Topics

41

Men and Domestic Violence / RADAR ALERT: NJ Attorney Challenges Constitutionality of Restraining Orders

Sep 27, 2009, 08:54 PM

RADAR ALERT: NJ Attorney Challenges Constitutionality of Restraining Orders

David Heleniak, a Morristown, NJ attorney, has filed a motion on behalf of his client, John Paulsen, to vacate a final restraining order (FRO) on the ground that it violates Paulsen's constitutional rights.

Heleniak gained recognition on the issue of domestic violence restraining orders with his 2005 law review article "The New Star Chamber: The New Jersey Family Court and the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act."  More recently, in Crespo vs. Crespo, Heleniak won a landmark decision in which the Honorable Francis Schultz of Hudson County ruled that the criteria for a FRO must be "clear and convincing evidence" rather than a "preponderance of the evidence." That verdict made Crespo vs. Crespo a glimmering hope to anyone who was ever hit with a frivolous restraining order – until it was recently overturned by the New Jersey Court of Appeals.

"They were dismissive of the whole idea [that the NJ domestic violence statute could be unconstitutional]" said Heleniak. "In fact, they dealt with some of our best points in a footnote [7], in which they said they were unworthy of discussion. I think they're hoping the issues go away."

Heleniak, disappointed with the decision of the Appellate Division, has asked the NJ Supreme Court to take the Crespo case and has forged ahead with Paulsen in a similar action with a motion to vacate a domestic violence restraining order on constitutional grounds in the local Morris County family court.

"I believe their [the Appellate Division's] refusal to address some of the issues head-on affects their credibility. It just looks like they were ducking," said Heleniak. "But at some point the issues will have to be addressed at a high level. There are just too many cases out there with the same story – a restraining order handed down without sufficient evidence that ruins a man's life and the lives of his children."

Paulsen said that the FRO against him was nothing more than a tactical maneuver to gain an unfair advantage in the litigation process.

"The allegations of abuse against me that gave rise to the FRO were manufactured by my wife to gain a tactical advantage in a divorce that she had decided she wanted months before the allegations were made," said Paulsen. "In fact, she had surreptitiously had several meetings with her divorce attorney and was using the threat of a restraining order as a means of intimidation within our marriage for over a year before she used it as a first strike weapon in the divorce."

A recent analysis notes that unwarranted restraining orders create a "ripple" effect that can persist for many years, harming the alleged person's reputation, legal standing, security clearances, career prospects and financial status. In many cases, it also affects the person's relationship with their children, often causing devastating and permanent harm to that relationship.
(A Culture of False Allegations, http://www.radarsvcs.org/docs/RADARreport-VAWA-A-Culture-of-False-Allegations.pdf.)

False allegations not only damage the individual falsely accused, they also affect other family members who may be barred from seeing a grandchild, nephew, or niece.

Special reports regarding domestic violence restraining orders can be viewed at http://mediaradar.org/radarServices_special_reports.php.



Date of RADAR Release: September 28, 2009

R.A.D.A.R. -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting -- is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence.  http://mediaradar.org

   


Copyright (c) 2005-2009. RADAR -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.

42

Main / RADAR ALERT: NJ Attorney Challenges Constitutionality of Restraining Orders

Sep 27, 2009, 08:54 PM

RADAR ALERT: NJ Attorney Challenges Constitutionality of Restraining Orders

David Heleniak, a Morristown, NJ attorney, has filed a motion on behalf of his client, John Paulsen, to vacate a final restraining order (FRO) on the ground that it violates Paulsen's constitutional rights.

Heleniak gained recognition on the issue of domestic violence restraining orders with his 2005 law review article "The New Star Chamber: The New Jersey Family Court and the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act."  More recently, in Crespo vs. Crespo, Heleniak won a landmark decision in which the Honorable Francis Schultz of Hudson County ruled that the criteria for a FRO must be "clear and convincing evidence" rather than a "preponderance of the evidence." That verdict made Crespo vs. Crespo a glimmering hope to anyone who was ever hit with a frivolous restraining order – until it was recently overturned by the New Jersey Court of Appeals.

"They were dismissive of the whole idea [that the NJ domestic violence statute could be unconstitutional]" said Heleniak. "In fact, they dealt with some of our best points in a footnote [7], in which they said they were unworthy of discussion. I think they're hoping the issues go away."

Heleniak, disappointed with the decision of the Appellate Division, has asked the NJ Supreme Court to take the Crespo case and has forged ahead with Paulsen in a similar action with a motion to vacate a domestic violence restraining order on constitutional grounds in the local Morris County family court.

"I believe their [the Appellate Division's] refusal to address some of the issues head-on affects their credibility. It just looks like they were ducking," said Heleniak. "But at some point the issues will have to be addressed at a high level. There are just too many cases out there with the same story – a restraining order handed down without sufficient evidence that ruins a man's life and the lives of his children."

Paulsen said that the FRO against him was nothing more than a tactical maneuver to gain an unfair advantage in the litigation process.

"The allegations of abuse against me that gave rise to the FRO were manufactured by my wife to gain a tactical advantage in a divorce that she had decided she wanted months before the allegations were made," said Paulsen. "In fact, she had surreptitiously had several meetings with her divorce attorney and was using the threat of a restraining order as a means of intimidation within our marriage for over a year before she used it as a first strike weapon in the divorce."

A recent analysis notes that unwarranted restraining orders create a "ripple" effect that can persist for many years, harming the alleged person's reputation, legal standing, security clearances, career prospects and financial status. In many cases, it also affects the person's relationship with their children, often causing devastating and permanent harm to that relationship.
(A Culture of False Allegations, http://www.radarsvcs.org/docs/RADARreport-VAWA-A-Culture-of-False-Allegations.pdf.)

False allegations not only damage the individual falsely accused, they also affect other family members who may be barred from seeing a grandchild, nephew, or niece.

Special reports regarding domestic violence restraining orders can be viewed at http://mediaradar.org/radarServices_special_reports.php.



Date of RADAR Release: September 28, 2009

R.A.D.A.R. -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting -- is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence.  http://mediaradar.org

   


Copyright (c) 2005-2009. RADAR -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.

43

Main / RADAR ALERT: Stop the Civil Rights Abuses; Prepare for Domestic Violence Awarene

Sep 20, 2009, 10:21 PM

RADAR ALERT: Stop the Civil Rights Abuses; Prepare for Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Have you, or a person you know, ever been falsely accused of domestic violence? Targeted with a restraining order? Put in jail?

Each year over one million Americans are hit with a false or trivial accusation of partner abuse. It's now reached the point that domestic violence laws represent the largest roll-back in Americans' civil rights since the Jim Crow era!

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the theme is "Restore Civil Rights to the Violence Against Women Act." DV Awareness Month is our opportunity to get word out that our nation's domestic violence laws have gone too far, harming innocent citizens and diverting scarce resources away from the true victims.

We are asking each and every person who reads this Alert to participate in DV Awareness Month. You can attend one of the events sponsored by your state domestic violence coalition - see listing of coalitions at http://www.usdoj.gov/ovw/statedomestic.htm.

Or you can set up your own event, whether it's an information table at a local library, presentation to local police, press release, radio interview, or whatever!

