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also considers critical evaluation to  victims of IPV.

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critical focus  topic  discussion  topic
'coercive control' stemming from  'gas lighting.  This new domestic violence  term has been reinforced under section 76  in the UK Serious Crime Act 2015.

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When Ami first met Steven Saunders through mutual friends, she was struck by how attentive he was: often quick to compliment her, he made her feel special. He even wrote her a long letter in which he sang her praises. Compared to her previous boyfriends, he seemed like a breath of fresh air, and she fell for him hard.

Barely a few weeks into their relationship, however, things began to change. Saunders, 31, told her he had no bank account and therefore needed to use hers. He would borrow her card to withdraw "his" cash but withdraw hers as well. When she grew suspicious of his actions, he denied it all, telling her he'd won the cash at the betting shop. He also sold her mobile phone, which enabled him to control whom she spoke to.

Other behaviour of his was meanwhile starting to trouble her, especially when he had been drinking. He'd make various threats to harm himself, emotionally blackmailing her into doing what he wanted.

Walking away would seem like the obvious response to a relationship that had taken such a worrying turn; but things were not that simple. Ami, also in her early 30s, had quickly fallen pregnant to Saunders. The couple, from Surrey, did not have a place to live together, but Ami could have gone to stay with her mother. Yet Saunders would not countenance it, and each time Ami indicated she was going to leave him, he would threaten to kill himself, and did indeed self-harm in front of her. She wanted them to find somewhere they could live together, but he forced her to sleep on the streets and to beg. At other times, they slept in cars and car parks.

Emotional blackmail in such relationships is not uncommon. This week, Connor Appleyard was jailed for 16 months at Hull Crown Court for his coercive behaviour after making his then-girlfriend Kate Gutteridge, 33, his personal slave. Appleyard, who also made the mother-of-one taste every meal before he ate beforehand "to check they weren't laced with poison", threatened he would kill himself in front of her 13-year-old son if she ever left him.

Victims, then, can effectively find themselves trapped. Ami's loving and supportive family were anxious that she leave Saunders, but whenever she spoke to them on the phone, Saunders would be standing there next to her, limiting her ability to communicate freely.

In what is a believed to be a landmark case, Saunders was convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour towards Ami and in February was jailed for 18 months. "This was by far one of the most extreme controlling behaviour cases I have come across," says Rachel Fattore, a social worker who was involved in the case because it involved an unborn child. "He would frequently tell lies and she just couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't in the end because he was so convincing."

Credit: Surrey Police

Known as gaslighting, this kind of psychological manipulation is often seen in cases of coercive control. But until recently, there was no specific law against such behaviours. The relatively new offence of controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship was created in the Serious Crime Act 2015 and covers a range of actions, including isolating a person from their friends and family; monitoring their time; taking control over aspects of their everyday life, such as where they can go, who they can see, what they can wear and when they can sleep; and controlling their finances. A wide-ranging consultation on a Domestic Abuse Bill was then launched earlier this year and closes at the end of this month, with the Government seeking views on legislative proposals for a landmark draft Domestic Abuse Bill.

A small handful of offender s had already been convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour before Saunders, but his case is thought to be the first time in England the offence has led to a prison sentence purely on the basis of hearsay evidence - that is, without the need for a victim statement or involvement from an already vulnerable and terrified victim.

The justice process began after Ami was admitted to hospital last October, presenting with a problem while pregnant. DC Seb Valentine, who led the investigation for Surrey Police, says: "[Saunders] was quite aggressive to hospital staff members and wouldn't leave her on her own at any point so they banned him from being on the maternity ward. That didn't stop him going back there again and again and pressing the buzzer. That was why the hospital brought it to our attention."

Sometimes Saunders would turn up at the hospital in the middle of the night and persuade his pregnant girlfriend to leave the safety of the building and go out with him, returning a few hours later.

Police opened an investigation into him, piecing together what evidence they could gather from speaking to Ami, from notes made by hospital staff about his behaviour and from observing Ami's demeanour in his presence. "She would be very timid, looking down all the time, not wanting to talk much, but then when she was on her own she would open up more and be a completely different person," says DC Valentine. "We recognised what was going on, that she was pregnant and incredibly vulnerable and we needed to do something."

Credit: Pete Dadds/BBC/ PA

Saunders was arrested on suspicion of coercive and controlling behaviour.

"We spoke to Ami separately for several hours and she gave us a lot of information," says DC Valentine. "What she couldn't do was give an evidential account or stand up in court and give evidence. It's about what is safe for her. He has convinced her he's the only person she needs and she doesn't need anyone else like her family or friends. Isolation is really important in these relationships because that's where the control comes from, so it was impossible for us to convince her in a couple of hours that everything's going to be ok."

In other words, giving evidence is a risky business for a person in Ami's situation. Had she decided to do so, only for him to be acquitted, "then they're back again and it's dangerous," explains DC Valentine.

It's a problem that makes such cases particularly hard to prosecute, and why in Saunders' case prosecutors decided to use hearsay evidence, recorded in extensive statements taken by police while interviewing Ami. One of the things she revealed to them was especially telling. "She said if she didn't want to go with him somewhere he would grab her by the wrist and take her," says DC Valentine. "The fact she showed she was in fear of him...that's really important to us. We made sure we gathered a lot of evidence and that crucially we could show [she was afraid of him]."

Saunders denied the offence but was convicted following a trial at Staines Magistrates Court before being sent to Guildford Crown Court for sentencing.

Ami is now safe and well, and police hope that highlighting her case might help prompt other coercive control victims to come forward - something that is rarely straightforward for those trapped in such relationships.

