Richard Jones asks three interesting questions about my new book on Coercive Control, how my position differs from earlier views of coercive control, like Judy Herman’s whom he quotes; whether my concept of coercive control as a crime against individual liberty is compatible with broader criticism of “patriarchy” and manhood; and whether I make recommendations to bring patriarchy to justice. The question of how coercive control is linked to sexual inequality and justice for women is at the heart of the book.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Stop abusive men from holding women hostage in relationships, urges new book
Evan Stark is a founder of one of the first shelters for abused women in the United States and author of Coercive Control: How Men Entrap Women in Personal Life. His book, excerpted on OUPblog, takes what many believe is a fresh look at domestic violence and why law, policy and advocacy must shift its focus to “a much broader, ongoing, and unrecognized pattern of subjugation called coercive control.”
“Unlike violence, where injury is the focus or psychological trauma, coercive control is designed to take away women’s freedom, autonomy and dignity and so should be considered a ‘liberty’ crime,” wrote Stark on Salon.com. “Yet it has been invisible in law, medicine, and even to much of the movement dedicated to helping battered women.”
I’m just learning about Stark’s book, but so far I haven’t read anything that indicates that it’s truly groundbreaking. On Salon.com, in fact, Stark also wrote, “Others have said some of this before. But I think you’ll find, when you read the book, that it hasn’t been put together in this way before.”
“Unlike violence, where injury is the focus or psychological trauma, coercive control is designed to take away women’s freedom, autonomy and dignity and so should be considered a ‘liberty’ crime,” wrote Stark on Salon.com. “Yet it has been invisible in law, medicine, and even to much of the movement dedicated to helping battered women.”
I’m just learning about Stark’s book, but so far I haven’t read anything that indicates that it’s truly groundbreaking. On Salon.com, in fact, Stark also wrote, “Others have said some of this before. But I think you’ll find, when you read the book, that it hasn’t been put together in this way before.”
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
You are the key to the good life
Life is a…
Well, you know the saying. But life is also one helluva party. Life isn’t all good, and it isn’t all bad. And even though your parents brought you to the bash, the older you get the more you must realize that it’s up to you to enjoy being here, especially if you’re gaining in wisdom and not just years.
That’s easier said than done, of course. Life can be indescribably difficult and distressing, giving you as many reasons to acquiesce to anger, abjection, and apathy as you might find to persevere, press forth, and profit from your experiences. Regardless, the choice is yours: You can will yourself to learn and grow from even your most regrettable experiences or allow afflictions and adversities to deny you the joy of living.
Well, you know the saying. But life is also one helluva party. Life isn’t all good, and it isn’t all bad. And even though your parents brought you to the bash, the older you get the more you must realize that it’s up to you to enjoy being here, especially if you’re gaining in wisdom and not just years.
That’s easier said than done, of course. Life can be indescribably difficult and distressing, giving you as many reasons to acquiesce to anger, abjection, and apathy as you might find to persevere, press forth, and profit from your experiences. Regardless, the choice is yours: You can will yourself to learn and grow from even your most regrettable experiences or allow afflictions and adversities to deny you the joy of living.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Domestic violence intervention best left to the police
Domestic violence is harmful and potentially fatal not only to individuals directly targeted by their abusers, but also to a victim’s family members and friends, good Samaritans, counselors, coworkers, police officers, and everyone else exposed to it.
This month, for example, a father of three in Melbourne, Australia, was gunned down while trying to intervene in a domestic dispute. A second man who intervened and the female victim who was being dragged by her hair from a car were also shot by the male perpetrator.
A police officer in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was also injured and nearly pushed from a second floor balcony during a struggle with a domestic violence suspect earlier this month.
That’s why it is common for two or more police officers to respond and approach domestic calls with caution. They hope doing so will help decrease the risk to police officers in these unpredictable situations.
This month, for example, a father of three in Melbourne, Australia, was gunned down while trying to intervene in a domestic dispute. A second man who intervened and the female victim who was being dragged by her hair from a car were also shot by the male perpetrator.
A police officer in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was also injured and nearly pushed from a second floor balcony during a struggle with a domestic violence suspect earlier this month.
That’s why it is common for two or more police officers to respond and approach domestic calls with caution. They hope doing so will help decrease the risk to police officers in these unpredictable situations.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Most men want to help end violence against women, but...
Most men are not only aware of the prevalence of violence against women, but they are also willing to help prevent it.
Such are key findings of a national survey conducted from April 23 to May 23, 2007, by Peter D. Hart Research Associates for the Family Violence Prevention Fund and Verizon Wireless.
“There has been a sea of change in men’s attitudes toward domestic, dating and sexual violence, and especially in their willingness to take action to stop it,” said Esta Soler, president of the Family Violence Prevention Fund.
“That’s one reason domestic violence has been declining in this country,” she added. “But it’s still a tremendous problem.”
Such are key findings of a national survey conducted from April 23 to May 23, 2007, by Peter D. Hart Research Associates for the Family Violence Prevention Fund and Verizon Wireless.
“There has been a sea of change in men’s attitudes toward domestic, dating and sexual violence, and especially in their willingness to take action to stop it,” said Esta Soler, president of the Family Violence Prevention Fund.
“That’s one reason domestic violence has been declining in this country,” she added. “But it’s still a tremendous problem.”
Sunday, June 10, 2007
La medida de un hombre: Un ensayo sobre la hombría escrito en honor al Rev. Dr. Martin L. King, Jr.
Un amigo leyó una vez un libro inmensamente popular que aseguraba revelar secretos acerca de los hombres que toda mujer debía conocer. Mientras escuchaba a mi amigo divulgar los “secretos” del libro, no pude evitar sentir que no había nada secreto en sus “secretos” y que no eran sino tonterías comunes para aplacar a hombres perturbados, controladores y abusivos a quienes simplemente no se les reconoce como tales.
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