To assist your efforts, we've developed:

• 
  A 2-page Analysis of the Issues: http://www.mediaradar.org/docs/RADARflyer-DVAM2009-issues.pdf 


• 
  A 1-page flyer: http://www.mediaradar.org/docs/RADARflyer-DVAM2009.pdf 

At the national level, several columnists have agreed to write articles on the issue, and we will be holding a major lobbying event in Washington DC.

RADAR would like to have DV Awareness Month activities in every state around the country. After you have your activity, event, or program, please send us an email and let us know how it went: [email protected]

As we approach the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act in 2010, it's critical that every American hear the message, "Restore Civil Rights to the Violence Against Women Act."

"A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
-- Margaret Mead




Date of RADAR Release: September 20, 2009

R.A.D.A.R. -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting -- is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence.  http://www.mediaradar.org

   


Copyright (c) 2005-2009. RADAR -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.


   

44

Men and Domestic Violence / RADAR ALERT: Stop the Civil Rights Abuses; Prepare for Domestic Violence Awarene

Sep 20, 2009, 10:20 PM

RADAR ALERT: Stop the Civil Rights Abuses; Prepare for Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Have you, or a person you know, ever been falsely accused of domestic violence? Targeted with a restraining order? Put in jail?

Each year over one million Americans are hit with a false or trivial accusation of partner abuse. It's now reached the point that domestic violence laws represent the largest roll-back in Americans' civil rights since the Jim Crow era!

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the theme is "Restore Civil Rights to the Violence Against Women Act." DV Awareness Month is our opportunity to get word out that our nation's domestic violence laws have gone too far, harming innocent citizens and diverting scarce resources away from the true victims.

We are asking each and every person who reads this Alert to participate in DV Awareness Month. You can attend one of the events sponsored by your state domestic violence coalition - see listing of coalitions at http://www.usdoj.gov/ovw/statedomestic.htm.

Or you can set up your own event, whether it's an information table at a local library, presentation to local police, press release, radio interview, or whatever!

To assist your efforts, we've developed:

• 
  A 2-page Analysis of the Issues: http://www.mediaradar.org/docs/RADARflyer-DVAM2009-issues.pdf 


• 
  A 1-page flyer: http://www.mediaradar.org/docs/RADARflyer-DVAM2009.pdf 

At the national level, several columnists have agreed to write articles on the issue, and we will be holding a major lobbying event in Washington DC.

RADAR would like to have DV Awareness Month activities in every state around the country. After you have your activity, event, or program, please send us an email and let us know how it went: [email protected]

As we approach the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act in 2010, it's critical that every American hear the message, "Restore Civil Rights to the Violence Against Women Act."

"A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
-- Margaret Mead




Date of RADAR Release: September 20, 2009

R.A.D.A.R. -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting -- is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence.  http://www.mediaradar.org

   


Copyright (c) 2005-2009. RADAR -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.


   

45

Men and Domestic Violence / RADAR ALERT: Another DV Myth: DV Situations and Danger To Police

Aug 26, 2009, 08:02 AM

RADAR ALERT: Another DV Myth: DV Situations and Danger To Police

Last week the mayor of Milwaukee was injured while intervening between a drunk man and his daughter's grandmother.¹  ABC's Milwaukee affiliate, WISN, followed up with a story that asserted, "domestic violence situations are, by far, the number one reason that police officers are wounded on duty," and quoting "domestic violence experts" to back up this bit of received wisdom.²

There's just one problem with this claim -- researchers who studied this very question³ found it wasn't true.  They found that domestic disturbance ranked fourth in the ratio of assaults to calls for service, but only fifth in the ratio of injuries to calls for service.  In other words, the rate of injury from domestic disturbance calls was lower than the rate from four other types of calls.

By no means is domestic violence "by far, the number one reason that police officers are wounded on duty."

As for Mayor Barrett's injuries, It makes far more sense to attribute them to the fact that one of the participants in the dispute was drunk, and invest in solving that problem.  Instead, WISN sought out "experts" who have a financial stake in promoting themselves as the solution regardless of the research.  And surprise, surprise, those "experts" used this story "as an example of how 'possibly lethal' and extremely dangerous domestic disputes can be".

So add yet another myth to the list in RADAR's report "Fifty Domestic Violence Myths"⁴.

Please contact WISN, TV 12, Milwaukee at [email protected] and tell them that their failure to properly research the story only serves to promote unwarranted fear among law enforcement officers, thereby causing them to place themselves and the public in greater danger by needlessly escalating otherwise resolvable disputes.  Tell them to educate themselves about domestic violence myths by reading our report at http://mediaradar.org/docs/RADARreport-50-DV-Myths.pdf before their next article on the topic promotes yet another harmful falsehood.



1 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090817/ap_on_re_us/us_milwaukee_mayor_attacked

2 "Experts Say Barrett Walked Into 'Lethal' Situation", WISN, TV 12, Milwaukee, Wisc., http://www.wisn.com/news/20470411/detail.html

3 Relative Contribution of Domestic Violence to Assault and Injury of Police Officers, Hirschel, Dean, & Lumb, Justice Quarterly, Vol. 11 #1, March 1994, pp. 99-117, http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/abstract.aspx?ID=150233

4 RADAR, "Fifty Domestic Violence Myths", http://mediaradar.org/docs/RADARreport-50-DV-Myths.pdf



Date of RADAR Release: August 26, 2009

R.A.D.A.R. -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting -- is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence.  http://mediaradar.org
   


Copyright (c) 2005-2009. RADAR -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.

46

Main / RADAR ALERT: Another DV Myth: DV Situations and Danger To Police

Aug 26, 2009, 08:00 AM

RADAR ALERT: Another DV Myth: DV Situations and Danger To Police

Last week the mayor of Milwaukee was injured while intervening between a drunk man and his daughter's grandmother.¹  ABC's Milwaukee affiliate, WISN, followed up with a story that asserted, "domestic violence situations are, by far, the number one reason that police officers are wounded on duty," and quoting "domestic violence experts" to back up this bit of received wisdom.²

There's just one problem with this claim -- researchers who studied this very question³ found it wasn't true.  They found that domestic disturbance ranked fourth in the ratio of assaults to calls for service, but only fifth in the ratio of injuries to calls for service.  In other words, the rate of injury from domestic disturbance calls was lower than the rate from four other types of calls.

By no means is domestic violence "by far, the number one reason that police officers are wounded on duty."

As for Mayor Barrett's injuries, It makes far more sense to attribute them to the fact that one of the participants in the dispute was drunk, and invest in solving that problem.  Instead, WISN sought out "experts" who have a financial stake in promoting themselves as the solution regardless of the research.  And surprise, surprise, those "experts" used this story "as an example of how 'possibly lethal' and extremely dangerous domestic disputes can be".

So add yet another myth to the list in RADAR's report "Fifty Domestic Violence Myths"⁴.

Please contact WISN, TV 12, Milwaukee at [email protected] and tell them that their failure to properly research the story only serves to promote unwarranted fear among law enforcement officers, thereby causing them to place themselves and the public in greater danger by needlessly escalating otherwise resolvable disputes.  Tell them to educate themselves about domestic violence myths by reading our report at http://mediaradar.org/docs/RADARreport-50-DV-Myths.pdf before their next article on the topic promotes yet another harmful falsehood.