Credit: David Cheskin/PA

As Fattore points out, "As well as being in fear of [Saunders], what made the whole situation difficult was that she was also in love with him, and that's very common. We have to factor in that she was in a relationship with him and had strong feelings for him so she felt very conflicted."

This, it seems, is typical. Liz, who works in South West Surrey Domestic Abuse Outreach Service and does not wish to give her full name, says: "I've got clients with stacks of letters [from their abusers about] how sorry they are, how they're never going to do it again, and they don't mean a word of it but this man, when he puts his arms around you, you feel no-one can touch you, you're on top of the world and you feel safer than you've ever felt in all your life because this is the man you've been waiting for all your life. So to [deviate] from that [belief] is really difficult."

The professionals are at pains to stress that coercive and controlling behaviour can, moreover, be exhibited by anyone, irrespective of social class. Nor are men the only culprits: last month university graduate Jordan Worth, 22, pleaded guilty at Luton Crown Court to the offence of controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate relationship, as well as wounding with intent and causing grievous bodily harm with intent. Worth, who is believed to be the first woman convicted of coercive control, had kept food from her boyfriend, banned him from their bed, decided what clothes he could wear, isolated him from friends and family and taken over his Facebook account, the court heard. She had also scalded him with boiling water and stabbed him, and was jailed for seven-and-a-half years. Raised by a loving and supportive family, she had a 2:1 honours degree in Fine Arts from the University of Hertfordshire.

"It's not just disadvantaged men or women," says Fattore. "It can be rich people, people in high-up positions. Professional men are just as likely to be abusive and that's what makes it really difficult because that's when victims are not necessarily believed; people don't believe that somebody with that sort of stature, that sort of responsibility, that sort of job - [somebody who] presents this way on the outside - could be responsible for something like that. But some of the worst cases I've worked with are really professional, powerful people."

Liz agrees: "We've got GPs, barristers, police officers, judges; it's not one specific type," she says, while DC Valentine says he's "dealt with several celebrities " when investigating the problem. "It's not confined to any gender, age, culture, religion," he adds.

But if perpetrators can hail from any walk of life, the impact of their coercive and controlling behaviour on their victims is uniformly devastating. "It messes with your head," says Liz. "It messes with your whole life."

The conviction of Saunders was a milestone. In future, it is hoped, offenders like him will have fewer places to hide.
Victim's name has been changed

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When she threatened to leave, he threatened to kill himself: the story behind a landmark coercive control case

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When Ami first met Steven Saunders through mutual friends, she was struck by how attentive he was: often quick to compliment her, he made her feel special. He even wrote her a long letter in which he sang her praises. Compared to her previous boyfriends, he seemed like a breath of fresh air, and she fell for him hard.

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looking at offender/victim relationship  through subordinate and oppositional masculinity paradigms to  understand hegemonic  masculinity.

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"Professor Patricia Easteal, of the University of Canberra, has called for the introduction of a new domestic violence offence to make "coercive control" a crime ( Knaus 2015).

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"The result of this 'mismatch' between the victims' reality of violence in the home and the view of the criminal justice system can be tragic."

More than two decades ago, Professor Easteal conducted research on intimate homicides across Australia.

She found in almost all cases involving a man killing his partner, the homicide was the "last act in a lengthy history of battering".

In more than half the cases, the woman had left the relationship.

Professor Easteal says the same thing is still being observed today, and fears the justice system is not acting strongly enough to protect women before it's too late.

"Such tragedy seems to be almost an inevitable outcome of a persistent blindness by the police, courts (and community) to the seriousness of spousal violence," she said.

"Legislation to protect victims of family violence, some enacted over the past two decades, is of negligible value if arrests, prosecutions and convictions do not take place.

"Also of concern are the relatively lenient sentences given, which are of little deterrent value."

This year alone in Australia, two women have died every week at the hands of a partner or ex-partner.

The ACT has seen three family violence-related deaths in three weeks; two involving a man allegedly killing a partner or ex-partner, and the other a man allegedly killing his mother's partner in Wanniassa.

Professor Easteal last year published a book with Anna Carline called Shades of Grey, which calls for the introduction of a specific offence for family violence for "coercive control".

It is argued that such an offence is needed because the current criminal calendar is inadequate in capturing the harms inflicted in abusive relationships.

The focus of a "coercive control" offence would be on patterns of behaviour, she said.

"Such an example can be seen in Tasmania, where it is an offence for a person to 'pursue a course of conduct that he or she knows, or ought to know is likely to have the effect of unreasonably controlling or intimidating or causing mental harm, apprehension or fear in, his or her spouse of partner'."

Recently re-elected NSW Premier Mike Baird last month committed to introducing a domestic violence disclosure register, a system which would allow people to check whether their partners were domestic violence offenders.

When asked whether it would follow suit, the ACT said it would monitor the efforts of other states and territories in tackling domestic violence.

Professor Easteal said such a system, piloted in Britain, had its problems. Disclosure rates in the pilot areas varied greatly, she said, possibly because of different interpretations of what constituted the "pressing need" required for information to be released.

She said many violent men were initially very loving, charming and non-abusive, meaning women wouldn't seek disclosure early on.

A disclosure system, Professor Easteal said, could lay responsibility for the problem at the feet of individuals, instead of governments, and take the focus off the failures of the system.

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Justice system failing domestic violence victims: expert

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"The result of this 'mismatch' between the victims' reality of violence in the home and the view of the criminal justice system can be tragic." More than two decades ago, Professor Easteal conducted research on intimate homicides across Australia.

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mentions the impact of IPV on victim's children.  Being witness to these crimes most often impacts on cognitive and behavioural  function which can sometimes last until professional intervention is requested.

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what is family violence and abuse?

