Researcher calls for women to stop abusing men
By Chloe Johnson <[email protected]>, Staff Writer

Wednesday 5 July 2006

CONCORD — Murray Straus says it's time for a men's movement.

Posters and broadcasts on partner violence always portray male perpetrators
and female victims, he said. According to his new research findings, that
leaves the other half out of the picture.

He told this to the New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Men at their
meeting Friday in the Legislative Office Building in Concord.

Straus, co-director of the Family Research Lab at the University of New
Hampshire, recently completed an international study on partner violence among
university students. His queries of more than 13,600 students revealed that the
most common instance of partner violence is mutual abuse.

The second most common situation of partner violence is when the female is
the perpetrator against the male, he said. This leaves the reverse — when
males abuse females — to be the least common in practice, although the most
common in publicity.

"I have a long-term prevention goal that I hope my research will make a
contribution to," Murray said prior to the meeting at which he was asked to
testify. He added that it's not enough to provide services for the battered, and
that the solution is to stop the aggressive behavior in the first place.

He said it's possible to stop half of abuse by making it as reprehensible
for a woman to slap a man as it for a man to hit a woman.

"If we want men to stop it," he said. "Women have to stop it also."

This is in part because his research indicates that abuse can escalate from
one partner to both.

He said overall partner abuse has decreased since the problem was recognized
nationally. However, he said, the change only applies to abuse by men, not
against them. That's because society has not made a "big deal" out of abuse
against men, he said.

Straus said he lauds the women's movement for calling attention to violence
against them. Now, he says it's men's turn.

"We should make the same big deal about women hitting men," Straus told his
audience. "That's one of the things your Commission can do."

Commissioner Marshall Hickok said the effort is blocked by society. "There's
a perceptual wall we run into where it's not taken seriously," he said.

Straus said the fact that the commission even exists is evidence that people
are taking the position of men more seriously. It was established by the
Legislature in 2002.

"It's going to depend on a mass social change of opinion," he said. "And
that takes a movement."

Straus said the study relied on self-reporting since partner violence is
rarely observed and rarely reported.

He said violence usually has to lead to injury or a disturbance of the peace
before the police are notified, and that is only a small fraction.

Straus said men are less likely to report abuse because of their own shame
and the disbelief of other people.

"No one has waged a campaign to get men to come forward when they are
victimized," Straus said.

Straus said female perpetrators of violence don't get reported by shelters
because they aren't asked if they also hit the men. And women do not go to a
shelter if they are the only one doing the hitting.

Research indicates that women are as likely to initiate violence as men,
Straus said.

Straus said the offenses range from a slap to homicide. He said nationally
women only commit 10 percent of homicides, but they commit one third of
domestic violence-related homicides.

"Women rarely commit homicide," he said. "But when they do, it's a male
partner."

Commissioner David Lauren asked whether the study took into account the
reason women would be abusive. Straus said his research found that dominance is
the primary reason people use violence.

People get violent out of anger and frustration, Straus said. He said they
are frequently attempting to correct misbehavior or punish for wrongdoing.

Chairman Joseph Mastromarino said the problem is not based on gender, but on
the ability to function in a relationship. He said people need to learn to
deal with conflicts without resorting to violence.

Straus noted that there is a difference between the type of violence the
different genders inflict. He said men cause two-thirds of the partner violence
that results in injuries requiring medical treatment.

"Men's violence against women has more severe consequences both physically
and mentally," he said.

But, he said, the other one-third can't be ignored.

Lauren agreed. "No violence should be ignored," he said. "It's a problem
regardless of who perpetrates it."

Hickok asked whether there is a correlation between the changing roles of
women in society and increased violence perpetrated by them. Straus said the
issue is disputed, but there is a theory of that nature. He said his
international study is consistent with the theory because countries with liberated
women have more cases of violence by women.

"Does that mean we shouldn't have equality?" he asked. "No."

"Every social change — including desirable ones — has its downside," he
said.

The commission asked Straus for advice on what kind of public initiative
could help lower the violence against men.

Straus said the violence presentation programs in public schools need to be
changed to address violence by females against males.

"Little by little — too little at a time — but things are happening,"
Straus said.