Men’s Rights Movement Spreads False Claims about Women

[Starry Messenger]

http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2012/spring/myths-of-the-manosphere-lying-about-women

THE CLAIM Men’s rights activists often insist that men are victimized by sex crimes and abuse just as much as women are, if not more. This assertion is meant to support their contention that the courts and laws outrageously favor women.

THE REALITY A major 2010 study by the Centers for Disease Control’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control thoroughly debunks such claims. Nearly one in five American women (18.3%), the study found, have been raped; the comparable number for men is one in 71 (1.4%). Not only that, but more than half (51.1%) of female victims reported that their rapist was an intimate partner — a current or former spouse or boyfriend, or a date. According to a 2000 study by the Department of Justice, female rape victims were also about twice as likely as male rape victims to be injured during an assault (31.5% versus 16.5%), even though many women do not physically resist their attackers for fear of injury. Overall, the studies found, most violence of all kinds against women (64%) came from current or former intimate partners, while that is true for only about one-sixth (16.2%) of men. Women were also far more likely to be stalked than men (16.2% versus 5.2%), and two-thirds of women’s stalkers (66.2%) were current or former intimate partners, compared to four in 10 for men (41.4%). A 2005 Department of Justice study also found that between 1998 and 2002, 84% of spousal abuse victims were female, as were 86% of victims of abuse at the hands of a dating partner. Males made up 83% of all spouse murderers and 75% of dating partner murderers.

THE CLAIM In another effort to show that men are discriminated against, many men’s rights activists assert that women attack men just as much as men attack women, if not more. The website MensActivism.org is one of many that criticizes what it characterizes as “the myth that women are less violent than men.”

THE REALITY Men’s rights groups often cite the work of Deborah Capaldi, a researcher with the Oregon Learning Center, to back their claim. Capaldi did find that women sometimes initiate partner violence, although women involved in mutually aggressive partner relationships were more likely to suffer severe injuries than the men. But Capaldi studied only a very particular subset of the population — at-risk youth — rather than women in general, invalidating any claim that her findings applied generally. In fact, the 2000 Department of Justice study found that violence against both women and men is predominantly male violence. Nine in 10 women (91.9%) who were physically assaulted since the age of 18 were attacked by a male, while about one in seven male assault victims (14.2%) were victimized by females. Similarly, all female rape victims in the study were attacked by a male, while about a third of male victims (35.8%) were raped by a female.

[hlthe2b]

1. Very good article from Southern Poverty Law Center...

I'm using it myself. Thanks for posting.

[CreekDog]

3. I like how Men's Rights Stuff is on the SPLC radar --that's what we're dealing with

but some of it reads like hate literature and/or white supremicist rantings.

[laconicsax]

2. Thanks for posting!

It's worth repeating that Men's Rights Activists are now on the same list as the KKK and Neo-Nazi groups

[Neoma]

5. That seems questionable...

[Control-Z]

6. Why? -eom

[Neoma]

7. Seems like it's broad brushing men.

[Control-Z]

8. Nope.

Broadbrushing would include all men not just those who join men's rights activist groups.

[Neoma]

9. At the time she made the post, there were people arguing over the Men's group in H&M.

This OP is crossed-over from that thread. The leader of the Men's group cited misinformation, and then asked for the correct information which is what this OP comes from. (The correct information.)

To me, it seemed like she was inadvertently calling the Men's group Nazi's/KKK. But I may be mistaken.

[Control-Z]

11. Wow.

Really? That would not have crossed my mind. Not in a million years. I'm not fond of some men's group members, but I don't know anyone who who think, let alone say, such a disgusting thing on DU.

I guess I missed that other thread you're talking about.

[MadrasT]

12. The Southern Poverty Law Center

Has some Men's Rights Activist groups on their watch list as hate groups. Misogyny: The Sites

The SPLC also has Nazi Groups and the KKK on their watch list as hate groups.

I believe that was a reference to the fact that the SPLC has certain MRA's on their radar. Not a reference to the Men's Group here on DU. (The article in the OP comes from the SPLC.)

