Number of UK women convicted of domestic abuse doubles

[IAN 2411]

By Hayley Cavill and Rachel Fursman BBC Radio 5 live

The number of women convicted of domestic violence in England and Wales has more than doubled in the past five years, an investigation by BBC Radio 5 live Breakfast has found.

Figures obtained from the Crown Prosecution Service showed that almost 4,000 women were successfully prosecuted in the past year, compared with 1,500 women in 2005, a 169% increase.

Some experts say it is a worrying sign of the growing culture of violence among women, while others believe that men are now more likely to report that they have been beaten up by their wives and girlfriends than in previous years.

Chief Constable Carmel Napier, the Association of Chief Police Officers' lead on domestic abuse, says the figures show there is wider reporting of domestic abuse.

"We know about more cases now because of better responses from police, multi-agencies and the voluntary sector and a shift in the societal view of the crime," she says.

Start Quote

You know when you love someone so much and you just believe they can just change? I was hoping she would change”

End Quote Peter Victim of domestic violence
Peter says he was physically and emotionally abused by his wife for almost a year.

But after finally calling the police, he could not bring himself to press charges.

He had to sleep for months lying in the same position, on his back. If he turned his back his wife would punch and kick him.

Peter says the first incident of violence took him completely by surprise.

"I wasn't expecting the punch on the face. I wasn't expecting somebody hitting me so fast.

"You know when you love someone so much and you just believe they can just change? I was hoping she would change," he says.

Kieron was stabbed in the chest by his ex-wife. She is now serving a four-and-a-half year prison sentence.

He says the abuse started during her pregnancy.

The night he was stabbed, Kieron's wife came home from a friend's house demanding he cook her something to eat.

They got into an argument and she threatened to punch him, but when he pushed her away she went into the kitchen and grabbed a steak knife and plunged it into Kieron's chest.

"I could see the blood coming through the T-shirt.

"All the time I was on the phone to the ambulance I was in and out of consciousness.

"All I remember is that the ambulance people were there giving me oxygen and pain relief. The doctors gave me a 50-50 chance whether I was going to live or die," he says.

'Decades behind'
It is unclear why the conviction rates for women committing domestic violence are increasing, but organisations that offer help to male victims are sparse.

One charity that does is Mankind, which says there are just over 70 bed spaces in 20 refuges or safe houses for male victims in the UK, compared with 7,500 for women.

Mankind's chairman, Mark Brooks, believes that despite the number of women being convicted, some organisations still fail to recognise that men can be victims of domestic abuse too.

"There are a number of national and local helplines. There are some councils and police forces that do a great job in encouraging and supporting men when they come forward, but it's far too few," says Mark.

He believes that services are around three decades behind those available to female victims.

"Really in this day and age that is not acceptable," he says.

The Crown Prosecution Service says any form of domestic violence is a serious crime irrespective of whether the victim is male or female - and that there is no bias or lack of concern when dealing with cases of male victims.

Men, though, remain by far the main offenders, with the numbers convicted increasing from more than 28,000 in 2005 to just over 55,000 in 2010.

...........................................

Well we all knew it was there but now on the increase, just unbelievable.

Be well IAN 2411

[MMI]

Perfectly believable. There's a lot of hatred of men out there. I bet a dollar to a dime that there have been many men convicted of abusing wives when the wife was the abuser, simply because real men would not allow themselves to be abused by a girl

Perhaps, while liberated women are taking over society, they feel less inclined to cover up their own tyrannical behaviour or to put the blame on their victims.

What do you think of Germaine Greer's recent comment on BBC's Question Time that little girls grow up being made to flirt with their fathers, and are being sexualised when they are told to kiss Daddy goodnight?

[Thorne]

What do you think of Germaine Greer's recent comment on BBC's Question Time that little girls grow up being made to flirt with their fathers, and are being sexualised when they are told to kiss Daddy goodnight?

I haven't seen the program, but what you've paraphrased is, IMO, horseshit. It takes a particularly inane personality to equate simple father/daughter love with sex. How about the little boys giving their mother a kiss goodnight? Is she sexualizing them? What about the little boys who give their dad's a kiss goodnight (mine did, for a while) or the little girls giving their moms a kiss? Are they being turned into homosexuals?