1 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090817/ap_on_re_us/us_milwaukee_mayor_attacked

2 "Experts Say Barrett Walked Into 'Lethal' Situation", WISN, TV 12, Milwaukee, Wisc., http://www.wisn.com/news/20470411/detail.html

3 Relative Contribution of Domestic Violence to Assault and Injury of Police Officers, Hirschel, Dean, & Lumb, Justice Quarterly, Vol. 11 #1, March 1994, pp. 99-117, http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/abstract.aspx?ID=150233

4 RADAR, "Fifty Domestic Violence Myths", http://mediaradar.org/docs/RADARreport-50-DV-Myths.pdf



Date of RADAR Release: August 26, 2009

R.A.D.A.R. -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting -- is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence.  http://mediaradar.org
   


Copyright (c) 2005-2009. RADAR -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.

47

Men and Domestic Violence / RADAR ALERT: Tell President Obama, "Stop the Orwellian Half-Truths!"

Aug 17, 2009, 03:02 PM

RADAR ALERT: Tell President Obama, "Stop the Orwellian Half-Truths!"

Just about everyone knows men can be victims of domestic violence:

• According to a 2006 Harris poll, 88% of Americans have heard about a male victim of domestic violence in the past year.¹


• Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Patrick Leahy has noted, "We still have millions of women and men and children and families who are traumatized by abuse."²


• Nearly 250 scholarly studies confirm that fact.³

But a dwindling number of hold-outs still believe intimate partner violence against men isn't even worth mentioning. Unfortunately, several of those persons currently work in the White House:

• Valerie Jarrett, director of the White Council on Women and Girls, once said, "Domestic violence is still a major issue, not just for women but also for girls."⁴


• During a recent teleconference, Lynn Rosenthal, White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, repeatedly used the phrase, "violence against women." Lynn Rosenthal not once used the term, "violence against men," even though the call took place just two weeks after the murder of former NFL quarterback Steve McNair by his girlfriend.


• Despite repeated attempts to educate Vice President Joseph Biden about the truth of domestic violence, he continues to be a true believer in the myth that women never abuse.

But there is hope. Because President Obama has repeatedly promised that one of the hallmarks of his Administration will be respect for science over ideology. In his inaugural speech on January 20, Obama declared, "We will restore science to its rightful place."

Mr. Obama, we agree with you whole-heartedly!

So take 2 minutes out of your day and send this simple message to President Barack Obama: "Mr. President, Please instruct your staff to respect the truth about domestic violence. Have them acknowledge that men are victims, as well. Let us not forget the needless tragedy of former NFL quarterback Steve McNair."

Send your email to: [email protected] and [email protected]. Or go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/ope/contact/.

Do it now. We can't allow the Orwellian half-truths to stand.



1 Harris Poll. Majority of U.S. Adults Think Domestic Violence is a Serious Problem in the United States Today. Poll # 49. June 15, 2006.

2 Sen. Patrick Leahy. Introductory remarks. Senate hearing on the Violence Against Women Act. June 10, 2009.

3 "References Examining Assaults By Women On Their Spouses Or Male Partners: An Annotated Bibliography", Martin S. Fiebert, Dept. of Psychology, California State University, Long Beach, http://www.csulb.edu/~mfiebert/assault.htm

4 Interview with Valerie Jarrett, NPR Morning Edition, March 12, 2009.



Date of RADAR Release: August 17, 2009

R.A.D.A.R. -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting -- is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence. http://www.mediaradar.org
   


Copyright (c) 2005-2009. RADAR -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.

48

Main / RADAR ALERT: Tell President Obama, "Stop the Orwellian Half-Truths!"

Aug 17, 2009, 02:56 PM

RADAR ALERT: Tell President Obama, "Stop the Orwellian Half-Truths!"

Just about everyone knows men can be victims of domestic violence:

• According to a 2006 Harris poll, 88% of Americans have heard about a male victim of domestic violence in the past year.¹


• Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Patrick Leahy has noted, "We still have millions of women and men and children and families who are traumatized by abuse."²


• Nearly 250 scholarly studies confirm that fact.³

But a dwindling number of hold-outs still believe intimate partner violence against men isn't even worth mentioning. Unfortunately, several of those persons currently work in the White House:

• Valerie Jarrett, director of the White Council on Women and Girls, once said, "Domestic violence is still a major issue, not just for women but also for girls."⁴


• During a recent teleconference, Lynn Rosenthal, White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, repeatedly used the phrase, "violence against women." Lynn Rosenthal not once used the term, "violence against men," even though the call took place just two weeks after the murder of former NFL quarterback Steve McNair by his girlfriend.


• Despite repeated attempts to educate Vice President Joseph Biden about the truth of domestic violence, he continues to be a true believer in the myth that women never abuse.

But there is hope. Because President Obama has repeatedly promised that one of the hallmarks of his Administration will be respect for science over ideology. In his inaugural speech on January 20, Obama declared, "We will restore science to its rightful place."

Mr. Obama, we agree with you whole-heartedly!

So take 2 minutes out of your day and send this simple message to President Barack Obama: "Mr. President, Please instruct your staff to respect the truth about domestic violence. Have them acknowledge that men are victims, as well. Let us not forget the needless tragedy of former NFL quarterback Steve McNair."

Send your email to: [email protected] and [email protected]. Or go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/ope/contact/.

Do it now. We can't allow the Orwellian half-truths to stand.



1 Harris Poll. Majority of U.S. Adults Think Domestic Violence is a Serious Problem in the United States Today. Poll # 49. June 15, 2006.

2 Sen. Patrick Leahy. Introductory remarks. Senate hearing on the Violence Against Women Act. June 10, 2009.

3 "References Examining Assaults By Women On Their Spouses Or Male Partners: An Annotated Bibliography", Martin S. Fiebert, Dept. of Psychology, California State University, Long Beach, http://www.csulb.edu/~mfiebert/assault.htm

4 Interview with Valerie Jarrett, NPR Morning Edition, March 12, 2009.



Date of RADAR Release: August 17, 2009

R.A.D.A.R. -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting -- is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence.
http://www.mediaradar.org
   


Copyright (c) 2005-2009. RADAR -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.

49

Men and Domestic Violence / RADAR ALERT: Where's Your Money Being Spent?

Aug 10, 2009, 08:08 PM

RADAR ALERT: Where's Your Money Being Spent?

In this tough economic recession, states have to decide how to balance budgets and where to cut costs. Facing California's largest budget deficit ever, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger decided to cut unnecessary state expenses, or at least expenses that haven't proved the money was making a difference.

A report issued by RADAR Services, "Are Abuse Shelters Helping the True Victims of Domestic Violence?"(1), reveals some disturbing facts about the country's 1,600 abuse shelters.  Based on research studies, reviews of shelter websites, and interviews with former shelter residents and staff, the report reveals that only one in 10 persons are in domestic violence shelters because of they are victims of battering.

