Domestic Abuse Helpline for Men and Women Radio Show discusses how domestic violence is not only a crime that affects women. Men suffer from domestic abuse too.
"Advocates Against Violence" is available to the public and to advocates working to help end violence in all its forms. The "AAV" is working to end violence in families regardless of whom the victims may be; we seek resources to help all victims of violence. We help victims find resources that will help them overcome and survive the pain they have suffered. We also advocate for natural disasters and other worthy causes that may benefit from 'spreading the word about their plight'.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST MEN ~ BY DAHMW
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST MEN (VIDEO) BY DAHMW (DOMESTIC ABUSE HELPLINE FOR MEN AND WOMEN) (2010)
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The hidden side of domestic abuse
The hidden side of domestic abuse
SUZANNE SHEPPARD Sunday, August 15 2010
I’M GUILTY and I want to confess. I also want to apologize to all the men who continue to suffer in silence right here in Trinidad and Tobago because of people like me who barely acknowledge their plight.
Over several years I have written and spoken out about domestic abuse but I have focused almost exclusively on battered women, helping to perpetrate the misconception that this problem affects only women.
While it may be true that the majority of victims of domestic abuse are women, we help to propagate injustice when we continually address the problem from that perspective. As you read these lines, please bear in mind that there are men in this country who not only endure physical, emotional and mental abuse from the women in their lives, they also face ridicule, discrimination and isolation when they try to get help.
The domestic violence services in this country don’t appear to be available to male victims. The few shelters that exist are for women and their children and there is very little done in terms of raising awareness and offering support to men who suffer abuse.
I was made aware of this unfortunate situation a few days ago via a radio call-in programme, when men talked about the injustices they face - endless run-arounds, frustration and blatant gender discrimination - when they try to get help.
We actually don’t know much about domestic abuse and violence against men in this country. Most of our efforts have been concentrated on advocacy and support to encourage women to report domestic violence and very little has been done to encourage men to report abuse.
Men often suffer physical abuse in silence because they are afraid that no one will believe them or take them seriously. Also, many men are too embarrassed to admit that they are being abused by their wives or girlfriends. In our Caribbean society, where the concept of “macho” is deeply engrained, a “real man” is expected to be able to “control” his wife. Abused men may feel they are somehow less of a man for “allowing” themselves to be abused. It doesn’t help that women who batter men have a greater ability to manipulate the “system” to their advantage.
According to experts in psychology and counseling, there are distinct dimensions to the type of domestic abuse inflicted on men. Often, their female partners constantly accuse them of cheating, often without reason. Studies done abroad show that the majority of male domestic abuse victims report women hitting or assaulting them because of suspected cheating. Unfortunately, many men accept this as normal behavior. If the man retaliates, his abuser may threaten to hurt him more or call the police. This is a sign she may also escalate the violence in the future.
Another sign is that she constantly calls him names or insults everything he does. Some men think it is normal for women to degrade or insult them—they attribute it to PMS or simply “being a woman”. Even if physical violence is not involved, emotional abuse is domestic abuse, and it can affect a man’s mental and emotional health.
As in the case of male abusers, the woman controls everything the man does. She may prevent him from seeing friends, family members or even leaving the house, threatening violence if he does not cooperate. Sometimes she may control how he eats or dresses. This is a sign of emotional abuse and its effects can be devastating. Men who experience domestic abuse, including emotional abuse, are three times more likely to develop depression, which can lead to suicide.
In many cases, the woman uses physical violence to solve arguments. She punches, kicks, slaps, chokes, shoves or hits the man with hard objects regularly to force him to comply with her demands. She may often have episodes where she assaults her intimate partner physically or emotionally—and then promises she won’t do it again. Abusers of both genders have a typical pattern - they threaten, they act on their aggressions, they apologize and then do it again. This cycle usually continues until the man seeks help, or is severely hurt or killed.
In many cases of domestic abuse of men, alcohol is a major trigger. Women who abuse men are frequently alcoholics.
Research indicates that psychological problems, primarily personality disorders, may be a factor in abuse of men by women. At least 50 percent of all domestic abuse and violence against men is associated with women who have a Borderline Personality disorder. The disorder is also associated with suicidal behavior, severe mood swings, lying, sexual problems and alcohol abuse.
Abusive women blame men rather than admit their problems. They do not take responsibility for how they live their lives. Instead of helping themselves, they blame a man for how they feel and believe that a man should do something to make them feel better. When men can’t make them feel better, they become frustrated and assume that men are doing this on purpose.
