slide 33)
 Not primarily a crime of violence but a liberty crime.
 Results in a lack of space for action (for example why do some victims not flee when they have the opportunity?).
 Violence is one tool that is used (the least perfect) along with threats, degradation, micro-management etc.
 Functional violence (in other words the abuser achieves something through the violence-this could be control, financial gain etc).
 ‘Coercive Control’ (Stark) or ‘Intimate Terrorism’ (Johnson). The focus is on the overall effect rather than on the ‘incidents’.
 Crosses social space-affects victims in all walks of life, e.g. education, work, leisure.
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Features of Domestic Abuse (slide 34)
 Deliberate
 Often planned
 One sided
 Repetitive
 Often escalating
 Causes Fear
 Controls behaviour
“He isn’t abusive because he is angry; he is angry because he is abusive” Slide 35
A message to abusive men:
Your problem is not that you lose control of yourself it’s that you take control of your partner. In order to change, you don’t need to gain control over yourself, you need to let go of control of her.
From Lundy Bancroft’s book, ‘Why does he do that?’
(Berkley Books, 2002) Slides – Lundy
Why Do Women Stay? (Slide 36)
It is fairly easy for people to imagine barriers for women leaving, e.g. lack of money, no alternative housing, fear, loyalty, hope, religion etc however it is still difficult to understand and accept when you know that a woman is at risk. This ‘losses and gains’ exercise helps us to understand.
Use a flip chart with 2 headings ‘losses’ and ‘gains’
Ask the group to imagine that they have been supporting a woman who is living with an abusive partner. She has decided to leave.
What will she lose? – List responses.
What will she gain? – List responses.
The learning point from this is that losses tend to be immediate and almost guaranteed, whereas gains may not be immediate and are not guaranteed. An obvious example of this is that the victim leaving may not bring an end to the violence – on the contrary reported violence shows that the point of leaving or shortly afterwards is the most dangerous period for a woman. She can’t make the violence stop because she isn’t causing it!
Often someone in the group will point out that gains are not guaranteed whilst you are still taking responses, in which case you can stop and summarise. Otherwise
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continue to take responses and then ask the group to look at the two lists and say what is different about them.
Examples of losses and gains slide 37
Because he won’t let her go slide 38
See APPENDIX 3 for scenarios to prompt further discussion if time allows.
14:15pm Responding to Violence Against Women-Focus on Domestic Abuse
(Slide 39:Exercise 3)
Remind participants of the gender based violence definition and range of violence from the earlier discussion. The rest of the programme will focus on violence against women, in recognition of the fact that this is by far the most common form of gender based violence. Be clear as to what you want participants to discuss. The suggested prompt questions refer to domestic abuse. You could however broaden out the discussion to other areas of violence against women, for example to include responding to survivors of sexual violence or childhood sexual abuse. You could amend the questions, or add questions, to reflect current or local issues.
Put people into small groups. Try to achieve as much of an inter-agency mix as possible in each group. Give them the prompt questions and ask them to discuss and take a note for feeding back to the large group. Allow up to 30 minutes for small group discussion.
1) How does domestic abuse come up in your work? Slide 40
2) Can you identify common issues for women experiencing domestic abuse?
3) What barriers might women face in accessing the help and support they need? Think in particular about women who have additional needs or complex problems, including addictions, mental health issues, language barriers and disability.
4) Identify an organisational change and a personal action that would help to remove barriers.
(People may prefer if the personal actions remain anonymous so make it clear whether they need to tell you what they have chosen for their action)
Present the following information. It may be that all the points have been covered in the feedback discussion, in which case you can just give a brief summary.
Common effects, Slide 41 and 42
Organisational barriers to accessing services – Slide 43
Improving access to services – Slide 44
Highlight that women are not one homogeneous group. The attitudes of individual workers, and organisational approaches, can create barriers to women finding the
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help they need. We all have a responsibility to consider equality and diversity issues. See APPENDIX 4 for additional notes on this.
It is important to believe women and offer a consistent service to all women, although this does not mean that all women who experience violence will need the same service or services. Abuse of any woman is not acceptable, nor is blaming a woman for the violence she has experienced.
15:00pm Break
15:15pm Violence Against Women and Child Protection (Slide 45)
Children and young people can be affected by violence against women, obviously especially against their mother. One of the most common concerns is about children who have lived, or are living, with domestic abuse, but children may also be affected by their mother or sister experiencing stalking, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation / prostitution etc. The focus again is on domestic abuse but this can be adapted.
Depending on the size of the group and information shared prior to this point the trainer could ask the group to consider:
 Can a man be a good father if he abuses the children’s mother?
 In what ways might a woman’s ability to parent be affected by domestic abuse?