If you are a male victim of family violence and/or abuse, you are not alone. No matter your background, location, income, age, profession, culture, race, ability, religion or sexuality, you deserve help.

One in eight men will experience violence from an intimate partner or family member in their lifetime.

WHAT IS FAMILY VIOLENCE and abuse?

Family violence is any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality.

It can happen to any man or boy.

Family violence is not just about physical violence, intimidation and threats. It also includes sexual, emotional, psychological, verbal and economic/financial abuse; property damage and social isolation. Many men experience multiple forms of abuse. Men, more so than women, can also experience legal and administrative abuse - the use of institutions to inflict further abuse on a victim, for example, taking out false restraining orders or not allowing the victim access to his children.

Controlling behaviour is a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape and regulating their everyday behaviour.

Coercive behaviour is an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish or frighten.

Psychological/emotional abuse involves the regular and deliberate use of a range of words and non-physical actions used with the purpose to manipulate, hurt, weaken or frighten a person mentally and emotionally. It can include "gaslighting": using language and behaviour which makes a person doubt their perceptions and become misled, disoriented or distressed.

Economic/financial abuse involves controlling finances, stealing money, coercing someone into debt, restricting/exploiting/sabotaging their partner's access to money and other resources such as food, clothing, transportation and a place to live.

EXAMPLES OF PHYSICAL ABUSE

* Being kicked, punched, pinched, slapped, dragged, scratched, choked, bitten, pushed, stabbed
* Use of weapons including knives and irons
* Being scalded, burnt or poisoned
* Objects being thrown, including food, drinks and cutlery
* Violence against family members or pets
* Causing you physical harm by denying access to medical aids, equipment or services
* Harming you whilst performing 'care' duties (especially relevant for disabled victims) including force-feeding, withdrawal of medicine or over-medication.

* Limiting outside involvement such as family, friends and work colleagues
* Not allowing any activity outside the home that does not include her or him
* Constant checking up on your whereabouts.

* Constant yelling and shouting
* Verbal humiliation either in private or in company
* Constantly being laughed at or being made fun of
* Blaming you for their own failures
* Insults and threats
* Mocking someone about their disability, gender, sexual orientation, physical appearance, etc
* Mocking your "sexual performance" including in front of friends, work colleagues or on social media.

EXAMPLES OF THREATENING BEHAVIOUR

* The threat of violence
* The threat of use of weapons including knives and irons
* The threat of use of violence against family members or pets
* Threatening to use extended family members or others to attack you
* Destroying your personal and treasured items
* Threatening to tell the police that you are the person committing the domestic abuse, or that you are committing sexual abuse including against your children
* Threatening to remove your children, that you will never see them again, or that they will be taken interstate or overseas without your permission.

EXAMPLES OF EMOTIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE

* Intimidation
* Withholding affection and giving you the silent treatment
* Turning your children, family and friends against you
* Being stopped from seeing friends or relatives
* Constantly being insulted, including in front of others
* Repeatedly being belittled
* Stopping you sleeping
* Excessive contact, for example stalking and monitoring
* Using social media sites to intimidate you (such as Facebook and Twitter)
* Wilfully stopping fathers from seeing their children by breaching court orders
* Manipulating your anxieties or beliefs
* Telling you that you are to blame for the abuse and injuries
* Persuading you to doubt your own sanity or mind (including "gaslighting")
* Telling you you're not the father of your children
* Telling you you're not a "real" father
* Denying the abuse committed against you ever happened or trying to minimise it
* Telling you your bruises, cuts and injuries are not serious
* Accusing you falsely of having affairs and/or constantly looking at other women
* Mocking your "sexual performance" including in front of friends, work colleagues and on social media.

EXAMPLES OF POWER AND CONTROL

Abusers believe they have a right to control their partners by:

* Telling you what to do and expecting obedience
* Telling you you'll never see your children again if you leave
* Using force to maintain power and control
* Not accepting responsibility for the abuse
* Continually and purposefully breaching family court orders
* Forcing you to marry them against your will.

EXAMPLES OF ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL ABUSE

* Totally controlling the family income
* Not allowing you to spend any money unless "permitted"
* Making you account for every dollar you spend
* Running up huge bills such as credit cards in your name
* Purposely defaulting on payments
* Setting up false companies, accounts or credit cards
* Deliberately forcing you to go back to the family courts as a means of costing you additional legal fees
* Refusing to contribute to household income
* Interfering with or preventing you from regularising your immigration status so you are economically dependent on the perpetrator
* Preventing you from claiming welfare benefits, forcing someone to commit benefit fraud or misappropriating such benefits
* Interfering with your education, training or employment
* Not allowing you access to a mobile phone/car/utilities
* Damaging your property.

* Sexual harassment/pressure, or sexual acts, including with other people
* Using sexually degrading language
* Rape
* Forcing you to perform a sexual act against your will, sometimes after physical assaults
* Unwanted sexual contact and demands
* Forcing you into watching or making pornography
* Deliberately hurting you during sex
* Pressuring or tricking you into having unsafe sex
* Your partner telling you they are taking contraception (e.g. the pill) when they are not.

EXAMPLES OF FALSE ALLEGATIONS

* Telling the police (or threatening) that you are the one committing the family violence when it is the other way around
* Telling friends, families, your employer and others such as sports clubs (or threatening) that you are the one committing the domestic abuse
* False allegations of another crime such as abusing children.

EXAMPLES OF BEING STALKED

Stalkers will often use multiple and differing methods to harass their victims. Stalking can consist of any type of behaviour such as:

Following you to and from work

Checking your email, messages and phone calls

Regularly sending gifts

Making unwanted or malicious communication

Damaging property or clothes

Physical or sexual assault.