Gov. Schwarzenegger apparently felt politically safe cutting all state funding to domestic violence programs in the state of California. The federal government openly admits that the shelters it funds give no data at all on what they do, how they do it, who they provide services to, what those services are, who they reject, etc. They also have established no criteria by which to judge whether they actually reduced domestic violence or not.(2),(3)

Now don't believe for one minute that these shelters will be closing down anytime soon. Even with state funding dropped, domestic violence shelters receive federal and private funding. The domestic violence industry received a 325 million dollar boost to its billion dollar a year federal subsidy as part of last February's stimulus bill.

Robert Franklin said it best, "In short, the federal government is pouring hundreds of millions of dollars each year into a vast system of shelters, whose functioning it knows not the first thing about. That would be outrageous in any other industry, but with domestic violence, it's business as usual."(4)

Contact Gov. Schwarzenegger, or even your own governor, and tell them the days of wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars are over. Demand a full accounting of money given to domestic violence shelters before any more is appropriated out of your state's budget.  Gov. Schwarzenegger can be reached through the webpage at http://gov.ca.gov/interact#email.

Don't be afraid to face your opposition on this, Gov. Schwarzenegger wasn't.



1 RADAR Services, Inc., "Are Abuse Shelters Helping the True Victims of Domestic Violence?", http://www.radarsvcs.org/docs/RADARreport-Are-Abuse-Shelters-Helping-True-Victims.pdf

2 Government Accountability Office Report No. GAO-07-846R, http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07846r.pdf

3 RADAR Services, Inc., "$1 Billion for DV Programs That Misuse Taxpayer Money and Place Victims at Risk", http://www.radarsvcs.org/docs/RADARreport-DV-Programs-Misuse-1-Billion-Tax-Dollars-Per-Year.pdf

4 http://glennsacks.com/blog/?p=4031



Date of RADAR Release: August 11, 2009   

R.A.D.A.R. -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting -- is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence. http://www.mediaradar.org.

50

Main / RADAR ALERT: Where's Your Money Being Spent?

Aug 10, 2009, 08:07 PM

RADAR ALERT: Where's Your Money Being Spent?

In this tough economic recession, states have to decide how to balance budgets and where to cut costs. Facing California's largest budget deficit ever, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger decided to cut unnecessary state expenses, or at least expenses that haven't proved the money was making a difference.

A report issued by RADAR Services, "Are Abuse Shelters Helping the True Victims of Domestic Violence?"(1), reveals some disturbing facts about the country's 1,600 abuse shelters.  Based on research studies, reviews of shelter websites, and interviews with former shelter residents and staff, the report reveals that only one in 10 persons are in domestic violence shelters because of they are victims of battering.

Gov. Schwarzenegger apparently felt politically safe cutting all state funding to domestic violence programs in the state of California. The federal government openly admits that the shelters it funds give no data at all on what they do, how they do it, who they provide services to, what those services are, who they reject, etc. They also have established no criteria by which to judge whether they actually reduced domestic violence or not.(2),(3)

Now don't believe for one minute that these shelters will be closing down anytime soon. Even with state funding dropped, domestic violence shelters receive federal and private funding. The domestic violence industry received a 325 million dollar boost to its billion dollar a year federal subsidy as part of last February's stimulus bill.

Robert Franklin said it best, "In short, the federal government is pouring hundreds of millions of dollars each year into a vast system of shelters, whose functioning it knows not the first thing about. That would be outrageous in any other industry, but with domestic violence, it's business as usual."(4)

Contact Gov. Schwarzenegger, or even your own governor, and tell them the days of wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars are over. Demand a full accounting of money given to domestic violence shelters before any more is appropriated out of your state's budget.  Gov. Schwarzenegger can be reached through the webpage at http://gov.ca.gov/interact#email.

Don't be afraid to face your opposition on this, Gov. Schwarzenegger wasn't.



1 RADAR Services, Inc., "Are Abuse Shelters Helping the True Victims of Domestic Violence?", http://www.radarsvcs.org/docs/RADARreport-Are-Abuse-Shelters-Helping-True-Victims.pdf

2 Government Accountability Office Report No. GAO-07-846R, http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07846r.pdf

3 RADAR Services, Inc., "$1 Billion for DV Programs That Misuse Taxpayer Money and Place Victims at Risk", http://www.radarsvcs.org/docs/RADARreport-DV-Programs-Misuse-1-Billion-Tax-Dollars-Per-Year.pdf

4 http://glennsacks.com/blog/?p=4031



Date of RADAR Release: August 11, 2009   

R.A.D.A.R. -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting -- is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence. http://www.mediaradar.org.

51

Men and Domestic Violence / RADAR ALERT: NJ Appellate Division Overturns Crespo

Aug 04, 2009, 10:59 PM

RADAR ALERT: NJ Appellate Division Overturns Crespo

Crespo vs. Crespo -- the case that gave new hope to anyone who was ever hit with an unwarranted domestic violence restraining order - was back in the spotlight as the New Jersey Court of Appeals overturned a lower court decision that vacated a final restraining order (FRO) against defendant Anibal Crespo.

For those unfamiliar with judicial standards of proof, there are three levels:

 
• Beyond a reasonable doubt - the one you were taught about in grade school.  This is the highest level of proof, used only in criminal cases.  Restraining orders are tried as civil cases to allow the state to impose sanctions without having to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

 
• Clear and convincing evidence - an intermediate level of proof. The evidence must show that it's substantially more likely than not that the accusations are true.

 
• Preponderance of the evidence - the very lowest level of proof.  The evidence must show only that it's slightly more likely than not that the accusations are true.  If there's a 49% chance that the accusations are false, the accused will still have a restraining order issued against him.  Combined with the enormous pressures on judges to err on the side of hidden harm, use of this standard virtually guarantees that restraining orders will be issued against a significant number of innocent men.

On June 18, 2008, the Honorable Francis Schultz's ruling made the criteria for a FRO to be "clear and convincing evidence" rather than a "preponderance of the evidence."  The landmark ruling was expected to set the stage for unwarranted restraining orders to be vacated and prevent future unwarranted orders from being granted. But that ruling was overturned recently by the state's Appellate Division.

David Heleniak, Anibel Crespo's attorney, said that while it is a disappointing turn of events, people shouldn't give up hope. "The Appellate Division ruled against Mr. Crespo, but they are not the final word on constitutionality in New Jersey," he said.

Heleniak is working on taking the Crespo case to the New Jersey Supreme Court.  You can read his brief requesting the court take the case at http://www.mediaradar.org/docs/crespo_petition_for_cert.pdf.  In addition, he has another FRO case that could also end up in the hands of the State's highest court. The two-wave approach will make it more likely that the New Jersey Supreme Court will finally address the constitutional issues regarding domestic violence restraining orders.

Please stay updated on this groundbreaking effort and pass the information along to anyone who you think would benefit or make a difference.

Thanks for your help getting our message out.



Date of RADAR Release: August 4, 2009   

R.A.D.A.R. -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting -- is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence. http://www.mediaradar.org.