Some people seem to equate any kind of closeness with sex. They don't seem to understand that a father can give his child a hug and a kiss without even once thinking about his dick. I think those people need to look deeper into themselves and try to figure out where THEY are twisted, instead of trying to twist everyone else.

[Snark]

It's easier for some people to rationalize a behavior as a learned trait that can be blamed on someone else rather than assigning personal responsibility. They see the world as existing within the filter of their choosing, ignoring the simpler fact that different individuals can experience similar things with different results. The classic image of a woman waiting with for her husband a rolling pin always assumed that he was a jerk who deserved it. Yet if he had slapped her after receiving a knot on the head, he was guilty of abuse. Men are no different than women in the refusal to believe that the person they married (or is living with) can be the abusive monster that they occasionally are. Abused women have support groups and agencies...as indeed they should. Men are laughed at for not being "man enough" to stop being abused. A steak knife, rolling pin or cast iron frying pan are all deadly weapons, whether in the hands of a man or a woman.

[MMI]

I haven't seen the program, but what you've paraphrased is, IMO, horseshit ...

The comment was made in response to a question whether little girls should be dressed in clothes that make them look older than they are. Her reply was to the effect that there has always been a culture of sexualising girls by encouraging them to flirt with their father - by giving him a goodnight kiss. A father of 3 girls in the audience said the suggestion was disgusting, but Greer was unrepentant.

I wish someone had challenged her about little boys kissing their mothers as you suggested, but unfortunately it did not happen. I think the audience was too astounded to react in time.

For general reaction see the posts on netmums - http://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/g...ing-daddy.html

Now that feminism has made it unacceptable for males to interact with children they meet in public, they are turning on fathers to make it unacceptable to have any kind of relationship with their own children.

[IAN 2411]

Well I looked at the previous posts, and thought about what this woman that I had only heard of vaguely had said. I have four daughters and they all kissed me goodnight throughout their life, and again when they went with their mother to their aunts without me. So not being one to be told I am a pervert by someone I looked her up.

Well she is a 75 year old self proclaimed feminist and writes for the Guardian news paper. I sit in my chair once more in relief as I have found the words that were spoken where from a complete nutter. I have always been of the opinion that anyone that writes for the Guardian news paper cannot be taken seriously. Because this is the same stupid woman that said I believe in the same program that British troops could turn into rapists while on duty in the Middle East.

Apparently the BBC tried to interview this 75 year old after the show, but she told them she was on a sexual high and had to be on the next plane to Afghanistan on a visit the troops mission. ROFLMFAO.

Be well IAN 2411

[Thorne]

she told them she was on a sexual high and had to be on the next plane to Afghanistan on a visit the troops mission. ROFLMFAO.

Does that make her some sort of IED (Impulsively Erotic Dingbat)?

The sad part is that someone, somewhere, is giving this woman a platform to spew her madness to the public. Am I correct in assuming that the Guardian is something akin to the US's National Enquirer?

[Hellcat]

How about the little boys giving their mother a kiss goodnight?

I believe Frued went there years ago.

[thir]

By Hayley Cavill and Rachel Fursman BBC Radio 5 live

The number of women convicted of domestic violence in England and Wales has more than doubled in the past five years, an investigation by BBC Radio 5 live Breakfast has found.

Figures obtained from the Crown Prosecution Service showed that almost 4,000 women were successfully prosecuted in the past year, compared with 1,500 women in 2005, a 169% increase.

Some experts say it is a worrying sign of the growing culture of violence among women, while others believe that men are now more likely to report that they have been beaten up by their wives and girlfriends than in previous years.

I have posted on this once or twice once I got aware of it myself via a poster in my GP's room and looked for info on the net.

It looks like it is going the same way as with male domestic violence, once it did not exist, then it slowly - very slowly - became 'proper' to admit to, and finally to report to the police.

I agree it is bad that there aren't any shelters, and I hope that on the heels of this laws may be changed and attitudes too so also rape can be reported and dealt with.

[thir]

[QUOTE=MMI;936210] Perfectly believable. There's a lot of hatred of men out there. I bet a dollar to a dime that there have been many men convicted of abusing wives when the wife was the abuser, simply because real men would not allow themselves to be abused by a girl

I do not quite see how that is possible. It the beaten one carries the marks.

Perhaps, while liberated women are taking over society, they feel less inclined to cover up their own tyrannical behaviour or to put the blame on their victims.