EXAMPLES OF DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA ABUSE

Stalking and/or trolling you online

Placing false and malicious information about you on social media

Posting or sharing revenge porn

Hacking into, monitoring or controlling your email, messages, social media profiles and phone calls

Image-based abuse, i.e. the non-consensual distribution of private sexual photographs and films with the intent to cause you distress

Blocking you from using online accounts, responding in your place or creating false online accounts using your identity

Use of spyware or GPS locators on items such as phones, computers, wearable technology, cars, motorbikes and pets

Hacking internet enabled devices such as PlayStations or iPads to gain access to accounts or trace information such as your location

Using personal devices such as smart watches or smart home devices (such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home Hubs, etc) to monitor, control or frighten you

Using hidden cameras to record you.

TYPES OF COERCIVE AND CONTROLLING BEHAVIOUR

Isolating you from your friends and family

Depriving you of your basic needs

Monitoring your time

Monitoring your online communication tools or using spyware

Taking control over aspects of your everyday life, such as where you can go, who you can see, what to wear and when you can sleep

Depriving you of access to support services, such as specialist support or medical services

Repeatedly putting you down such as telling you that you are worthless

Enforcing rules and activity which humiliate, degrade or dehumanise you

Forcing you to take part in criminal activity such as shoplifting, neglect or abuse of children to encourage self-blame and prevent disclosure to authorities

Financial abuse including control of finances, such as only allowing you a punitive allowance

Threats to hurt or kill you or a child

Threats to reveal or publish private information (e.g. threatening to 'out' someone)

Criminal damage (such as destruction of household goods)

Preventing you from working or having access to transport

Controlling or monitoring your daily activities, including making you account for your time, dictating what you can wear, when you can eat

Isolating you from family and friends, intercepting messages or phone calls or refusing to interpret

Intentionally undermining your role as a partner, spouse or parent

Preventing you from taking medication or over-medicating you, or preventing you from accessing health or social care (especially relevant for victims with disabilities or long-term health conditions)

Using drugs and/or alcohol to control you through dependency

Using children to control you - threatening to take the children away or manipulating professionals to increase the risk of children being removed into care

Parental alienation, including preventing children from spending time with your or their grandparents, from visiting friends' houses and from participating in extracurricular activities

Threats to expose sensitive information (e.g. sexual activity) or make false allegations to family members, religious or local community including via photos or the internet

Preventing you from learning a language or making friends outside of your ethnic or cultural background

Threatening precarious immigration status against you, withholding documents or providing false information about your visa or visa application

Threats of institutionalisation.

Many thanks to the ManKind Initiative, our brother organisation in the UK, for allowing us to adopt this material from their .

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What is family violence? | One in Three Campaign

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Family violence is any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality. It can happen to any man or boy.

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Men as victims.

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men and women as victims of cyberbullying

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men and women as victims of cyberbullying

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Raises some valid reasoning in argument and suggests more education and understanding for men who are victims of domestic violence.

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 Week6 Women as Victims, The Narcissist in all of us??

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 Week6 Women as Victims, The Narcissist in all of us??

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After reading kate Abramson's post grad study research on the psychological concept of 'gaslighting', I was curious to see how others viewed the concept of projective identification which was  a focus discussion concept.  Sam Vaknin divergently takes psychological mainstream ideologies on narcissist behaviour and introduces new therapy frameworks .  He intelligently constructs a narrative through avatar study which professionals in sociology and science use to construct a more uniformed way of understanding people ( Scarborough, & Bailenson, 2014). Sam talks the viewer through the reciprocal concept  of 'Introjective identification' where the target is manipulated through the narcissistic pathological tactic of control.

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Men as Victims
Interesting article highlighting male victims of domestic violence

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When we discuss domestic violence, it is often assumed that the victims are women. And the statistics are truly traumatic. The less-told story is that a striking number of men are victims, too, suffering physical, mental and sexual abuse in both heterosexual and same-sex relationships. According to the CDC, one in four adult men in the U.S. will become a victim of domestic violence during his lifetime. That's upwards of three million male domestic violence victims every year, or one man in America abused by an intimate or domestic partner every 37.8 seconds.

Highlighting these statistics is not meant to downplay in any way domestic violence among women. It is, however, intended to add to the growing conversation that anyone can be the victim of domestic abuse and everyone who needs protection deserves access to it.

Male victims of domestic violence, just like female victims, often deal with intense self-doubt and anxiety before reaching out for help. Victims may fear their abusers will seek retribution if they go to the police, or they feel great uncertainty about leaving their home for temporary safe house shelter. Men and women can both experience these kinds of worries. But one barrier to that tends to only apply to male victims? The belief that domestic violence laws and resources don't apply to them.

Is there any truth to this? There may be no better time than October's Domestic Violence Awareness Month to clear up a misconception that has persisted for far too long. If you are a man in an abusive relationship, or know someone who is, here are five reality checks that your safety is valued and important.

Fear: Police Don't See Women as Abusers
Reality Check: A few weeks ago, a domestic violence case in Florida made headlines when a man - an army ranger - came forward with evidence that his estranged wife had physically abused him. His proof? Video from a Go Pro camera he was wearing that allegedly showed his wife physically assaulting him in front of their children. The two have been engaged in a bitter divorce and custody battle, and now domestic violence has been added to the mix. The wife in this matter has been charged and is currently in jail.

You don't need video evidence before the police will take you seriously. Start keeping a log of all instances of abusive actions taken by your partner, and be as specific as possible with dates, places, times, what happened, and the names of any witnesses. Carefully document any cuts, bruises or other injuries, taking photos whenever possible and seeking medical care as needed. If you feel unsafe having this information in your home, ask a trusted friend or family member to keep it in a secure place in their home. In the event you call the police, or someone else calls 911 to report an incident, producing this kind of evidence can be a powerful tool to clarify the situation for the police. Yes, female abusers may falsely claim that they were only fighting back in self-defense, or in a same-sex relationship, the other male partner may claim it was a mutual argument that got out of hand. The police understand these kinds of tactics and are trained to do their job to assess the incident and take the correct action. You can help them by being up front with what has been happening in your relationship.