 In what ways might children and young people be affected by domestic abuse?
This can be discussed in small groups, or in the large group, depending on numbers.
Another option is to prepare 4 notices: AGREE, STRONGLY AGREE, DISAGREE,
STRONGLY DISAGREE. Stick these in the four corners of the room. Then read out statements and ask participants to move to the corner of their choice. Encourage participants to choose a corner, with the proviso that they can change their mind during the discussion.
Once in the corners give people a few minutes to discuss why they have chosen that corner. Then ask each group to explain to the room at large. It may be that they all, or nearly all, choose the same corner. The trainer could then play ‘devil’s advocate’ and choose an opposite view.
Sample statements:
 A man can still be a good father even if he abuses the children’s mother.
 Children are always adversely affected by domestic abuse.
 An abusive father probably won’t be a risk to the children after separation.
 If there is domestic abuse it is an automatic child protection issue.
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This is a helpful exercise for encouraging debate. Remember that there is not a right answer as such – people will interpret the questions differently and their views might be very similar even if they choose opposite corners.
2 or 3 statements are enough, depending on the amount of discussion each generates.
Present information:
Children and young people are affected in one way or another by living in a household where their mother is being abused by a partner or ex-partner who could also be the child’s father, or stepfather. The nature of the abuse and its impact will vary from child to child, even within the one family.
When services are considering the impact on children and assessing child protection concerns it is at this point that women will be judged on his behaviour. She is also likely to be judged by the negative gender stereotypes. It is important therefore to have an understanding of how the domestic abuse has affected her and consider what is needed to enable her to support the children. It should be stressed that suffering domestic abuse does not automatically make women bad mothers.
Interconnectedness Slide 46 - some connections between the domestic abuse and women and their children. It can help explain how they respond and react to each other and certain circumstances.
Evan Stark quote Slide 47
Women protection is child protection Slide 48
Young people’s experiences of domestic abuse Slide 49
Young people’s experiences of domestic abuse (2) Slide 50
NCH study Slide 51
NCH study Slide 52
Possible effects Slide 53.
Remember to stress that not all children will suffer these effects and that these could also be related to something other than domestic abuse.
Impact on Children and Young People. South Ayrshire study by Sandra Paton
(Slide 54)
NB When the Head Teacher invited Women’s Aid in to the school to speak about domestic abuse he was aware of only three families affected by domestic abuse.
South Ayrshire questions (Slide 55) Questions which the children were asked.
The responses were divided into ‘experiencing’, i.e. those who had experience of living with domestic abuse, and ‘non-experiencing’
South Ayrshire responses from ‘non-experiencing’ pupils (Slide 56)
South Ayrshire responses from ‘experiencing’ pupils. Note responses are more detailed, and personalised (Slide 57)
‘From Periphery to Centre’ (Slide 58)
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Highlights the importance of putting domestic abuse at the centre of practice, rather than ‘treating the symptoms’. Promotes good practice in asking about domestic abuse, bringing it to the centre of intervention to understand the reactions between parents and children.
Marianne Hester quotes (Slide 59) . Again highlights interconnectedness of domestic abuse and child protection.
Living with domestic abuse does not automatically mean that child protection procedures have to be invoked but the impact and risk to children will have to be assessed.
If time allows you can use Listen Louder (Scottish Women’s Aid) or show clips from
Changing Lives (Scottish Women’s Aid) or from the Hot Chocolate DVD (Glasgow
Women’s Aid) all of which provide information on the impact on children and young people and are available from Women’s Aid or on loan from Women’s Support
Project.
Additional Materials
NB Trainer will have to adjust timing to accommodate these extra materials. The information could also be given in a handout.
Violence and Abuse in Teenage Relationships
Young people may be subject to violence and abuse in their own relationships. As with adults the largest problem is that of young men being violent to female partners, but this does not mean that violence against boys and young men is any less serious.
Partner exploitation and violence in teenage intimate relationships, 2009 study of
1353 young people slide 60
Findings slide 61 – Note that an older partner seems to increase risk for girls
Findings slide 62
Findings slide 63
Physical violence findings slide 64
Emotional violence findings slide 65
Sexual violence findings slide 66 . The research paper notes that one class of boys all reported having suffered sexual violence, that there was some evidence of collusion amongst the boys over this.
Impact of Sexualisation on Children and Young People
The issue of sexualisation often comes up during this training – often during earlier discussions on gender, and also in relation to sexual abuse and exploitation of young people, therefore these slides may be of use. Many parents are very concerned about the sexual behaviour of their children, especially in relation to social networking sites and exchanging images of themselves with girlfriends/boyfriends.