Perhaps equality means no one has to be tyrannical? At least, that is the theory.

What do you think of Germaine Greer's recent comment on BBC's Question Time that little girls grow up being made to flirt with their fathers, and are being sexualised when they are told to kiss Daddy goodnight?

The woman has always been a raving fundamentalist. My guess is damaged in mind and soul, and full of hate.

[thir]

Some people seem to equate any kind of closeness with sex. They don't seem to understand that a father can give his child a hug and a kiss without even once thinking about his dick. I think those people need to look deeper into themselves and try to figure out where THEY are twisted, instead of trying to twist everyone else.

I agree, and it is a truly terrible attitude, which has been promoted in the wake of all the pedophilia hysterics.

Many men and some women would not even dare help a child who had fallen and hurt her/him self. It has become so poisonous!

[thir]

The comment was made in response to a question whether little girls should be dressed in clothes that make them look older than they are.

Which to me is a relevant question, and they shouldn't. Bras for 8 year olds is insane.

I wish someone had challenged her about little boys kissing their mothers as you suggested, but unfortunately it did not happen. I think the audience was too astounded to react in time.

To the fundamentalist feminists this side of things simply do not exist. I have tried to take it up in discussions and they do not even answer. I guess they do not have any.

Now that feminism has made it unacceptable for males to interact with children they meet in public, they are turning on fathers to make it unacceptable to have any kind of relationship with their own children.

I do not know of any (normal non-fundamentalist) feminists who are like that, but I think quite a few religious people are on this track.

Whoever, the thing is to not go along with all that nonsense and to speak up against it, lest it really infects people's lives. I know it has already had impact. I do not know who is fuelling the pedophilia witch hunts, but they have a lot to answer for.

[Thorne]

Many men and some women would not even dare help a child who had fallen and hurt her/him self.

This actually happened to me. I happened to be in my kitchen, and saw a young boy riding his bicycle on the street in front of my house. The bike tipped and he fell onto the grass alongside the road. I immediately headed out the back door to make sure he was all right, but sadly my first thought was, "Should I take the chance of trying to help this kid?"

Fortunately, his father was there before I was, but it bothers me that I had to be concerned about the possible repercussions of helping a fallen child.

[IAN 2411]

here I do not quite see how that is possible. It the beaten one carries the marks.

Under British law if she can proove that it has mentally effected her, then his goose is cooked. There are no scars in mental abuse and that is why the law is tilted in favour of the abused.

The woman has always been a raving fundamentalist. My guess is damaged in mind and soul, and full of hate.

I think you mean raving lunatic.

Be well IAN 2411

[IAN 2411]

This actually happened to me. I happened to be in my kitchen, and saw a young boy riding his bicycle on the street in front of my house. The bike tipped and he fell onto the grass alongside the road. I immediately headed out the back door to make sure he was all right, but sadly my first thought was, "Should I take the chance of trying to help this kid?"

Fortunately, his father was there before I was, but it bothers me that I had to be concerned about the possible repercussions of helping a fallen child.

I have to agree with you on that issue as i think every person at some time have had those thoughts....we now live in a dont touch the child world unless they are your own.

Be well IAN 2411

[Thorne]

Originally Posted by thir
The woman has always been a raving fundamentalist.

I think you mean raving lunatic.

Same difference.

[MMI]

This actually happened to me. I happened to be in my kitchen, and saw a young boy riding his bicycle on the street in front of my house. The bike tipped and he fell onto the grass alongside the road. I immediately headed out the back door to make sure he was all right, but sadly my first thought was, "Should I take the chance of trying to help this kid?"

Fortunately, his father was there before I was, but it bothers me that I had to be concerned about the possible repercussions of helping a fallen child.

I also saw a young lad tumble from his bike. I did not help him. I did ask if he was hurt, and he wasn't.

My wife said under the circumstances I did the right thing by doing nothing.

[thir]

I think you mean raving lunatic.

Be well IAN 2411

No. I meant a raving fundamentalist. To me a fundamentalist has crossed a mental line and is no longer on the same planet as the rest of us.

[thir]

I also saw a young lad tumble from his bike. I did not help him. I did ask if he was hurt, and he wasn't.

My wife said under the circumstances I did the right thing by doing nothing.