52

Main / RADAR ALERT: NJ Appellate Division Overturns Crespo

Aug 04, 2009, 10:58 PM

RADAR ALERT: NJ Appellate Division Overturns Crespo

Crespo vs. Crespo -- the case that gave new hope to anyone who was ever hit with an unwarranted domestic violence restraining order - was back in the spotlight as the New Jersey Court of Appeals overturned a lower court decision that vacated a final restraining order (FRO) against defendant Anibal Crespo.

For those unfamiliar with judicial standards of proof, there are three levels:

 
• Beyond a reasonable doubt - the one you were taught about in grade school.  This is the highest level of proof, used only in criminal cases.  Restraining orders are tried as civil cases to allow the state to impose sanctions without having to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

 
• Clear and convincing evidence - an intermediate level of proof. The evidence must show that it's substantially more likely than not that the accusations are true.

 
• Preponderance of the evidence - the very lowest level of proof.  The evidence must show only that it's slightly more likely than not that the accusations are true.  If there's a 49% chance that the accusations are false, the accused will still have a restraining order issued against him.  Combined with the enormous pressures on judges to err on the side of hidden harm, use of this standard virtually guarantees that restraining orders will be issued against a significant number of innocent men.

On June 18, 2008, the Honorable Francis Schultz's ruling made the criteria for a FRO to be "clear and convincing evidence" rather than a "preponderance of the evidence."  The landmark ruling was expected to set the stage for unwarranted restraining orders to be vacated and prevent future unwarranted orders from being granted. But that ruling was overturned recently by the state's Appellate Division.

David Heleniak, Anibel Crespo's attorney, said that while it is a disappointing turn of events, people shouldn't give up hope. "The Appellate Division ruled against Mr. Crespo, but they are not the final word on constitutionality in New Jersey," he said.

Heleniak is working on taking the Crespo case to the New Jersey Supreme Court.  You can read his brief requesting the court take the case at http://www.mediaradar.org/docs/crespo_petition_for_cert.pdf.  In addition, he has another FRO case that could also end up in the hands of the State's highest court. The two-wave approach will make it more likely that the New Jersey Supreme Court will finally address the constitutional issues regarding domestic violence restraining orders.

Please stay updated on this groundbreaking effort and pass the information along to anyone who you think would benefit or make a difference.

Thanks for your help getting our message out.



Date of RADAR Release: August 4, 2009   

R.A.D.A.R. -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting -- is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence. http://www.mediaradar.org.

53

Men and Domestic Violence / RADAR ALERT: The "Power and Control" of Domestic Violence Myths

Jul 19, 2009, 11:34 PM

RADAR ALERT: The "Power and Control" of Domestic Violence Myths

Journalist Philip Cook observes that "there is more false, falsely framed, or disingenuously deceptive information about domestic violence than any other significant public and social issue."

RADAR's new special report, "Fifty Domestic Violence Myths,"(http://www.mediaradar.org/docs/RADARreport-50-DV-Myths.pdf) debunks some of this misinformation, including the following myths:

 
• "From the very beginning, American jurisprudence has viewed wife-beating as an acceptable practice." (It's never been acceptable to beat your wife under American law.)

 
• "At least 40% of law enforcement families experience domestic violence." (Only if you define "domestic violence" to include any form of family conflict.)

 
• "Men and women engage in domestic violence for fundamentally different reasons." (A study showed 12 of 14 reasons for DV apply to both genders.)

 
• "False allegations of domestic violence are almost non-existent." (They're actually quite common.)

 
• "False allegations are no more common in divorce or custody disputes than at any other time." (They're actually far more common.)

 
• "The expression 'rule of thumb' refers to the diameter of a stick or rod for which wife-beating was considered legal." (Such a law has never existed.)

The problem with the myths identified in the report is not simply the number of them, but that "the widespread existence of such myths has come to overshadow the truth of domestic violence" and that their "cumulative effect has been to hamper the overall effectiveness of abuse reduction programs."   (They also seem impossible to kill, as Christina Hoff Sommers noted in a recent article in The Chronicle Review, "Persistent Myths in Feminist Scholarship" (http://chronicle.com/free/v55/i40/40sommers.htm).)

Please read the new RADAR report and forward it to anyone who might benefit from reading it.

Thanks for your help getting our message out.



Date of RADAR Release: July 20, 2009   

R.A.D.A.R. -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting -- is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence. http://www.mediaradar.org.

54

Main / RADAR ALERT: The "Power and Control" of Domestic Violence Myths

Jul 19, 2009, 11:34 PM

RADAR ALERT: The "Power and Control" of Domestic Violence Myths

Journalist Philip Cook observes that "there is more false, falsely framed, or disingenuously deceptive information about domestic violence than any other significant public and social issue."

RADAR's new special report, "Fifty Domestic Violence Myths,"(http://www.mediaradar.org/docs/RADARreport-50-DV-Myths.pdf) debunks some of this misinformation, including the following myths:

 
• "From the very beginning, American jurisprudence has viewed wife-beating as an acceptable practice." (It's never been acceptable to beat your wife under American law.)

 
• "At least 40% of law enforcement families experience domestic violence." (Only if you define "domestic violence" to include any form of family conflict.)

 
• "Men and women engage in domestic violence for fundamentally different reasons." (A study showed 12 of 14 reasons for DV apply to both genders.)

 
• "False allegations of domestic violence are almost non-existent." (They're actually quite common.)

 
• "False allegations are no more common in divorce or custody disputes than at any other time." (They're actually far more common.)

 
• "The expression 'rule of thumb' refers to the diameter of a stick or rod for which wife-beating was considered legal." (Such a law has never existed.)

The problem with the myths identified in the report is not simply the number of them, but that "the widespread existence of such myths has come to overshadow the truth of domestic violence" and that their "cumulative effect has been to hamper the overall effectiveness of abuse reduction programs."   (They also seem impossible to kill, as Christina Hoff Sommers noted in a recent article in The Chronicle Review, "Persistent Myths in Feminist Scholarship" (http://chronicle.com/free/v55/i40/40sommers.htm).)

Please read the new RADAR report and forward it to anyone who might benefit from reading it.

Thanks for your help getting our message out.



Date of RADAR Release: July 20, 2009   

R.A.D.A.R. -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting -- is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence. http://www.mediaradar.org.

55

Men and Domestic Violence / RADAR ALERT: It's Hard Work Spending All That Money!

Jul 13, 2009, 01:47 AM

  RADAR ALERT: It's Hard Work Spending All That Money!

Congress spends approx. 1 billion taxpayer dollars each year with the stated intent of eliminating domestic violence, the largest portion of that amount being the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).  They are poised to increase funding even further next year when they vote on a 5 year reauthorization of VAWA.  One would think that this much money should have greatly reduced domestic violence by now.  But VAWA spending has had little or no effect on reducing domestic violence.(1) 

Since the passage of VAWA is a virtual slam-dunk, those who benefit financially from this law are emboldened to demand more and more with each reauthorization.  So legislation that's only tangentially related to domestic violence -- legislation that could never pass on its own merits -- finds it way into VAWA.

One graphic example of the state of things at present is the way VAWA undermines immigration law.