Men often stay in abusive and violent relationships because they are afraid to leave their children alone with an abusive woman. They may also be afraid that if they leave they will never be allowed to see their children again.
Many abused men believe it is their fault or feel they deserve the treatment they receive. They feel responsible and have an unrealistic belief that they can and should do something that will make things better.
Every victim of abuse in this country needs help, regardless of gender. I know that structures already exist within the Gender Affairs Ministry for dealing with men's issues. These need to be expanded to deal with abuse of man and support systems need to be introduced or strengthened so men can get help.
(ssheppard@newsday.co.tt)
While it may be true that the majority of victims of domestic abuse are women, we help to propagate injustice when we continually address the problem from that perspective. As you read these lines, please bear in mind that there are men in this country who not only endure physical, emotional and mental abuse from the women in their lives, they also face ridicule, discrimination and isolation when they try to get help.
The domestic violence services in this country don’t appear to be available to male victims. The few shelters that exist are for women and their children and there is very little done in terms of raising awareness and offering support to men who suffer abuse.
I was made aware of this unfortunate situation a few days ago via a radio call-in programme, when men talked about the injustices they face - endless run-arounds, frustration and blatant gender discrimination - when they try to get help.
We actually don’t know much about domestic abuse and violence against men in this country. Most of our efforts have been concentrated on advocacy and support to encourage women to report domestic violence and very little has been done to encourage men to report abuse.
Men often suffer physical abuse in silence because they are afraid that no one will believe them or take them seriously. Also, many men are too embarrassed to admit that they are being abused by their wives or girlfriends. In our Caribbean society, where the concept of “macho” is deeply engrained, a “real man” is expected to be able to “control” his wife. Abused men may feel they are somehow less of a man for “allowing” themselves to be abused. It doesn’t help that women who batter men have a greater ability to manipulate the “system” to their advantage.
According to experts in psychology and counseling, there are distinct dimensions to the type of domestic abuse inflicted on men. Often, their female partners constantly accuse them of cheating, often without reason. Studies done abroad show that the majority of male domestic abuse victims report women hitting or assaulting them because of suspected cheating. Unfortunately, many men accept this as normal behavior. If the man retaliates, his abuser may threaten to hurt him more or call the police. This is a sign she may also escalate the violence in the future.
Another sign is that she constantly calls him names or insults everything he does. Some men think it is normal for women to degrade or insult them—they attribute it to PMS or simply “being a woman”. Even if physical violence is not involved, emotional abuse is domestic abuse, and it can affect a man’s mental and emotional health.
As in the case of male abusers, the woman controls everything the man does. She may prevent him from seeing friends, family members or even leaving the house, threatening violence if he does not cooperate. Sometimes she may control how he eats or dresses. This is a sign of emotional abuse and its effects can be devastating. Men who experience domestic abuse, including emotional abuse, are three times more likely to develop depression, which can lead to suicide.
In many cases, the woman uses physical violence to solve arguments. She punches, kicks, slaps, chokes, shoves or hits the man with hard objects regularly to force him to comply with her demands. She may often have episodes where she assaults her intimate partner physically or emotionally—and then promises she won’t do it again. Abusers of both genders have a typical pattern - they threaten, they act on their aggressions, they apologize and then do it again. This cycle usually continues until the man seeks help, or is severely hurt or killed.
In many cases of domestic abuse of men, alcohol is a major trigger. Women who abuse men are frequently alcoholics.
Research indicates that psychological problems, primarily personality disorders, may be a factor in abuse of men by women. At least 50 percent of all domestic abuse and violence against men is associated with women who have a Borderline Personality disorder. The disorder is also associated with suicidal behavior, severe mood swings, lying, sexual problems and alcohol abuse.
Abusive women blame men rather than admit their problems. They do not take responsibility for how they live their lives. Instead of helping themselves, they blame a man for how they feel and believe that a man should do something to make them feel better. When men can’t make them feel better, they become frustrated and assume that men are doing this on purpose.
Men often stay in abusive and violent relationships because they are afraid to leave their children alone with an abusive woman. They may also be afraid that if they leave they will never be allowed to see their children again.
Many abused men believe it is their fault or feel they deserve the treatment they receive. They feel responsible and have an unrealistic belief that they can and should do something that will make things better.
Every victim of abuse in this country needs help, regardless of gender. I know that structures already exist within the Gender Affairs Ministry for dealing with men's issues. These need to be expanded to deal with abuse of man and support systems need to be introduced or strengthened so men can get help.