What is sexualisation? Quote from recent Home Office Review (slide 67)
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Streetwise porn survey (slide 68) Streetwise is a Newcastle based project that works with young people.
Streetwise survey findings (slide 69)
15:45pm Information on Services and Current Initiatives (Slide 67)
National context (slide 71) NB The VAW training strategy and Domestic Abuse
Delivery Plan came to an end in March 2011. The VAW fund has been continued for a further year, up to March 2012.
Health CEL details (slide 72)
Local context (slide 73) Update this slide as appropriate.
National Support, for women and men (slide 74)
Note that the Domestic Abuse Helpline and the Rape Crisis Helpline are both open to women and men. Plus there is the men only advice line for domestic abuse.
Local Women’s Aid (slide 75)
Local Sexual Violence Support (slide 76)
Police, VIA etc (slide 77)
ACHA contact numbers (slide 78)
Family Centres/Children’s Organisation’s (slide 79) Amend to reflect local provision
Websites (Slide 80)
Your contact details (as appropriate) (slide 81)
Final Questions
Evaluation
16:15pm Finish
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List of Handouts
1. Definition
2. Women’s experiences of domestic abuse
3. Why do women stay?
4. Supporting women
5. Violence against women services
6. Gender vs Sex-answers
7. Extent quiz-answers
8. Gender equality duty
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APPENDIX 1
Why are some men violent?
Suggested Responses to Learned Behaviour
Not all men behave violently. Research into whether men who have witnessed/experienced violence as children will become violent themselves shows that there is no predictive value of this for individual children.
1 Some men use violence where none was used in their childhood; most women who witness/experience violence as girls do not then use it as adult women. Statistics and research show that it is mostly girls who experience abuse, yet they do not generally abuse as adults themselves. In fact, the majority of men who perpetrate
Violence Against Women come from a non-violent background.
Men have moral integrity, sense of responsibility and intellectual capacity as adults to work out what is acceptable and what the consequences of their behaviour are.
Suggested Reponses to Excuses
Whatever excuse is given, violence is always unacceptable. In relation to men being unable to control their anger/violence, note how the abuse is directed specifically at women, not his friends or boss, etc.
When alcohol or drugs are mentioned as an excuse it is useful to note that that there are many men who use alcohol or drugs and are not abusive to women – there are also many who are abusive and do not use substances. Some will abuse when under the influence and when sober. It is true that using alcohol or drugs can increase the severity of the abuse, however, when men have used programmes or treatment to reduce their dependency on substances the severity of their physical abuse may reduce, but the severity of the emotional and sexual abuse does not – there is no difference to the frequency of the abuse either.
2
Suggested Responses to Women Blaming Approaches
Women want relationships, not violence.
Violent men cannot be spotted. Men who perpetrate Violence Against Women come from all walks of life and do not have a particular background relating to class, ethnicity, religion, etc.
Domestic abuse commonly begins when an emotional/financial commitment has been made or when women’s vulnerability is increased (e.g. pregnancy).
Some forms of Violence Against Women are more likely when a woman has experienced a form already, e.g. women involved in prostitution commonly have experienced childhood sexual abuse and/or domestic abuse and women who prostitute are at increased risk of rape, sexual assault and murder.
3
Tell the group
1
Weaver (2006) “Gender Based Violence, Children & Young People” , for Glasgow Violence Against
Women Partnership
2
3
Jacobs (1998) “The links between substance misuse and domestic violence” for Alcohol Concern
Greenan (2004) Violence Against Women - A Literature Review , Scottish Executive
24

In looking at responses to the question, “why are some men violent to women?” male violence is often excused by suggesting that the violence is not within a man’s control (e.g. drink or drugs). It is important to recognise the elements of choice and responsibility that always exist and which counter the suggested inevitability of male violence towards women.
Add the words “choice” and “responsibility” to the sheet beside power and control.
Tell the group
Male excusing and women blaming approaches play no part in explaining male violence to women, but are often used as excuses.
Some aspects of social conditioning and learned behaviour need to be acknowledged as contributing to a context within which men’s power and control over women and children are largely accepted and in many ways promoted. It is clear that in domestic abuse the violence is functional and men make personal choices to use violent.
Violence is always the responsibility of the person choosing to be violent.
Attempts to uncover or explain what has led up to or caused a man’s violence do not acknowledge his responsibility for his actions. Men who perpetrated violence against women do so to achieve certain outcomes. They are able to control and dominate the woman, control the rules of the household (in the context of domestic abuse, prostitution and trafficking), and punish women for asserting themselves.