[Neoma]

13. Okay.

[Starry Messenger]

15. Correct.

[Warren DeMontague]

16. In case anyone is interested in the views of ONE of the hosts of The Men's Group;

Obviously, this meddlesome Mr. DeMontague doesnt speak for anyone but himself, although often in the third person.

First off, just so we're clear- I do NOT consider myself an "MRA" or men's rights activist or any of those things. It's just not where I'm at. I am, of course, a firm believer in equal rights for EVERYONE. Men do face unique challenges in our society and our world, that should not be forgotten- and obviously this would be an excellent place to discuss that sort of thing.

***

I do understand the arguments some have had around this group and the concept of "men's rights". Like "Caucasian rights", or "Christian rights", I mean one has to acknowledge the reality that coming from a majority group or group that has enjoyed historical advantages, such a term can sound, at best, absurd if not flat-out obnoxious.

***

What I'd personally like to see for this group is a low-key, low-stress, non confrontational area for open discussion on a whole range of topics, again, of interest to men... which covers a pretty broad area, I should think. I also think this should be a bigotry-free zone, a homophobia free zone, a LGBTransphobia free zone, a misandry and, yeah, misogyny free zone... Probably can't keep it from being a misanthropy free zone just due to my personality, but that's what I'd like to see.

The entire bloviating piece by that self-serving windbag can be read here:


http://www.democraticunderground.com/1114866

[Starry Messenger]

17. I know you aren't replying to me, but I've never thought you are an MRA.

I'm not trying to start anything with anyone. The OP was to sort out some misinformation that was swimming around the board on DV. Some of it originated in MRA circles, but that could mean anything, this being the internet and right wing authors often couch their disinfo in innocuous wording. It can pop up here from a third-party and not seem like anything out of the ordinary.

SPLC is a solidly left source that takes things like this on.

[Warren DeMontague]

18. And I honestly knew jack diddly about MRA groups until recently.

I didn't think that you were implying anything personally OR about the mens group; I just thought, in light of everything that's been going on, it's as good a time as any to publicly declare where I stand on some of this stuff.

Peace.

[Starry Messenger]

21. It's been rather obscure until recently, I think.

Blog discussions, but not a real headlining news analysis. In the same way that "anti-porn" activists make common cause with conservative women, there is a streak of conservatism in the MRA movement that has wended its way into progressive discussions, and occasionally, legislative actions (like anti-VAWA efforts).

http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2012/spring/misogyny-the-sites

One example from the link:

SAVE Services
The acronym in SAVE Services stands for Stop Abusive and Violent Environments; “Protecting Victims, Stopping False Allegations, Ending Abuse” is its tagline. In practice, that means lobbying to roll back services for victims of domestic abuse and penalties for their tormentors, while working to return the focus to the “true victims of abuse” — the falsely accused. The site trumpets as a “key fact” that “[f]emale initiation of partner violence is the leading reason for the woman becoming a victim of subsequent violence,” even though a study shows that approximately twice as many women as men are injured during incidents of domestic violence.

[Warren DeMontague]

22. Were there really progressives and liberals who were fighting against VAWA reauthorization?

Sad.

[Dash87]

23. MRA groups are extremely hateful. Men would not want to be associated with them.

When they say, "Men's Rights," what they really mean is that they hate women, and want male supremacy. I could explain their views further, but I might lose a few brain cells. Basically, they hate everything about women, and blame them for every bad thing that has ever happened in their lives.

[laconicsax]

24. Bingo.

Unfortunately, their bile manages to seep into public consciousness.

A great example is in education--MRA's love to say how the same education system that actively and openly discriminated against girls and women and refused to even allow them admittance is heavily biased against men because now that girls and women are allowed to participate at an equal level, they're surpassing men in achievement.

What happens next?

You start seeing articles about how it's unfair to expect boys to sit still in school and how the very same education system that didn't even admit girls and women at all levels is for boys and men to fail.

[laconicsax]

10. What seems questionable?

[MerryBlooms]

4. Disturbing. :-(

[Rex]

14. One in five women have been raped!?!

Jesus Christ that is disturbing. I consider that a national crisis.