Fear: Domestic Violence Victim Shelters Don't Help Men
Reality Check: This month the New Jersey Coalition for Battered Women, one of the state's leading domestic violence agencies, changed its name to the New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence. A statement put on the organization's website explains that this more inclusive name clarifies that the group's work is for the benefit of all domestic violence victims. What's in a name? Unfortunately, the female-centric names that many domestic violence advocacy groups carry can send male victims the message that they aren't welcome. While women may be the predominant group these agencies serve, many shelters and outreach groups provide services for male DV victims, including safe house shelter and legal assistance. In you are a male seeking help, don't let a shelter's name or title throw you off. For help finding the shelters in your community that provide services to men, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1−800−799−7233.

Fear: Domestic Violence Laws Are Stacked Against Men
Reality Check: In domestic violence situations, all states offer their courts the ability to issue restraining orders that restrict contact between abusers and victims. Restraining orders are often the most significant legal remedy available to abuse victims, and can be obtained regardless of gender. When it comes to other domestic violence statutes, most states (approximately 37) have laws that use gender-free language. Even in states that don't, the law in practice is typically applied to both female and male victims; a few states even have special legal language protecting victims in same-sex relationships.

You don't need to be an expert in the law to get help as a male victim of domestic violence, but it can be helpful to have an attorney by your side to advocate for your rights and guide you through the system, especially when it comes to filing for a restraining order. According to one recent study, 83 percent of victims who had an attorney help them file a restraining order successfully obtained one, compared to approximately 30 percent of victims who went it alone.

Fear: Gay Male Victims Will Be "Outed"
Reality Check: When seeking help from a shelter or other domestic violence victim services, gay men who wish to keep their sexual orientation private may believe they will need to reveal this information in order to get help. However, it is enough to identify yourself as a victim of domestic violence. Domestic violence advocates and counselors know that you are in crisis and are trained not to pressure victims to respond to questions they are not comfortable answering. It's also okay to ask about what policies are in place to ensure that any information you share will be kept private.

Fear: Men Who Seek Help Are Weak
Reality Check: Many men don't seek help for domestic abuse because they fear that it will make them look weak. The truth? There are few actions that require as much bravery as walking away from an abusive relationship. To recognize that you are in need of help and then take the steps needed to get it is not weakness. It's a sign of strength.

If you, or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence or domestic abuse -and this includes spousal cyber abuse - get help immediately. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence ( NCADV) has full details of what to do and Domestic Shelters has contact information of local help and shelters near you. Alternatively call National Domestic Violence Hotline on 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE).

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It's Time to Acknowledge Male Victims of Domestic Violence

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When we discuss domestic violence, it is often assumed that the victims are women. And the statistics are truly traumatic. The less-told story is that a striking number of men are victims, too, suffering physical, mental and sexual abuse in both heterosexual and same-sex relationships.

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Week 8 Gender and the criminal justice system

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Week 8 Gender and the criminal justice system

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By C1 Staff

As the song goes, it's a man's world, and perhaps even more so in the correctional field. Still, women are making leaps and bounds as correctional officers, management, medical, probation officers and more.

We took to Facebook to ask our readers what advice they would offer other female correctional employees, whether they were considering a job in corrections or if they were veterans. Here are the top responses.

Have something to say that you don't see here? Feel free to add it in the comments.

10. Wear your uniform one size larger than you usually would. This isn't just for comfort and convenience during shakedowns when going on or off shift; it's also to prevent any lingering gazes from inmates.

9. This job isn't for everyone; you're going to see the worst of the worst, along with those who've simply made bad decisions. You'll be faced with this every day, and that will change you, probably in ways you won't expect or maybe even notice.

8. Know your facility's policies and stick to them. Do everything by procedure. Doing so will keep you safe, hopefully both in the physical sense and from potential lawsuits.

7. Being a CO is a very physical job; your height likely won't be useful in intimidating inmates, but being in good physical shape can. Also, just being in good shape can also save your life in a physical confrontation.

6. You earned your right to wear the uniform just like everyone else, regardless of gender; don't let the comments of others, inmates or officer, get under your skin. You're here to do a job, so do it and do it well, and let the rude comments slide off your back.

5. Make sure to always file reports when you have a concern, and don't be afraid to voice your opinion. Doing both will help define who you are as an officer: it explains what you will and won't stand for, and also leaves a paper trail in your own defense should anything happen.

4. It's OK to be scared. Not being scared can lead to complacency, and that's a slippery slope to letting an accident happen where someone could get hurt or, worse, killed. Being scared keeps you on your toes, alert and aware.

3. It's all about character; be the officer that others want to emulate, that inmates respect, that gets the job done and goes home at the end of the shift safely and secure in the knowledge that she's working to make the world a better place.

2. Be consistent with inmates; live, eat and breathe the motto, 'firm, fair and consistent.' As an officer, these are words you should live by, whether you're dealing with an inmate, a fellow officer, or management.

1. This one should go without saying, but as our commenters so colorfully put it, 'don't get your honey where you get your money.' The media is all too ready to run with the idea that female COs are willing to jump in the sack with male inmates; be the officer that defies this stereotype.

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10 things female correctional officers should know

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By C1 Staff As the song goes, it's a man's world, and perhaps even more so in the correctional field. Still, women are making leaps and bounds as correctional officers, management, medical, probation officers and more.