Immigration: VAWA actually encourages foreign nationals to scheme to destroy the livelihoods and reputations of innocent U.S. citizens, just so they can gain permanent residency.  Under language enacted in the 2005 VAWA reauthorization, a non-citizen's unproven claim of domestic violence by a U.S. citizen leads to automatic legal status and eventual citizenship.  Make up the right kind of story and you don't have to deal with that bothersome two year waiting period, or that annoying interview by immigration officials.  There will be no review of the truth of your accusation, and evidence that the accused spouse might want to present in his own defense will be disallowed.(2)  This Alice-Through-The-Looking-Glass policy leads to the worst kind of marriage fraud -- scamming innocent Americans into marriage then accusing them of domestic violence at the first opportunity.

For next year's reauthorization, they've formed eighteen committees to dream up their wish-list.  It's not possible to know right now just what their demands will be, but recent bills introduced in Congress offer clues to what sort of non-domestic-violence-related things they may ask for.

Workplace: HR 739 is a bill currently in Congress.  The bill would make domestic violence victims a new class with special privileges.  Under the bill, a domestic violence victim would be entitled to lifetime employment benefits!   This includes the right to employee health insurance, and the right to sue employers over higher and firing decisions.  And since this would apply to people who self-refer, removing the need to provide proof, such a law would act as an incentive to make up a story.  In these times of massive job losses, such a law would create an epidemic of false accusations, destroying the lives of millions of innocent people.

International: In the last Congress, an international version of VAWA dubbed I-VAWA was introduced in both the House and Senate.  Oblivious to the fact that the U.S. version of VAWA has serious flaws that have undermined the basic freedoms and legal protections that once characterized the U.S. as a free society,(3) I-VAWA's sponsors proposed to use the power of the purse to impose the same flawed laws on foreign countries.  Many members of Congress have expressed concern that our unilateral action in Iraq has increased foreign countries' resentment of the U.S. That resentment will pale in comparison to the resentment that will result if in the next reauthorization of VAWA, Congress assumes the right to impose legislation on other countries by incorporating I-VAWA-like language.

No matter what you believe about labor policy, foreign policy or immigration these things clearly don't belong in a bill whose stated purpose is to prevent domestic violence.  Combining these issues with domestic violence encourages people to make false domestic violence claims in exchange for government benefits.

Please contact Senator Jeff Sessions, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, at 202-224-4124.  Tell him that VAWA needs to focus on domestic violence and not stray into unrelated issues.  Cite some of the examples above and ask him to include some of these items in the Judiciary Committee's hearings on reauthorizing VAWA.  As always be polite.



1 http://mediaradar.org/press_release_20070103.php
2 http://mediaradar.org/alert20090603.php
3 http://mediaradar.org/alert20070129.php



Date of RADAR Release: July 13, 2009   

R.A.D.A.R. -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting -- is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence. http://www.mediaradar.org.

56

Main / RADAR ALERT: It's Hard Work Spending All That Money!

Jul 13, 2009, 01:47 AM

  RADAR ALERT: It's Hard Work Spending All That Money!

Congress spends approx. 1 billion taxpayer dollars each year with the stated intent of eliminating domestic violence, the largest portion of that amount being the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).  They are poised to increase funding even further next year when they vote on a 5 year reauthorization of VAWA.  One would think that this much money should have greatly reduced domestic violence by now.  But VAWA spending has had little or no effect on reducing domestic violence.(1) 

Since the passage of VAWA is a virtual slam-dunk, those who benefit financially from this law are emboldened to demand more and more with each reauthorization.  So legislation that's only tangentially related to domestic violence -- legislation that could never pass on its own merits -- finds it way into VAWA.

One graphic example of the state of things at present is the way VAWA undermines immigration law.

Immigration: VAWA actually encourages foreign nationals to scheme to destroy the livelihoods and reputations of innocent U.S. citizens, just so they can gain permanent residency.  Under language enacted in the 2005 VAWA reauthorization, a non-citizen's unproven claim of domestic violence by a U.S. citizen leads to automatic legal status and eventual citizenship.  Make up the right kind of story and you don't have to deal with that bothersome two year waiting period, or that annoying interview by immigration officials.  There will be no review of the truth of your accusation, and evidence that the accused spouse might want to present in his own defense will be disallowed.(2)  This Alice-Through-The-Looking-Glass policy leads to the worst kind of marriage fraud -- scamming innocent Americans into marriage then accusing them of domestic violence at the first opportunity.

For next year's reauthorization, they've formed eighteen committees to dream up their wish-list.  It's not possible to know right now just what their demands will be, but recent bills introduced in Congress offer clues to what sort of non-domestic-violence-related things they may ask for.

Workplace: HR 739 is a bill currently in Congress.  The bill would make domestic violence victims a new class with special privileges.  Under the bill, a domestic violence victim would be entitled to lifetime employment benefits!   This includes the right to employee health insurance, and the right to sue employers over higher and firing decisions.  And since this would apply to people who self-refer, removing the need to provide proof, such a law would act as an incentive to make up a story.  In these times of massive job losses, such a law would create an epidemic of false accusations, destroying the lives of millions of innocent people.

International: In the last Congress, an international version of VAWA dubbed I-VAWA was introduced in both the House and Senate.  Oblivious to the fact that the U.S. version of VAWA has serious flaws that have undermined the basic freedoms and legal protections that once characterized the U.S. as a free society,(3) I-VAWA's sponsors proposed to use the power of the purse to impose the same flawed laws on foreign countries.  Many members of Congress have expressed concern that our unilateral action in Iraq has increased foreign countries' resentment of the U.S. That resentment will pale in comparison to the resentment that will result if in the next reauthorization of VAWA, Congress assumes the right to impose legislation on other countries by incorporating I-VAWA-like language.

No matter what you believe about labor policy, foreign policy or immigration these things clearly don't belong in a bill whose stated purpose is to prevent domestic violence.  Combining these issues with domestic violence encourages people to make false domestic violence claims in exchange for government benefits.

Please contact Senator Jeff Sessions, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, at 202-224-4124.  Tell him that VAWA needs to focus on domestic violence and not stray into unrelated issues.  Cite some of the examples above and ask him to include some of these items in the Judiciary Committee's hearings on reauthorizing VAWA.  As always be polite.



1 http://mediaradar.org/press_release_20070103.php
2 http://mediaradar.org/alert20090603.php
3 http://mediaradar.org/alert20070129.php



Date of RADAR Release: July 13, 2009   

R.A.D.A.R. -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting -- is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence. http://www.mediaradar.org.

57

Men and Domestic Violence / RADAR ALERT: Junk Science at the Dept. of Justice

Jun 21, 2009, 10:07 PM

RADAR ALERT: Junk Science at the Dept. of Justice

In his inaugural speech on January 20, President Obama declared, "We will restore science to its rightful place." And in a March 9 memo the president reminded the heads of federal agencies, "The public must be able to trust the science and scientific process informing public policy decisions."

Apparently the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) didn't get that message.

Because three months later the DoJ issued a report titled, "Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research."(1) Sadly, the report cherry-picks the research and badly misrepresents the truth.