It is clear that the violence is functional and men make personal choices to be violent. The violence occurs in a context where communities can collude and structures in society promote notions of male dominance and authority. There are few sanctions to male violence and inadequate support and protection to
1 
Greenan
(2004)
 Violence
Against
Women
‐
A
Literature
Review ,
Scottish
Executive
Women’s Support Project 2010 www.womenssupportproject.co.uk
25

APPENDIX 2
Why does Violence Against Women happen?
Learning Outcomes
•
To understand that Violence Against Women is a product of gender inequality
• To understand that most often, men perpetrate the violence and women experience it
Materials
Violence Against Women causes and excuses
Timing
25 minutes
The Exercise
Emphasise at the beginning that the exercise is about attitudes and opinions rather than about right and wrong answers.
Put the participants into three or four groups and distribute the laminated statements between them. The statements highlight commonly given reasons why Violence Against Women happens. Ask them to discuss whether they agree or disagree with the statements and why they have come to this conclusion.
The statements on the cards are:
•
Some men do it because they can get away with it
• Men have power over women
• Because these men saw their father abusing their mother
•
Men who do it are mentally ill
•
Some women enjoy violence
• Unemployment
• Women deserve it or provoke it
•
Men who are violent to their partners do it because they flirt with other men
• Women nag
• Some men think they have the right to do it
•
Men are bigger and stronger
• Alcohol
• They see women as possessions and treat them as such
•
Jealousy
•
Stress
• Men lose their temper
You may need to break for lunch at this point and return to the feedback afterwards.
Hold a feedback session drawing out any main points. In particular draw out which of the responses may be excuses rather than causes.
In their groups again, get them to agree out of all the statements what they think is the main reason why Violence Against Women happens. Take the feedback from each group being clear about the reasons the Argyll and Bute community Planning Partnership accepts for
26

Violence Against Women happening (or continuing to happen) and readdress (if necessary) the reasons we would not be accepting or may only have a small part to play for a minority of perpetrators.
Trainer Notes
Suggested Responses to VAW excuses
Because these men saw their father abusing their mother
Research into whether men who have witnessed/experienced violence as children will become violent themselves shows that there is no predictive value of this for individual children.
4 Some men use violence where none was used in their childhood; most women who witness/experience violence as girls do not then use it as adult women. Statistics and research show that it is mostly girls who experience abuse, yet they do not generally abuse as adults themselves. In fact, the majority of men who perpetrate Violence Against Women come from a non-violent background.
Men have moral integrity, sense of responsibility and intellectual capacity as adults to work out what is acceptable and what the consequences of their behaviour is.
Men who do it are mentally ill
Men who abuse women are no more likely to suffer mental illness than the general population. Some abusive behaviour, for example obsessive jealousy, may seem like mental illness at first but there are usually signs that the man is in control, is aware of what he is doing, and knows that his behaviour is wrong. For example he will modify his behaviour in front of other people.
For a lot of people, it is easier to believe that an abuser is mentally ill than it is to accept that they know exactly what they are doing when they assault, or rape or torture someone. Most people who abuse are only violent certain groups of people or individuals, e.g. their partner
(in the case of domestic abuse) or children (in the case of incest/perpetrators of child sexual abuse). Most abusers are able to function normally in society, in the workplace, in all their other contacts with people.
Some women enjoy violence
There is no evidence that women want or enjoy violence. Failure to understand the nature of
Violence Against Women and the difficulties for women in escaping violence can lead to the assumption that the women wants or likes the violence. Individualising situations of Violence
Against Women is a useful way for society to avoid taking responsibility for men’s violence towards women. The responsibility is put on the women “It wouldn’t happen if she left him”, rather than on the man “He has no right to be violent”. This is significantly different to other crimes of violence: imagine a situation where a woman is mugged on the way to the shops, and people saying “Well, it wouldn’t have happened if she had stayed at home”. Or if a man is attacked at a football match and people saying “He wouldn’t have been attacked if he hadn’t gone to the football. And he should know that people often get attacked at football matches. He must have wanted it to happen”.
4
Weaver (2006) “Gender Based Violence, Children & Young People” , for Glasgow Violence Against
Women Partnership
27

Unemployment & Stress
Unemployment and stress are seen by some people as a cause of domestic abuse. Again, research and information from support organisations such as Women’s Aid shows that gender based violence happens across all classes. We know from this that men who are unemployed are no more likely to assault their partners than men who are in work. Men of all social backgrounds are abusive to their partners, including doctors, policemen, lawyers, and teachers. Many men who are abusive at home are very different in public, and may have a lot of status in the community. This can make it even more difficult for women to be believed.