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Gender and the Criminal Justice System

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Gender differences

The Ministry of Justice has just published (24 November 2016) the latest statistics on women in the criminal justice system, covering 2015.

Overall, and unsurprisingly, females appear to have been substantially under-represented as offenders throughout the CJS compared with males. This is particularly true in relation to the most serious offence types and sentences, though patterns by sex vary between individual offences. Females were also typically under-represented among practitioners in the CJS and among victims of violent crime, although they were more likely than males to have been a victim of intimate violence or child abuse. Trends over time for each sex often mirror overall trends, though this is not always the case.

Victimisation

According to the Crime Survey of England and Wales, there was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of women and men that were victims of crime in 2015/16. Women were less likely than men to think that the CJS is fair and more likely to believe that crime is rising. Women were more likely to have been subject to abuse as children, particularly sexual assault. They were less likely to be victims of violent crime in general, but much more likely to be victims of sexual assault or domestic violence - and female homicide victims were far more likely than their male equivalents to have a current or former partner be the principal suspect for their death.

Police activity

Less than a quarter of those given a penalty notice for disorder (22%) or caution (24%) were female. Women were underrepresented to an even greater extent among those arrested (16%), who are typically being dealt with for more serious offences than those dealt with out of court. For both out of court disposals and arrests, females were particularly likely to have been dealt with for theft offences.

Defendants

Over the last decade, the number of females prosecuted has risen by 6%, driven by increases in prosecutions for TV license evasion, while the number of males prosecuted has fallen by a third. Nevertheless, in line with police activity, females were still substantially underrepresented among those prosecuted, at just over a quarter of the total (27%). This is broadly mirrored in convictions, remands and sentencing, although women have a slightly higher conviction ratio. Women were more likely to be sentenced to fines and conditional discharges and less likely to be sentenced to custody, compared with men. They also received shorter immediate custodial sentences on average, with the gap increasing over the last decade, driven by increases in the number of prosecutions and average custodial sentence length of male sexual offenders.

Offender Characteristics

Females made up a quarter of first time offenders, but only one in seven of those dealt with who had a previous caution or conviction. Males were more likely to be sentenced to immediate custody and to receive custodial sentences of 6 months or longer than females with a similar criminal history. Three-fifths of offences committed by women with 15 or more previous cautions or convictions related to theft, compared with only two-fifths for men. Although males were more likely to reoffend, females had a higher number of proven reoffences on average per reoffender. Females were slightly more likely than males to reoffend following a short custodial sentence, but considerably less likely to reoffend following longer ones.

Offenders under supervision or in custody

Women represented only 5% of the prison population, a proportion that has fallen over the last decade. However, in line with sentencing patterns, women were typically serving shorter sentences and represented almost 9% of those admitted to custody. Female prisoners reported feeling better supported in prison, but less safe, and they were more likely to self-harm and self-harm more frequently than men. There were lower rates of assault in female prisons, but a slightly higher proportion of disciplinary incidents relative to the population. Women typically had shorter periods of probation and fewer requirements. They were also more likely than men to participate in education in prison, to be granted home detention curfew if eligible, to make a success of release on temporary license and to have their probation orders terminated early for good progress.

Offence analysis

A range of differences between the sexes could be seen when individual offences are examined; typical behaviours and outcomes vary between men and women at an offence level. For example, while women were more likely than men to have been prosecuted for TV license evasion, typical sentencing behaviour was the same for both sexes, whereas prosecutions for benefit fraud were close to evenly split between men and women, but males typically received more serious sentences. Trends also vary over time at an offence level: for example, women were becoming less likely to receive an immediate custodial sentence for indictable drug offence, while males were not. In line with overall trends, however, the differences that exist at offence level usually represent either less involvement or less serious involvement in the CJS for women than men.

Practitioners

Women were substantially underrepresented among the police and judiciary, at just over a quarter of practitioners, but represented more than half of those working in the Ministry of Justice, Crown Prosecution Service and female prison estate. In general, CJS functions involving direct contact with offenders had fewer females than males (and vice versa for those that do not), but the proportions have been slowly getting more equal since 2011. Female representation among senior staff was considerably lower than in the general workforce for all CJS organisations, but proportions have been rising. This summary omits to say that a large majority of probation staff having direct contact with offenders are women.

The MoJ has also published this very helpful infographic which summarises all the main data:

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Women in the justice system - latest statistics

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Gender differences The Ministry of Justice has just published (24 November 2016) the latest statistics on women in the criminal justice system, covering 2015. Overall, and unsurprisingly, females appear to have been substantially under-represented as offenders throughout the CJS compared with males.

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Gender and the criminal  Justice System.  After this weeks lecture I decided to investigate employment options for women in the criminal  justice system. I found this advert for a recruitment night for correctional officers. Noticed particular attention to Aboriginal and women encouraged to apply.  This  Supporting current statistical data on low numbers of women entering the criminal Justice system. Current research also suggesting a change in culture of corrections is necessary for balancing gender relations.  Feminist  thought assuming the role of the correctional officer as a female officer  who must disconnect from its traditional identified masculinized custodian role (Burdett Gouliquer, & Poulin, C. 2018).

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Department for Correctional Services - Correctional Officer Information Night to be held in May

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Are you interested in a career with DCS? A Correctional Officer Information Night is being held on 16 May 2018 at 5.30 pm at the Northfield RSL.