The report states on page 22:
"Of course, the most powerful predictor of risk of domestic violence is gender." Apparently the DoJ never bothered to check out the nearly 250 scholarly studies that reveal gender is not a "powerful predictor" of violence because men and women are equally likely to abuse.(2) 

Some statements in the report lack common sense, for example, "Batterers are no more likely to be mentally ill than the general population." (p. 18). But psychologist Don Dutton found the opposite: "Studies have found incidence rates of personality disorders to be 80-90 percent in both court-referred and self-referred wife assaulters."(3) 

The report is no better when it recommends intervention strategies. For example, the DoJ advises on page 12:
"Arrest should be the default position for law enforcement in all domestic violence incidents."  But Harvard researcher Radha Iyengar found mandatory arrest increases the risk of subsequent homicide by 54%.(4) 

This report is a prime example of advocacy research that carries the relentless message, "It's always the man's fault, so go ahead and lock him up."

Please contact this person now:

Kristina Rose, Acting Director
National Institute of Justice, U.S. Dept. of Justice
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 202-307-2942

Politely and firmly, tell her to remove the report and have it reviewed by an independent panel of qualified researchers. Explain this report ignores President Obama's directive to rely on evidence-based policies.

Please do it now. We simply can't allow this slander to stand.



(1) http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/225722.pdf

(2) http://www.csulb.edu/~mfiebert/assault.htm

(3) Dutton D, Bodnarchuk M. Through a psychological lens: Personality disorder and spouse assault. In Loseke D, Gelles R & Cavanaugh M (eds.). Current Controversies on Family Violence, 2005, p. 14.

(4) Iyengar R. Does the certainty of arrest reduce domestic violence? Evidence from mandatory and recommended arrest laws. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research, June 2007.   



Date of RADAR Release: June 22, 2009   

R.A.D.A.R. -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting -- is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence. http://www.mediaradar.org.

58

Main / RADAR ALERT: Junk Science at the Dept. of Justice

Jun 21, 2009, 10:06 PM

RADAR ALERT: Junk Science at the Dept. of Justice

In his inaugural speech on January 20, President Obama declared, "We will restore science to its rightful place." And in a March 9 memo the president reminded the heads of federal agencies, "The public must be able to trust the science and scientific process informing public policy decisions."

Apparently the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) didn't get that message.

Because three months later the DoJ issued a report titled, "Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research."(1) Sadly, the report cherry-picks the research and badly misrepresents the truth.

The report states on page 22:
"Of course, the most powerful predictor of risk of domestic violence is gender." Apparently the DoJ never bothered to check out the nearly 250 scholarly studies that reveal gender is not a "powerful predictor" of violence because men and women are equally likely to abuse.(2)  

Some statements in the report lack common sense, for example, "Batterers are no more likely to be mentally ill than the general population." (p. 18). But psychologist Don Dutton found the opposite: "Studies have found incidence rates of personality disorders to be 80-90 percent in both court-referred and self-referred wife assaulters."(3)  

The report is no better when it recommends intervention strategies. For example, the DoJ advises on page 12:
"Arrest should be the default position for law enforcement in all domestic violence incidents."  But Harvard researcher Radha Iyengar found mandatory arrest increases the risk of subsequent homicide by 54%.(4)  

This report is a prime example of advocacy research that carries the relentless message, "It's always the man's fault, so go ahead and lock him up."

Please contact this person now:

Kristina Rose, Acting Director
National Institute of Justice, U.S. Dept. of Justice
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 202-307-2942

Politely and firmly, tell her to remove the report and have it reviewed by an independent panel of qualified researchers. Explain this report ignores President Obama's directive to rely on evidence-based policies.

Please do it now. We simply can't allow this slander to stand.



(1) http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/225722.pdf

(2) http://www.csulb.edu/~mfiebert/assault.htm

(3) Dutton D, Bodnarchuk M. Through a psychological lens: Personality disorder and spouse assault. In Loseke D, Gelles R & Cavanaugh M (eds.). Current Controversies on Family Violence, 2005, p. 14.

(4) Iyengar R. Does the certainty of arrest reduce domestic violence? Evidence from mandatory and recommended arrest laws. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research, June 2007.    



Date of RADAR Release: June 22, 2009   

R.A.D.A.R. -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting -- is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence. http://www.mediaradar.org.

59

Men and Domestic Violence / RADAR ALERT: Wednesday's VAWA Senate Hearing - Say No To a Dog-and-Pony Show

Jun 08, 2009, 05:37 PM

RADAR ALERT: Wednesday's VAWA Senate Hearing - Say No To a Dog-and-Pony Show

The Violence Against Women Act was passed in 1994 with the laudable intention of solving the problem of domestic violence.  Unfortunately the law has numerous flaws, including(1)   

• VAWA programs have been ineffective in reducing partner abuse, and in some ways have placed victims at greater risk of violence.


• VAWA undermines basic notions of civil liberties and the presumption of innocence.


• VAWA programs have had a disproportionate negative effect on minority and low-income populations.


• VAWA undermines the family, escalates partner conflict, and discourages reconciliation.


• VAWA fosters sex-based discrimination.


• VAWA promotes half-truths, myths, and falsehoods about domestic violence.


• VAWA encourages immigration fraud.


• VAWA programs lack accountability and allow wasteful use of taxpayer dollars.

When the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on reauthorizing VAWA in 2005, RADAR conducted a campaign to request that the Committee invite some of the most knowledgeable science-based domestic violence researchers in the world to testify at the hearings. (2),(3),(4)  Word came back to us through unofficial channels that no matter how world-reknowned a proposed researcher may be in the study of domestic violence, the Senators running the Committee were determined to prevent anyone who would criticize VAWA in any way from testifying at the hearings.  Instead, the Committee invited testimony from Hollywood actresses and stakeholders with a financial interest in hiding VAWA's flaws.  Rather than holding a hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee ended up holding a dog-and-pony show.

VAWA will be up for reauthorization next year, and this Wednesday, June 10th, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold the first of a series of "hearings."  The list of witnesses they've invited to the June 10th hearing, which they've titled "The Continued Importance of the Violence Against Women Act", can be seen at: http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=3898.  As in the past, they've invited a Hollywood actress and people whose livelihoods would be jeopardized if VAWA's failings were revealed.  Since the Senators have shown a determination to ignore objective science-based researchers who might detract from the planned lovefest, these "hearings" will not be an honest investigation into what is and what isn't working in VAWA, but will instead be nothing more than sham cheerleading sessions.

Many of these Senators objected vociferously as they accused the Bush administration of hiding information to get the policy they wanted -- the invasion of Iraq.  These same Senators now need to hear from the public that it is equally unacceptable for them to hide important information by manipulating the VAWA reauthorization hearings.

Below is a list of the Senators on the Judiciary Committee.

Please call:

Senator Patrick Leahy (Committee Chair)

and:

Senator Jeff Sessions (Ranking Member)

Also if a senator from your home state is on the committee, contact that senator as well.

Tell them that unless they investigate both the accomplishments and failings of our nation's domestic violence policy by inviting testimony from science-based researchers in the study of domestic violence including Murray Straus and Donald Dutton, they'll be guilty of the very same behavior they accused the Bush administration of using to justify invading Iraq. As always, express your opinions firmly but politely.