Women deserve it or provoke it
Women want relationships, not violence. Violent men cannot be spotted. Men who perpetrate Violence Against Women come from all walks of life and do not have a particular background relating to class, ethnicity, religion, etc
Women nag
When we say that ‘women’ nag’ we are shifting the blame for the violence and abuse on to them. We are suggesting that it is acceptable for a man to be abusive because of a woman’s behaviour, and, therefore, vindicating his behaviour. This is unacceptable as we must take responsibility for our own actions. A woman’s behaviour is irrelevant as men who are perpetrators of abuse choose to behave in this way.
Men are bigger and stronger
This may be used as an excuse for why VAW happens, but it can also be part of a reason. In terms of it being used as an excuse, it is important to remember that there are many ways in which some men abuse women and physical size of either is no indicator of whether abuse is taking place or not.
Alcohol
When alcohol or drugs are mentioned as an excuse it is useful to note that that there are many men who use alcohol or drugs and are not abusive to women – there are also many who are abusive and do not use substances. Some will abuse when under the influence and when sober. It is true that using alcohol or drugs can increase the severity of the abuse, however, when men have used programmes or treatment to reduce their dependency on substances the severity of their physical abuse may reduce, but the severity of the emotional and sexual abuse does not – there is no difference to the frequency of the abuse either.
5 Think also about the fact that the man only abuses the woman he is in a relationship with – he has managed not to assault his friends or the bar staff.
Men who are violent to their partners do it because they flirt with other men & Jealousy
Men who perpetrate Violence Against Women may try to justify their actions by saying that they were jealous. This excuse can shift the focus away from his behaviour on to the behaviour of the woman. We must remember that we are all responsible for our own behaviour and our actions and that those who abuse women chose to do so and will use a variety of excuses for their behaviour and to try and shift the blame on to their victim(s).
Men lose their temper
5
Jacobs (1998) “The links between substance misuse and domestic violence” for Alcohol Concern
28

Whatever excuse is given, violence is always unacceptable. In relation to men being unable to control their anger/violence, note how the abuse is directed specifically at women, not his friends or boss, etc.
Suggested Responses to VAW reasons
Some men do it because they can get away with it
Although Violence Against Women is publicly detested in Scotland it still happens at astounding rates and prosecutions are very low. For example, in Scotland only just over 3% of rape cases conclude with a prosecution against the accused. Two women are also murdered every week in the UK by their male partner or ex-partner and this statistic has not changed over the last few years. Men’s violence against women (domestic and sexual, and in diverse arenas, including community, education and workplace) is still reinforced in many contexts and media representations, despite significant social and legal changes, e.g. music videos and song lyrics, adverts and computer games.
Men have power over women, see women as possessions and treat them as such
Historically, traditions in Scotland justified and legalised the rights of men to control and chastise their intimate partner and children. Examples of this include the right to beat a wife with a stick (as long as it wasn’t thicker than the thumb) in the 1700s and the fact that rape within marriage was only made a crime in Scotland in 1989. Women were exclusive possessions of their fathers until they married when they became their husband’s property.
The first law of marriage was proclaimed by the Roman, Romulus, in 753BC. This stated that married women were to ‘conform themselves entirely to the temper of their husbands, and the husbands to rule their wives as necessary and inseparable possessions’.
Some men think they have the right to do it
It was a gendered analysis of Violence Against Women by grassroots feminist movements which first named and identified domestic abuse as a major social problem. Without that critical perspective, centuries of men’s violence and abuse against women and children had been hidden or normalised as acceptable in the context of family relationships.
Individual misogyny, and general hostility to women, have been implicated (Holzworth-
Munro et al 2000), while men with traditionalist views about sharply differentiated gender roles and status may also be more likely to perpetrate domestic abuse (Sugarman and Frankel
1996). Even where such views are not overtly present, their continued widespread dissemination, despite ‘official’ commitments to gender equality, provide a reinforcing context for traditional male expectations and demands in heterosexual relationships
Men are bigger and stronger
There is often a physical difference in size and strength which generally makes men’s use of violence more effective as a means of control of women and children. However, it is not the only reason for the gendered nature of Violence Against Women. Other reasons include:
•
Strong gender socialisation (in childhood play, certain sports, ideals of strength and courage, peer groups, gangs, media role models, military) has associated the use of physical force and violence with masculinity. Indeed, in a variety of contexts men are actively socialised to enjoy inflicting violence. This makes the threat of physical violence more likely and more credible from men.
29

•
The complex but deep-rooted connection between sexual pleasure, coercion and male violence (associated with notions of mastery and entitlement) makes intimate sexual relations a fruitful arena for abuse.
Tell the group
Attempts to uncover or explain what has led up to or caused a man’s violence do not acknowledge his responsibility for his actions. Men who perpetrate violence against women do so to achieve certain outcomes. They are able to control and dominate the woman, control the rules of the household (in the context of domestic abuse, prostitution and trafficking), and punish women for asserting themselves. It is clear that the violence is functional and some men make personal choices to be violent.