(ssheppard@newsday.co.tt)
Retrieved August 18, 2010 from http://media.causes.com/ribbon/878933
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Study finds similar personality types in male and female domestic violence perpetrators
Study finds similar personality types in male and female domestic violence perpetrators
Study Finds Similar Personality Types in Male and Female Domestic Violence Perpetrators'
ScienceDaily (Aug. 12, 2010) — New research published in the August edition of the American Psychological Association's Journal of Abnormal Psychology, is providing a better picture of the roles played by gender, personality and mental illness in domestic violence."Intimate partner violence is a major public health concern," says the study's lead author Zach Walsh, assistant professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia's (UBC) Okanagan campus. "Examining subtypes of perpetrators is an important way of learning more about why people are violent in close relationships. Understanding why different people are violent may be crucial for developing new ways to reduce violence in relationships. "
Walsh and colleagues Marc Swogger (University of Rochester), Brian O'Connor (UBC), Yael Schonbrun (Brown University), Tracie Shea (Brown University), and Gregory Stuart (University of Tennessee-Knoxville) analyzed data drawn from the MacArthur Violence Risk Assessment Study to examine normal personality, psychopathic characteristics, and mental illness among 567 civil psychiatric patients, including 138 women and 93 men with histories of domestic violence.
"Although both men and women engage in substantial levels of domestic violence, fewer studies have examined female perpetrators," says Walsh. "These new findings are among the first to highlight similarities between subtypes of domestically violent men and women."
Prior studies of domestically violent men have found that perpetrators can be categorized into three groups. The study provides preliminary evidence that the following three subtypes also exist among female perpetrators:
- Antisocial perpetrators are often violent outside the relationship and have high levels of psychopathic personality traits
- Dysphoric perpetrators may have high levels of anxiety, depression and other forms of mental illness
- Low Pathology perpetrators have generally normal personalities and are rarely violent outside of intimate relationships
The findings also suggest that subtypes from studies of domestic violence perpetrators in the community can be applied to perpetration by psychiatric patients. Learning more about psychiatric patients who perpetrate domestic violence is important, as they engage in higher levels of domestic violence than do the general population.
Walsh encourages caution in generalizing from psychiatric patients to the larger community, and is currently working with his students to examine these subtypes among other groups.
Reference:
University of British Columbia (2010, August 12). Study finds similar personality types in male and female domestic violence perpetrators. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 15, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2010/08/100810203507.htmBreast cancer risk varies among different progestins used in hormone replacement therapy, study finds
Breast cancer risk varies among different progestins used in hormone replacement therapy, study finds
Breast Cancer Risk Varies Among Different Progestins Used in Hormone Replacement Therapy, Study Finds
ScienceDaily (Aug. 12, 2010) — Progestins are used in hormone replacement therapies to counteract the negative effects of estrogen on the uterus and reduce the risk of uterine cancer. However, evidence in recent studies and clinical trials has demonstrated that progestins increase the risk of breast cancer. Now, University of Missouri researchers have compared four types of progestins used in hormone replacement therapies and found significantly different outcomes on the progression of breast cancer in an animal model depending on the type of progestins used."Synthetic progestins have different biological effects, due to differences in their structure, stability and how they interact in the body," said Salman Hyder, the Zalk Endowed Professor in Tumor Angiogenesis and professor of biomedical sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center. "Clinical use of progestins requires caution. These powerful steroids should only be prescribed when a person has no latent, or dormant, cancer and does not have a family history of cancer. However, it is difficult to diagnose latent tumor cells in women since there are no symptoms."
In the study, researchers compared the effects of four clinically relevant progestins on breast cancer tumors in an animal model. The progestins used in the study were the synthetic progestin medroxporgresterone acetate (MPA), norgesterel (N-EL), norethindrone (N-ONE) and megestrol acetate (MGA). In the United States, most women on hormone replacement therapy are treated with MPA, the progestin in Prempro, Hyder said.
"Although previous studies using an animal model for breast cancer found that MPA functions as a tumor promoter, this study show that N-EL and N-One, when administrated using the same protocol as used for MPA, strongly inhibited tumor development," Hyder said. "Thus progestins seem to have tumor-stage specific effects, which determine whether these will function as tumor promoters or tumor suppressors. Progestins, such as N-EL and N-ONE, may have potential as preventive agents in women with no history of breast disease or family history of breast cancer. These progestins may also have a preventive role in post-menopausal women who are at an increased risk for developing breast cancer due to ingestion of combined estrogen/progestin (MPA) hormone replacement therapy and may have early stage disease."
The study is published in the September issue of Cancer Prevention Research from the American Association for Cancer Research.
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