SAFE BlogArchive

The following comment by Professor Jasmine Rault in this article is shortsighted and biased:
Although women do commit acts of sexual violence, Rault believes that it is "dangerous to begin talking about violence by women against men because this can take the emphasis and attention away from what's clearly a much larger problem, which is violence against women."(says cultural studies professor Jasmine Rault)

I have to wonder,what is Ms.Rault thinking?
How could including discussions and information about male victims of violence be "dangerous to women"? Maybe she should discuss these things with those of us who are on the front lines of this battle against abuse and those especially who approach this work from a perspective that is not gender biased or based in an outdated and incorrect premise!

Having listened to men and women who have been abused as well as some abusive partners of both genders over the years, I think that I and many other open-minded DV Advocates who assist everyone, regardless of gender will have opinions that differ greatly from this Cultural Studies Professor!

Violence against anyone is against the law and hurts the individual, regardless of gender! If you don't discuss these topics in a more gender neutral and inclusive way, you will only be addressing a fraction of the problem!

Domestic violence, Intimate Partner Violence or Sexual Violence is NOT exclusively what men perpetrate against women and when people like Professor Rault "sell the mainstream a bill of goods" that it is, she is doing a disservice to women as well as men.

Professor Rault and others who believe what she expresses in this statement should visit http//www.safe4all.org or http//www.SAFE-NH.org to look at the research and other information available there before she makes her judgements.

Victims of violence deserve no less!

Sincerely,
Lee Newman
Executive Director: SAFE International(
Stop Abuse For Everyone)
Director: SAFE-NH
(NH Chapter of Stop Abuse For Everyone)