Whist responsibility for the violence always lies with individual men there are a number of belief systems which exist in our society today that perpetuate gender based violence and make it difficult for women and children to get help. These include:
• blaming the victim for the violence
• putting the ‘family' before the safety of women and children
• tolerating the use of violence
• privileging men over women and children’s needs
• treating certain forms of Violence Against Women as a private matter, e.g. domestic abuse, child sexual abuse, so called ‘honour’ crimes
In looking at responses to the question “why are some men violent to women?” male violence is often excused by suggesting that the violence is not within a man’s control (e.g. drink or
drugs). It is important to recognise the elements of choice and responsibility that always exist and which counter the suggested inevitability of male violence towards women.
Adapted from
Action Against Abuse, Glasgow City Council (2006)
30

APPENDIX 3
When would you leave?
In the beginning…
You are an 18 year old woman and have fallen in love with a young man of 19. He is charismatic, fun and attentive. All you have ever dreamed of. He is so keen on you that he wants to spend every minute he can with you. You are so happy that you have found someone who obviously cares so much for you. Oh, it’s great to be loved.
Should you be concerned about your boyfriend’s behaviour?
Would you end the relationship now?
A year on…
You are engaged. The ceremony is all planned and you are having a ‘hen night’. During the evening, your fiancé turns up. You don’t immediately notice him, but, as you are talking to a couple of male friends, you see someone approaching. You are pleased to see him (he really loves you – can’t even stay away for one night). He doesn’t look too pleased though and says you shouldn’t be talking to other men – might give them the wrong idea. He’s a bit distant with you for the next couple of days but is fine by the time of the wedding. You have a great day.
Should you be concerned about your fiancé’s behaviour?
Would you have called off the wedding?
Another year on…
You are pregnant with your first child. You are so pleased to be pregnant and so is your husband. One thing is spoiling your otherwise idyllic happiness – your husband has become a bit ‘iffy’ about you seeing your mum and dad. He says they are interfering too much in the pregnancy and that it’s better for you if you see them less. While it is true that your mum especially has lots of advice to give (even when it’s not always asked for) you like seeing them. However, it’s not as if he’s saying don’t see them – just less often.
Should you be concerned about your husband’s behaviour?
Would you leave now?
31

When would you leave? (continued)
Three years later…
You now have three children and, whilst you love them dearly, you feel a bit weighed down with all of the domesticity. You’ve talked to your husband about nursery and maybe getting out and about a bit more, but he’s not at all keen. He says if you love the children why on earth would you want anyone else looking after them? He also says if you really loved him and the children why would you want anyone or anything else? When you try to talk to him he tends to give you the silent treatment. It’s a shame that you don’t see your mum and dad much and your friends have fallen away.
Should you be concerned about your husband’s behaviour?
Would you leave now?
Two years later…
You have had a particularly difficult year. You’ve started experiencing panic attacks. Your husband is very caring and does all the shopping, drops your eldest child off at school for you and arranges for him to be picked up and taken home. You are hardly going out at all. When you spoke to your husband about going to the doctor he said he didn’t think it was a good idea as the doctor might insist you go into hospital for treatment. You’re feeling really confused. Is he right? Are you going mad? You’re not sure anymore. Occasionally, he brings you back flowers or cooks a lovely meal and tells you how special you are to him and how he couldn’t live without you. He’s a good man in many ways – he doesn’t drink or smoke or go with other women. He must really love you to put up with how you are these days.
Should you be concerned about your husband’s behaviour?
Would you leave now?
A year further on…
Things have deteriorated recently. He has taken to locking you in the house when he goes to work (for your own safety). He still takes the children to school and nursery and attends all of the parent evenings, etc. You barely see the light of day. Life is difficult. You have no one to talk to and no means of getting help. You are 26 years old and there seems to be no way out of this nightmare.
Should you be concerned about your husband’s behaviour?
Would you leave now?
Adapted from
Action Against Abuse, Glasgow City Council (2006)
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APPENDIX 4
Equality and diversity
Resources for Responding to Questions on Violence Against Women
Alcohol and Drugs
Reducing substance misuse may reduce levels of physical injury, but it has not been shown to reduce actual occurrence of domestic abuse (emotional and sexual abuse) (Jacobs 1998).
One study found that violent partners drank more during violence, but women drank more after violence (Jacobs 1998).
Women who experience abuse are fifteen times more likely to misuse alcohol and nine times more likely to misuse drugs compared to women who have not been abused (Stark & Flitcroft
1996). This self-medication can be a way of coping with what she is experiencing.