Senate Judiciary Committee Contact Information

Senator	Voice phone	Fax	State	Party
Patrick J. Leahy, Chairman	202/224-4242	202/224-3479	Vermont	D
Jeff Sessions, Ranking Member	202/224-4124	202/224-3149	Alabama	R
Senate Judiciary Committee Majority Office	202/224-7703	202/224-9516		D
Senate Judiciary Committee Minority Office	202/224-5225	202/224-9102		R
Jon Kyl	202/224-4521	202/224-2207	Arizona	R
Dianne Feinstein	202/224-3841	202/224-3954	California	D
Edward E. Kaufman	202/224-5042	202/228-3075	Delaware	D
Richard J. Durbin	202/224-2152	202/228-0400	Illinois	D
Charles E. Grassley	202/224-3744	202/224-6020	Iowa	R
Benjamin L. Cardin	202/224-4524	202/224-1651	Maryland	D
Amy Klobuchar	202/224-3244	202/228-2186	Minnesota	D
Charles E. Schumer	202/224-6542	202/228-3027	New York	D
Tom Coburn	202/224-5754	202/224-6008	Oklahoma	R
Ron Wyden	202/224-5244	202/228-2717	Oregon	D
Arlen Specter	202/224-4254	202/228-1229	Pennsylvania	D
Sheldon Whitehouse	202/224-2921	202/228-6362	Rhode Island	D
Lindsey Graham	202/224-5972		South Carolina	R
John Cornyn	202/224-2934	202/228-2856	Texas	R
Orrin G. Hatch	202/224-5251	202/224-6331	Utah	R
Herb Kohl	202/224-5653	202/224-9787	Wisconsin	D
Russell D. Feingold	202/224-5323	202/224-2725	Wisconsin	D

1 http://mediaradar.org/docs/RADARdocument-Agenda-for-VAWA-Reform.pdf

2 http://mediaradar.org/alert_vawa4.php

3 http://mediaradar.org/alert_vawa5.php

4 http://mediaradar.org/alert_vawa6.php



Date of RADAR Release: June 8, 2009   

R.A.D.A.R. -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting -- is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence. http://www.mediaradar.org.

60

Main / RADAR ALERT: Wednesday's VAWA Senate Hearing - Say No To a Dog-and-Pony Show

Jun 08, 2009, 05:37 PM

RADAR ALERT: Wednesday's VAWA Senate Hearing - Say No To a Dog-and-Pony Show

The Violence Against Women Act was passed in 1994 with the laudable intention of solving the problem of domestic violence.  Unfortunately the law has numerous flaws, including(1)   

• VAWA programs have been ineffective in reducing partner abuse, and in some ways have placed victims at greater risk of violence.


• VAWA undermines basic notions of civil liberties and the presumption of innocence.


• VAWA programs have had a disproportionate negative effect on minority and low-income populations.


• VAWA undermines the family, escalates partner conflict, and discourages reconciliation.


• VAWA fosters sex-based discrimination.


• VAWA promotes half-truths, myths, and falsehoods about domestic violence.


• VAWA encourages immigration fraud.


• VAWA programs lack accountability and allow wasteful use of taxpayer dollars.

When the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on reauthorizing VAWA in 2005, RADAR conducted a campaign to request that the Committee invite some of the most knowledgeable science-based domestic violence researchers in the world to testify at the hearings. (2),(3),(4)  Word came back to us through unofficial channels that no matter how world-reknowned a proposed researcher may be in the study of domestic violence, the Senators running the Committee were determined to prevent anyone who would criticize VAWA in any way from testifying at the hearings.  Instead, the Committee invited testimony from Hollywood actresses and stakeholders with a financial interest in hiding VAWA's flaws.  Rather than holding a hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee ended up holding a dog-and-pony show.

VAWA will be up for reauthorization next year, and this Wednesday, June 10th, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold the first of a series of "hearings."  The list of witnesses they've invited to the June 10th hearing, which they've titled "The Continued Importance of the Violence Against Women Act", can be seen at: http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=3898.  As in the past, they've invited a Hollywood actress and people whose livelihoods would be jeopardized if VAWA's failings were revealed.  Since the Senators have shown a determination to ignore objective science-based researchers who might detract from the planned lovefest, these "hearings" will not be an honest investigation into what is and what isn't working in VAWA, but will instead be nothing more than sham cheerleading sessions.

Many of these Senators objected vociferously as they accused the Bush administration of hiding information to get the policy they wanted -- the invasion of Iraq.  These same Senators now need to hear from the public that it is equally unacceptable for them to hide important information by manipulating the VAWA reauthorization hearings.

Below is a list of the Senators on the Judiciary Committee.

Please call:

Senator Patrick Leahy (Committee Chair)

and:

Senator Jeff Sessions (Ranking Member)

Also if a senator from your home state is on the committee, contact that senator as well.

Tell them that unless they investigate both the accomplishments and failings of our nation's domestic violence policy by inviting testimony from science-based researchers in the study of domestic violence including Murray Straus and Donald Dutton, they'll be guilty of the very same behavior they accused the Bush administration of using to justify invading Iraq. As always, express your opinions firmly but politely.

Senate Judiciary Committee Contact Information

Senator	Voice phone	Fax	State	Party
Patrick J. Leahy, Chairman	202/224-4242	202/224-3479	Vermont	D
Jeff Sessions, Ranking Member	202/224-4124	202/224-3149	Alabama	R
Senate Judiciary Committee Majority Office	202/224-7703	202/224-9516		D
Senate Judiciary Committee Minority Office	202/224-5225	202/224-9102		R
Jon Kyl	202/224-4521	202/224-2207	Arizona	R
Dianne Feinstein	202/224-3841	202/224-3954	California	D
Edward E. Kaufman	202/224-5042	202/228-3075	Delaware	D
Richard J. Durbin	202/224-2152	202/228-0400	Illinois	D
Charles E. Grassley	202/224-3744	202/224-6020	Iowa	R
Benjamin L. Cardin	202/224-4524	202/224-1651	Maryland	D
Amy Klobuchar	202/224-3244	202/228-2186	Minnesota	D
Charles E. Schumer	202/224-6542	202/228-3027	New York	D
Tom Coburn	202/224-5754	202/224-6008	Oklahoma	R
Ron Wyden	202/224-5244	202/228-2717	Oregon	D
Arlen Specter	202/224-4254	202/228-1229	Pennsylvania	D
Sheldon Whitehouse	202/224-2921	202/228-6362	Rhode Island	D
Lindsey Graham	202/224-5972		South Carolina	R
John Cornyn	202/224-2934	202/228-2856	Texas	R
Orrin G. Hatch	202/224-5251	202/224-6331	Utah	R
Herb Kohl	202/224-5653	202/224-9787	Wisconsin	D
Russell D. Feingold	202/224-5323	202/224-2725	Wisconsin	D

1 http://mediaradar.org/docs/RADARdocument-Agenda-for-VAWA-Reform.pdf

2 http://mediaradar.org/alert_vawa4.php

3 http://mediaradar.org/alert_vawa5.php

4 http://mediaradar.org/alert_vawa6.php



Date of RADAR Release: June 8, 2009   

R.A.D.A.R. -- Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting -- is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence. http://www.mediaradar.org.