[lumberjack_jeff]

19. I've never heard anyone claim that "men are victimized by sex crimes as much as women are"

The linked article is correct; if the claim had been made, it would be false. Men aren't sexually assaulted as frequently as women are.

Intimate partner violence on the other hand;

Methods. We analyzed data on young US adults aged 18 to 28 years from the 2001 National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, which contained information about partner violence and injury reported by 11 370 respondents on 18761 heterosexual relationships....

...Almost 25% of the people surveyed — 28% of women and 19% of men — said there was some violence in their relationship. Women admitted perpetrating more violence (25% versus 11%) as well as being victimized more by violence (19% versus 16%) than men did. According to both men and women, 50% of this violence was reciprocal, that is, involved both parties, and in those cases the woman was more likely to have been the first to strike.

Violence was more frequent when both partners were involved, and so was injury — to either partner. In these relationships, men were more likely than women to inflict injury (29% versus 19%).

When the violence was one-sided, both women and men said that women were the perpetrators about 70% of the time. Men were more likely to be injured in reciprocally violent relationships (25%) than were women when the violence was one-sided (20%).

That means both men and women agreed that men were not more responsible than women for intimate partner violence. The findings cannot be explained by men's being ashamed to admit hitting women, because women agreed with men on this point.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1854883/?tool=pubmed

The study concluded that of all domestic violence, 15% is unilateral violence by men, 35% is unilateral violence by women and 50% is reciprocal. It also concluded that reciprocal violence is the type most often resulting in injury for both men and women. In fact, a man in a reciprocally violent relationship is 25% more likely to be injured than a woman in a relationship in which only the man is violent.

Interventions which deny the character of the cycle of domestic violence are doomed to fail.

The OP conflates separable issues. Strictly speaking, if anyone has ever actually claimed that "men experience more sex crimes and abuse", they would be wrong. According to the NIH, men experience more abuse but not more sexual assault.

If you still think that what I'm saying is disinformation, please take it up with the National Institute of Health.

[Starry Messenger]

20. Intimate Partner Violence: Definitions

http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/intimatepartnerviolence/definitions.html

IPV can vary in frequency and severity. It occurs on a continuum, ranging from one hit that may or may not impact the victim to chronic, severe battering.

There are four main types of intimate partner violence (Saltzman et al. 2002):

Physical violence is the intentional use of physical force with the potential for causing death, disability, injury, or harm. Physical violence includes, but is not limited to, scratching; pushing; shoving; throwing; grabbing; biting; choking; shaking; slapping; punching; burning; use of a weapon; and use of restraints or one's body, size, or strength against another person.

Sexual violence is divided into three categories: 1) use of physical force to compel a person to engage in a sexual act against his or her will, whether or not the act is completed; 2) attempted or completed sex act involving a person who is unable to understand the nature or condition of the act, to decline participation, or to communicate unwillingness to engage in the sexual act, e.g., because of illness, disability, or the influence of alcohol or other drugs, or because of intimidation or pressure; and 3) abusive sexual contact.

Threats of physical or sexual violence use words, gestures, or weapons to communicate the intent to cause death, disability, injury, or physical harm.

Psychological/emotional violence involves trauma to the victim caused by acts, threats of acts, or coercive tactics. Psychological/emotional abuse can include, but is not limited to, humiliating the victim, controlling what the victim can and cannot do, withholding information from the victim, deliberately doing something to make the victim feel diminished or embarrassed, isolating the victim from friends and family, and denying the victim access to money or other basic resources. It is considered psychological/emotional violence when there has been prior physical or sexual violence or prior threat of physical or sexual violence. In addition, stalking is often included among the types of IPV. Stalking generally refers to "harassing or threatening behavior that an individual engages in repeatedly, such as following a person, appearing at a person's home or place of business, making harassing phone calls, leaving written messages or objects, or vandalizing a person's property" (Tjaden & Thoennes 1998). Learn more about stalkingExternal Web Site Icon.

According to the science, sexual assault is part of the definition of intimate partner violence. It would appear that your dispute would need to be taken up with the Center for Disease Control.