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Week 8 Gender and the criminal justice system 

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Week 8 Gender and the criminal justice system 

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Whenever this subject arises, the first thing that comes into our head is 'women commit less offense than work forces. ' In order to understand the true relationship between the gender and offense, we must look at some statistics. In the Statistics on Women and the Criminal Justice System, the proportion of grownups who were victims of force by sex or age indicates that work forces are much more likely than adult females to be the victim of violent offense. The hazard of this force was highest for immature work forces aged 16 to 24 - 13.4 % , and this tendency decreases with age. For adult females a similar tendency has shown, nevertheless with lower hazards than work forces for all ages, such as 6.4 % for adult females aged 16-24, although it is deserving observing that harmonizing to BCS 2007/08, for domestic force, 85 % of the victims are adult females and 15 % for work forces. The statistics in homicide the figure of male strong beliefs is 535 comparison to 54 of female strong beliefs in 2002/03 ; and in 2005/06, 447 of male strong beliefs compare to 31 of female strong beliefs. It is reasonably obvious those males are more likely to perpetrate a homicide than females, in about one out of 10 of those convicted were female. Similar tendencies can be seen in sexual offenses, fraud and engineering offenses, and offenses dealt with by Youth Offending squads affecting individuals aged 10-17, and in this subdivision the offenses that show the most important difference in per centum are vehicle larceny and drug offenses, which are both 92 % of male strong beliefs compare to 8 % of female strong beliefs. Besides if we look into the figures of the individuals arrested for notifiable offenses and offenses classs by sex in England and Wales, although the general tendency remains similar to the 1s I mentioned above, i.e. male strong beliefs are the dominant.

Possibly this tendency could be explained by the theoretical work on maleness. This theory based on the thought that gender was socially constructed and where encultured sex functions were ascribed to bodily difference. R. W. Connell looked at the cardinal constructs of patriarchate, domination, subjugation and development through which work forces are deemed the powerful and this piece of theory is further focussed and transformed into an apprehension of complex and multiple malenesss which are known as hegemonic malenesss and subordinated malenesss, basically Connell was proposing that this maleness has formed the dominant gender construction and this is reflected in our mundane life. Although Connell 's work has been criticized as vague and unhelpful since how do we measure up 'masculine ' and it does non explicate the dimensions of integrities and differences amongst work forces, and hence this explains that male are more likely to perpetrate and endure from offenses due to their 'nature ' of being the dominant 1s, associated with stamina, power authorization and competition and hence leads to aggression and force.

Messerchmidt has besides brought another thought by utilizing Connell 's model, he developed the thought of gender as a 'situational achievement ' and of offense as a agency of 'doing gender ' . He addresses race and category alongside gender in his theorisation of these classs as 'structured action ' ; and the thought is that maleness can be seen as a important point of intersection of different signifiers or constructions of power. However, this thought besides received some unfavorable judgment for it is non clear whether these maleness theories leave us in footings of groking offense. As Hood-Williams puts it, " the extremist inquiry is 'whether the term malenesss ' adds anything to the analysis of condemnable events or is it an empty tautology meaning nil more than the things work forces and male childs do " .

Katz possibly has the most advanced and utile analysis on the survey of offense. He focused on the foreground factors of the experience of offense and its moral emotions ; such as exhilaration, seduction elements in which attracts an person to perpetrate a offense. It suggests that possibly the elements of desire, risk-seeking are more of import than the fact that an wrongdoer has a masculine individuality. Frosh et Al exemplify some of these subjects in their analysis of male childs as 'active agents ' ; their mundane impression of 'Macho ' behaviour, and makes them 'popular ' and 'cool ' , all these are shaped by societal constructions and single bureau, for illustration, films or movies involve hooking and how they live in glorification and luxury can be really influential, childs might move in a similar manner to demo their gallantry or merely to affect the people around them, or even simply to fulfill one 's wonder without sing the effects. Is this an deduction that gender does non play rather the indispensable function as we assumed, if that is the instance so how do we explicate the tendency from the statistics - males are more likely to convict than females?

The USA has been analysing the recorded additions which show that between 1980 and 2003 the female per centum of all apprehensions additions from one-fifth to one-tired for simple assault, they suggested that the rise in misss ' force is due to a assortment of factors ; this includes the recent alterations in jurisprudence enforcement patterns and the juvenile justness system, they claim that the rise has less to make with implicit in behaviour, but to make with alterations in jurisprudence and patroling towards less serious offense and besides with less biased or more efficient responses to misss ' aggression. Therefore, it is bespeaking that possibly the gender is non doing the difference in official statistics, but the gradual alteration in the traditional colored positions on the 'masculinity ' on the two genders.

To reason, we could reason that the gender-gap is contracting due to the policy-makers and jurisprudence hatchet mans and it does turn out that possibly gender does non play such a large function. However we could non disregard the fact that there is such a monolithic difference in the gender-gap. I believe that there is no definite reply to this issue, we must analyse with farther scrutiny and the grounds of future tendency between the two genders.

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Relationship Between Gender And Crime Criminology Essay - Thepoetrytrust

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Whenever this subject arises, the first thing that comes into our head is 'women commit less offense than work forces. ' In order to understand the true relationship between the gender and offense, we must look at some statistics.

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 Week 6 Women as victims focus 'Crazy Making'

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 Week 6 Women as victims focus 'Crazy Making'

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a critical look at  Tactics of control through critical evaluation of  a  gas lighting. This Article by kate Abramson certainly delves deep into core of gas lighting. It takes the 1944 movie Gas Lighting as scholastic novice thinking to a possible visualization that mirror's De Beauvoir's quench for collaring in tsunami grand prix double standard thinking with a trophy shelve out doing any Bond director.  With Keen Kelly slater moves  this paper draws particular attention to 'projective identification' a  concept that adds multi layering paradigms to question in depth, requiring more than a just  Peter Pan collar.  The discussion of 'projective identification' is this paper instinctively captured a thought provoking idea that would drive the intended audience to question, nurture and add worth while adding hypotheses of their own.