It's insane that it has come to this! What can be done?

[denuseri]

IMHO: I think this is all another symptom that stems directly from the ill concieved feminist pendulum swinging too far yet again in one direction in great part with the help of a faceless unaccountable corperate media that doesnt care about anything but lining its own pockets by promoting violence and controversy becuase thats what gets the ratings.

[MMI]

I rather hijacked this thread when I brought Germaine Greer into the topic. Apologies, Ian: I do think the original topic should be properly aired, but first,

IMHO: I think this is all another symptom that stems directly from the ill conceived feminist pendulum swinging too far yet again in one direction in great part with the help of a faceless unaccountable corperate media that doesnt care about anything but lining its own pockets by promoting violence and controversy becuase thats what gets the ratings.

I agree with the first part, den. Feminism that adopts a positive approach to societal reform is to be encouraged, but militant feminism of the kind Greer espouses is no better than the male sexism it despises, and it should be shunned. You don't get equality by oppressing your oppressor, you simply turn the table.

However, the BBC gets its money whether it tops the ratings or no-one watches at all. It carries no advertising in the UK. It does like to get good ratings, of course, but the profit motive isn't there like it is for the other channels.

==================

According to another news item, one in six men in a relationship suffer abuse from their partner, whereas one in four women are abused. Clearly, women's need is greater than men's, and this must not be overlooked in this discussion. However, as the number of men and women in a relationship is roughly equal, it would seem that for every 12 partnerships, 3 women suffer abuse, and 2 men do so too. If my simple arithmetic is right, then the fact that nearly half of UK relationships are abusive is shocking, and the number of instances where the abuser is the woman is surprising (to me anyway). It also seems that, among the younger generation - those in their 20's - the level of abuse is more or less equal.

We know that women prefer to suffer in silence (or think they deserve it), and I suggest that men also prefer to keep the abuse to themselves. Not only might they think they deserve their treatment, but they are ashamed to admit it, because they would rather endure the misery than be seen to be weak.

I suggested above that female abuse might be less obvious to outsiders for this reason, or because the female abuser claims that she is the victim of her partner. Someone suggested this could not be, because the man could show the marks made on his body when he was attacked. While that is true, I am sure that such women are capable of marking themselves if they want to, but, more likely, the abuse takes a different form, a form women are far more able to inflict than physical violence, namely, mental abuse.

Mental torture can be more insidious, more degrading and more permanent in its effects than physical violence. Its marks are invisible, however.

[denuseri]

As an FYI sidebar:

MMI: The BBC is one thing onto itself and alltough runs on a public fee system within Brittian it sells adveretising in all of its outside programing slots world wide. Additionally that would be applicable if the BBC was the only thing ever aired in the UK and your people never had access to anything mentioned below.

Things like:

Anything media related owned by:

GE’s media holding includes television networks NBC and Telemundo, 27 television stations in the United States and many cable TV networks, including the History Channel, and Sci Fi Channel. It also owns the popular web-based TV website Hulu.
and A&E which is co-owned by The Hearst Corporation and ABC, which in turn is owned by Disney.

Time Warner: is the world’s largest media and entertainment company – it owns major operations in film, TV, print, Internet, and telecommunications. Time Warner has an annual revenue of $50.5 billion (2008) – the equivalent of the entire GDP of Luxembourg.

Like cartoons? Time Warner’s got you covered with Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. Classic movies? Check (Turner Classic Movies). And who can forget CNN and Headline News? Both are Time Warner properties. (Note: CW is co-owned by Time Warner and CBS).

You may associate it with amusement parks, but The Walt Disney Company has grown to be one of the world’s largest media and entertainment corporation since its founding as an animation studio by brothers Walt and Roy Disney in 1923.
The Walt Disney Company owns the ABC television network, with more 200 affiliated stations reaching nearly 100% of all U.S. television market, as well as dozens of niche cable networks. True to its cartoon animation origin, Disney captures its viewers early – it counts millions of young children as its audience with kids channels like the Disney Channel.

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corperation: is a behemoth: it is the largest media company in the world by market capitalization ($38 billion). For most people, the conservative news channel Fox comes foremost to mind when asked what they think of Murdoch’s media empire – but the company’s holding is far larger: it includes Asia’s Star TV Network, the National Geographic Channel and even the iconic TV Guide network.
Don’t watch TV? Even if you prefer to browse the Internet, most likely you’ve visited News Corp’s property, which include Hulu (owned in partnership with GE through its subsidiary NBC Universal) and the social networking giant MySpace.