Men can further abuse women through substance use by:
• Being her primary or only supplier
• Forcing her use, including poly drug use
• Threatening to disclose e.g. social services, schools, family
• Limiting or sabotaging her access to services
• Spending a woman’s earnings, forcing her to prostitute; sell substances
• Taking out his frustrations during detox/withdrawal
Women who have accessed services for their substance misuse have found that they are not asked about the forms of Violence Against Women that they may have experienced. Women also found it easier to access services for their substance misuse, rather than for their experiences of abuse, but still had problems getting treatment because:
• Some local doctors don’t prescribe methadone treatment or told women it was their own responsibility to get the help they wanted
• Others said they didn’t know about the different treatment options and range of services available to them
• Lengthy waiting lists (as long as 3 to 6 months) for assessment and treatment were of particular concern to women especially if they were also trying to deal with safety issues
(Scottish Women’s Aid 2005).
Black and Minority Ethnic Women (BME Women)
For BME women, the impact of male violence is exacerbated by the experience of racism.
This can include inadequate housing conditions, inaccessible support and protection services, racial harassment, discriminatory employment practices, poverty, prejudiced attitudes and complex immigration laws. Consequently, when BME women experience violence, there are many barriers to the advice and support available to them.
Family and friends are sometimes the first point of contact in seeking help, especially for women who do not speak English. This contact is critical in offering support and facilitating links with agencies. Alternatively, community members can silence women further by colluding with the male violence.
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For BME women, informal support networks are important in linking physically, culturally or linguistically isolated women with organised support. At the point of contact with agencies a sensitive response and a non-woman-blaming approach is essential to address the issues.
Gypsy and Traveller women are a minority ethnic group.
The difficulties for a Gypsy or Traveller woman experiencing abuse are exacerbated by attitudes and perceptions of people outside her community and the lack of realistic options open to her.
It may be very difficult for a Traveller woman to seek help from the police as her previous experience could make her unsure of her reception and fear being treated disrespectfully. She may also be concerned about the way the violent man might be treated by the police and the courts.
Civil remedies through the courts are often inappropriate to the life-style of Gypsy and
Traveller women and should a Gypsy or Traveller woman leave her partner, she will most probably be expected to leave her community and adapt to a ‘settled’ lifestyle.
Children & Young People
Scottish Women’s Aid has estimated that domestic abuse alone affects at least 100,000 children in Scotland (and is more likely to affect 1 in 3 children and young people (Alexander et al 2004)).
Where there is domestic abuse 90% of children are in the same or next room during attacks on their mothers – so they do know what is going on – they either hear it or see it (Hughes
1992).
A 2000 study in Glasgow showed that almost a quarter of those involved in street prostitution in Glasgow are 18 years old and under (Stewart 2000).
A literature review written by Weaver (2006) for Glasgow Violence Against Women
Partnership provides an overview of current research.
‘Cycles of Violence’
Research into whether men who have witnessed/experienced violence as children will become violent themselves shows that there is no predictive value of this for individual children (Weaver 2006). Some men use violence where none was used in their childhood; most women who witness/experience violence as girls do not then use it as adult women.
Statistics and research show that it is mostly girls who experience abuse, yet they do not generally abuse as adults themselves. In fact, the majority of men who perpetrate Violence
Against Women come from a non-violent background (LIAP 2001).
Women’s Support Project 2010 www.womenssupportproject.co.uk
34

Disabled Women
For the purpose of this training, the definition of disabled women includes women with learning disabilities, women with physical and sensory impairments and women experiencing mental health difficulties.
Disabled women experience discrimination and oppression on a regular basis. Attitudes that label disabled women as asexual, tragic or burdens to society all serve to reinforce the power of men who abuse disabled women.
A disabled woman may face threats and violence from carers in her own home or in residential establishments and she may lose the care, her home and even her children if she challenges what is happening.
It is not often acknowledged that disabled women experience violence from men they know.
They may face barriers to help such as; disbelief, isolation and lack of access to information and support. The serious, direct effects of abuse (such as depression, anxiety, attempted suicide) can be interpreted as symptoms of mental illness. This stops workers from looking at the issues of violence and service providers may fail to offer the appropriate support.
Men’s Involvement in Ending Violence Against Women
The Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership believes that men as well as women need to speak out about Violence Against Women. There are several organisations across the globe that were set up by men to specifically tackle these issues. Some of these are:
• Men Can Stop Rape – http://www.mencanstoprape.org/
• The White Ribbon Campaign – http://www.whiteribboncampaign.co.uk/
• Men Stopping Violence – http://www.menstoppingviolence.org/index.php
Older Women
Violence and abuse are no less of an issue in the lives of older women than younger women.
