In Ireland the statistics for the year 2000 were 84% women complaints to 16% male complaints of domestic abuse.

http://www.ndpgenderequality.ie/statdata/2002/topic/Topic/Disadvantaged_Groups/domestic%20violence%20complainants.htm

Thank you. I agree with you in re Madeline.

The bf and I were on holiday this past weekend. We both spotted at the same time a man with his son, and we both reacted to his body posture, although in different ways. I read “dad is very mad, and about to smack his son”. We discussed it, and he felt that it would not be his business to intercede, even if the father punched the child, because it was a parental right to discipline a child as he saw fit. His rationale was that he had been punched as a child by his father and saw nothing wrong with it. I remain appalled. Perhaps I’m a nosy parker, but I didn’t grow up being BEATEN, and I think if I’d see that man punch his kid (who was about four) I know I would have a) taken a picture and b) confronted the man and c) phoned the police.

I mean, really, what reason does an adult have to punch a kid? Do you really mean to tell me that a grown man can’t make a four year old do what the grown man wants?

Bock - I read your post twice. People are smoking crack. Everyone has a capacity for violence because it is human nature. People don’t want to see the capacity for violence in women because we are all raised to believe that women are all maternal and caring, when in reality a woman can be a devious sociopath just like a man. Because women lack physical strength, their crimes tend to be more subtle, and thus manifest themselves as things like poison, abuse, drownings, sexual abuse, suffocation, etc. Very rare to see beatings and gun crimes for women - those are more male oriented crimes because they require more physical strength.

Interesting to see folks having such an emotional reaction to this issue. This is rather, as I think you know, a bit of a hobby of mine, all the crime stuff……

I’ll tell you something else. I punched my ex husband once, in the stomach when he told me about the girl he slept with when I was getting my wedding dress fitted (not a fine moment, I’ll admit). Not only did I not hurt him (and hurt myself), he laughed at me. So…..accomplished nothing, proving my lifelong point that violence accomplishes not one single…fat…fucking…thing.

And you know, I have to ask:

If any of you saw an altercation between a couple in your local grocery, or pub, or on the side of the road, or grocery, would you step in? If you saw a parent punch their child in the face, would you step in?

Because if your answer isn’t yes, I think all of our armchair moralizing is a wee bit silly.

Two cents deposited, now running back to own blog to pontificate about nothing.

Here’s something I want to point out to you.

I’m a man and I’m not violent.
None of my male friends are violent.
My son is not violent.
None of his male cousins are violent.
None of his friends are violent.

Maybe Neil should have titled his book “Why some men are violent”. That might have been more evenhanded, what do you reckon?

And they’re accusing me of silly generalisations?

Medbh, he says this in the original post.

Am I trying to achieve some parity of disrespect between men and women? No.