Columbia Broadcasting System is not sometimes called the Tiffany Network for nothing: the company is known for its high programming quality. It is currently the most watched television network in the United States, and reached more than 103 million homes in the country.
Both CBS and Viacom (see below) are owned by multi-billionaire Sumner "content is king" Redstone, through his holding company National Amusements.

"Video and Audio Communication" – or Viacom rounds out the big guys and true to that name, the company owns a large number of cable and satellite television networks (the company was split from CBS Corporation in 2005, though both have the same majority owner).

See what I mean by media influence?

The BBC altough technically owned by the people is still conserned for its own ratings all the same.

[MMI]

On the sidebar. The programme in question, which is relatively cheap to produce, was aimed at BBC's domestic audience: I doubt it is aired on World Service - why would foreigners be concerned about Britons arguing over home issues? Apart from ITV and Sky, BBC has little competition from other domestic providers BBC's 2 main channels attract almost a quarter of available viewers, and their other channels (BBC 3, 4, News, Alba, etc.) take a slice of the remaining audience. It does chase ratings to justify its programming policy, but it is not profit motivated in doing so.

But your main point in your previous post, about militant feminism going too far, is one I agree with absolutely.

[denuseri]

Its the dual edged blade of social equality thats for sure!

[thir]

IMHO: I think this is all another symptom that stems directly from the ill concieved feminist pendulum swinging too far yet again in one direction in great part with the help of a faceless unaccountable corperate media that doesnt care about anything but lining its own pockets by promoting violence and controversy becuase thats what gets the ratings.

I do not think it is helpful to blame all including the weather on feminists.
But I do agree that the media has a lot to answer for.

[thir]

I agree with the first part, den. Feminism that adopts a positive approach to societal reform is to be encouraged, but militant feminism of the kind Greer espouses is no better than the male sexism it despises, and it should be shunned. You don't get equality by oppressing your oppressor, you simply turn the table.

Exactly

[quote]
the number of instances where the abuser is the woman is surprising (to me anyway). It also seems that, among the younger generation - those in their 20's - the level of abuse is more or less equal.
[/qutoe]

I guess sex is no better than the other..

because the female abuser claims that she is the victim of her partner.

Someone suggested this could not be, because the man could show the marks made on his body when he was attacked. While that is true, I am sure that such women are capable of marking themselves if they want to,

This seems quite farfetched to me - what do you base this idea on? I mean, mark themselves how? And that still does not mean that the man isn't marked.

but, more likely, the abuse takes a different form, a form women are far more able to inflict than physical violence, namely, mental abuse.

Why do you feel that women are more able to inflict mental abuse than men?

Mental torture can be more insidious, more degrading and more permanent in its effects than physical violence. Its marks are invisible, however.

Perhaps..I think they kind of go together.

[thir]

Its the dual edged blade of social equality thats for sure!

I do not understand -??
Could you elaborate?

[MMI]

@ thir

I'm surprised you think my suggestion is far-fetched. Let us say you have been abusing your man, by beating him and burning him. He gets bruises and burns, true. But now you realise he's called the police, and you face a spell in gaol. You can easily cause bruises on yourself, and you can probably say he attacked you with a kettle of boiling water, but you fought back (hence the bruises on both of you) and the idiot spilt the kettle on himself. At least you have a chance of getting away with it. Depends on how meek and mild you can convince the policeman you are.

Far-fetched, as an example, maybe. But it could happen, so in reality, maybe not.

Also, I believe women will resort to mental abuse rather than physical because, (a) men are usually stronger, (b) women understand emotions better than men, and can manipulate feelings more easily, (c) women are more proficient verbally than men, and can always find a way to belittle them.

Finally, a doctor once told me that a mental injury takes up to 20 times longer to heal than a physical one. Assuming it does heal, I suppose.

[denuseri]

Your assuming that when one is physically injured by another that a mental injury is not also included?

[denuseri]

I do not understand -??
Could you elaborate?

Sure..its rather simple:

There are a number of things that have happened becuase of and since the advent of femminisim that have been somewhat benifical...and there are a number of things that have not been so benifical.