Workers should never assume that a man is too old to abuse or that an older woman is not being abused. Myths about sexual abuse often exclude older women and focus on children and young women. This can lead to assumptions that older women do not experience sexual abuse in particular. Older women’s experiences of Violence Against Women should not be confused with “Elder Abuse”.
Elder Abuse is a gender blind term which sees Violence Against Women as one of its subsets, where the woman is a vulnerable individual, often requiring care by others. Defining
Violence Against Older Women as Elder Abuse can result in the abuse being medicalised and inappropriate solutions applied, e.g. providing support to the abusive carer (rather than addressing the abuse), recommending couples counselling, or describing anti-depressants to the woman (Scott et al 2004).
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Perpetrators
Men who perpetrate Violence Against Women come from all social groups. There is no easy way to spot a perpetrator. The main point to remember is that some men choose to perpetrate abuse against women. Thankfully, most men choose not to behave in these ways.
There have been many attempts to explain the reasons why men abuse women. These have included mental health problems, low self esteem, alcohol or drugs, and anger management issues. While some men who perpetrate Violence Against Women may experience these issues they are in the minority and it certainly does not tell us the whole picture – it simply serves to remove the responsibility from the perpetrator.
Pregnancy
A third of domestic abuse begins in pregnancy and for women who are already living with domestic abuse it is likely to increase in severity and frequency at this time (Royal College of
Midwives 1999).
Many women who are raped (by a person known to them or by a stranger) will become pregnant.
Women experiencing abuse have a 50% higher incidence of miscarriage and stillbirth
(Mooney 1993).
Prostitution & Commercial Sexual Exploitation
Research has highlighted the links between so called “adult-entertainment” (also known as commercial sexual exploitation) and prostitution (Bindel 2004).
The Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership supports the view that prostitution is survival behaviour, a not sexual behaviour. The experiences of women involved in prostitution reveal high levels of sexual abuse, homelessness, drug use and poverty (Expert
Group on Prostitution 2004).
Rape & Sexual Assault
In Scotland, in terms of the law, only women are raped and only men perpetrate this crime.
The number of rapes reported to the police in Scotland has increased over the last decade to
900 reported in 2004-2005. However, the actual number of prosecutions and convictions has remained the same, despite the almost 50% increase in reports. In 2004-2005 9.5% of reported raped led to a prosecution, but only 4.3% led to a conviction (Rape Crisis 2006).
Argyll and Bute has a relatively low crime rate compared with the rest of Scotland, but has a similar sexual offences crime rate per head of population (Up My Street 2009).
Same Sex Relationships
Lesbians can experience violence from men, in the same way as heterosexual women, with the additional difficulties caused by society's homophobic attitudes towards lesbians.
It is not uncommon for men to subject lesbians to harassment, intimidation and sexual violence as a way of humiliating them. Some lesbians are married and abused by husbands and male ex-partners. Family members and relatives may collude and add to the abuse as a
36

way of attempting to force a lesbian to deny her sexuality. Commonly lesbianism is labelled
"a phase" or a reaction to abuse instead of a positive choice.
Women’s Abuse of Men
All forms of violence and abuse are wrong and never acceptable.
Men can and do experience violence and abuse and they deserve support from agencies too.
Some women do abuse male partners, but research consistently shows that women experience abuse perpetrated by a male partner or ex-partner in approximately 90% of all cases (the remaining 10% is made up of men abusing men, women abusing women and women abusing men).
A 2002 analysis of men’s experiences of domestic abuse found that “neither abused men’s nor service providers’ responses suggested that there is presently a need for an agency whose specific remit is to support male victims of domestic abuse in Scotland. Neither does there currently appear to be a need for refuges for abused men, although some male victims would benefit from support and advice regarding housing and welfare. Men who are trying to separate from abusive partners may benefit from the provision of alternative accommodation
(for themselves and their children) and better legal and financial support. However, there is some evidence to indicate that abused men are not making full use of the pre-existing support services available to them, perhaps suggesting that some service providers need to publicise their remit more widely.” (Gadd et al 2002)
It is worth remembering that men are more likely to be attacked in the street by male strangers, whereas women are more likely to experience abuse and violence in their own homes, perpetrated by men known to them.
Violence Against Women
It is estimated that between 1 in 2 and 1 in 10 women will experience gender based violence at some point in their lives (Budd et al 2000, Henderson 1997, Macpherson 2002, Mirrlees-
Black 1999, Mooney 1993, Myhill & Allen 2002, Statistics Canada 1993 cited in Johnson
1998, World Health Organisation 2002).
Women’s Support Project 2010 www.womenssupportproject.co.uk
37