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Week 8 Gender and the criminal justice system. Giving a voice to those who cant be heard.

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Week 8 Gender and the criminal justice system. Giving a voice to those who cant be heard.

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As Richard Pryor once said "Just us"
cited in Simpson, S. S. (1989). Feminist theory, crime, and justice. Criminology, 27(4), 605-632.

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Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Like much of media, podcasting is dominated by male voices. Although women make up nearly half of all podcast listeners , the vast majority of podcasts are led by men. As of this writing, only 21 of the top 100 podcasts on iTunes are hosted by women, and nine have women co-hosts.

In 2014, I launched my own podcast primarily because I saw a gender imbalance among the loud, dominating voices in my own industry and wanted to give women in digital a platform for sharing their perspectives, their insights, and their stories.

And I wasn't alone in feeling this way.
Giving women a voice
Across industries, women have been identifying gaps in conversations and using podcasts as a way to make their voices-and the voices of other women-heard.

"I felt that female artists were woefully under-represented in mainstream radio," says Bree Noble, independent musician and creator of Women of Substance Radio . "Even in 2018, you can still listen to the singer/songwriter channel on iTunes for hours and hear not one woman. That needs to change." To further provide support for female artists, she started a second podcast titled The Female Entrepreneur Musician . Says Noble, "My mission is to serve and support women who don't fit into the music industry mold and empower them to build their own career like a business, like the entrepreneurs they are."

After Kathleen Shannon and Emily Thompson, two self-proclaimed "business besties," started having behind-the-scenes conversations about their work and lives as business owners in creative fields, they decided to turn them into a podcast called Being Boss . "We were sharing our struggles and successes alike with each other and at one point we thought more creative entrepreneurs (who often work solo, by themselves all day long) could benefit from overhearing real talk about what it takes to do the work and be boss," say Shannon and Thompson.

And this was especially true for women. "Creative entrepreneurship gives the potential to redefine the rules of what it means to be self-employed that can benefit all of humankind, which especially appeals and lends freedom to women. It gives us room to plant ourselves and flourish on our own accord as we refuse to play to systems that need overhauling...Women have a lot of power to make big shifts but it's only going to happen if we start talking (and living!) out loud."

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The Power Of Podcasting To Fight The Patriarchy

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Share to email Share to facebook Share to twitter Share to linkedin Share to google Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Like much of media, podcasting is dominated by male voices. Although women make up nearly half of all podcast listeners , the vast majority of podcasts are led by men.

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The following list of tactics of power and control summarises the list that you can download by subscribing to SpeakOutLoud in the side panel. I have written separate blog posts explaining each of the following ways men use coercive control against female partners:

One-sided power games including behaviours that ensure he has his way at her expense

Mind games including guilt trips and confusing her in ways that make her feel crazy

Inappropriate restrictions including refusing to let her work

Isolation including controlling incoming information such as what she reads

Over-protection and 'caring' including dissuading her from going out alone in case she gets raped

Emotional unkindness, violation of trust, Cyberbullying including promising to help and then 'forgetting'

Degradation & suppression of potential including criticising her strengths and achievements

Separation abuse including stalking such as leaving flowers - this sends a threatening message that he can always find her no matter where she is. Whereas, an outsider might look at this act, and think of it as a caring gesture.

Using social institutions including engaging in child custody battles to maintain power over her

Using social prejudices such as saying to a disabled partner that she can't even walk out the door - this reinforces his power

Denial including refusing to take responsibility for the harm he causes

Minimising by saying "it wasn't that bad, get over it"

Blaming by twisting the story so she appears responsible

Making excuses such as blaming stress at work

Using children for example saying he wouldn't get so angry if she kept the children quiet

Economic abuse including not allowing her access to any money, or putting her in charge of the budget, but then spending all the money and abusing her when the debt mounts

Intimate Partner Sexual abuse including pressuring her to have sex when she is sick

Symbolic aggression including threats to harm her family, friends, pets

Domestic slavery including punishing her for not carrying out duties he claims she should have, while not carrying out his own

Physical violence: Men's Motivations including hair pulling and dragging her along the floor

Cyber abuse, Online social cruelty, Cyber bullying, Cyber stalking

Systematic pattern of power and control

As the above list suggests, physical violence is just one tactic among many that some men subject their female partners to. And not all these men use physical violence - ever. Rather they use some, or all, of the above psychological and structural forms of control.

Each behaviour, when looked at separately, could seem justifiable. Each singular behaviour could look like something minor. Each behaviour on its own could appear that the woman provoked it. Just one of these behaviours viewed from the outside - out of context - could appear like he was just having a bad day.

However, look at this short list in its entirety. Now consider this mass of behaviours as a systematic pattern. Also know that women who are subjected to this pattern of abuse and control experience MANY of these tactics - every day, every week, every month, every year - for years and years. Then ask yourself if you think this systematic pattern of power and control is about the man just having a bad day. Or is there a campaign (whether it is conscious or not) to win at all costs and to maintain power and control?

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Tactics of psychological abuse and power and control used by men against their female partners

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The following list of tactics of power and control summarises the list that you can download by subscribing to SpeakOutLoud in the side panel.

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Gender and the CJS

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Gender and the Criminal justice System.
Joanne Belknap, One line of theorizing about female offending is termed “Pathways Theory”  (Gejring 2016).

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The Invisible Woman: Gender, Crime, and Justice

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The definitive text for the course, Belknap's THE INVISIBLE WOMAN: GENDER, CRIME, AND JUSTICE covers women and the criminal justice system with a focus on three major areas: (1) female offenders and their treatment by the criminal justice system; (2) female victims of crime; and (3) female employees of the agencies of the criminal justice system.