Roscop, I doubt you should use Anderson as your poster boy for anti-family court sentiments because it has been widely reported that he had a serious mental illness that preceded any dealings with the family courts.

These sort of people need mental health treatment at the first sign of violence, and not years after a long history of violence and restraining orders.
If this treatment did not work, then they should not be free to live in the wider society.

Maybe if Anderson had either received treatment, or was detained in a mental health facility, that poor little boy would still be alive.

@suseonline, you say with respect to Anderson that:

"...it has been widely reported that he had a serious mental illness that preceded any dealings with the family courts."

Do you mean it has been widely reported Rosie Batty, domestic violence poster girl of the century, was saying whenever she got the opportunity that Anderson had a serious mental illness or something to that effect?

You say he had a serious mental illness that preceded any dealings with the family courts (what about local courts where unsubstantiated allegations are also welcomed and accepted?). Would that illness have existed before Batty hooked up again with Anderson and produced a child?

It is not surprising that a discussion about gender inequality is now focussed on domestic violence. According to the Australian Human Rights Commission Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick, men’s violence against women is Australia’s most significant gender equality issue. It is both a cause and a consequence of gender inequality.

It saddens me that some people feel that feminists over-react to intimate partner violence, when in fact many people (both men and women), organisations and countries (i.e. not just “feminists” or “male champions of change”) react to this worldwide issue.

According to the World Bank, there are now more women living in an intimate relationship characterised by violence than malnourished people in the world. With such a high prevalence, it seems reasonable to describe intimate partner violence as an “epidemic” (i.e. a widespread occurrence in a community at a particular time).

FYI - 37 women have been murdered in Australia so far this year. In the past month alone:
1. May 14th : Unnamed woman (37) dies in hospital after being shot. The estranged partner of the dead woman has been charged with her murder.
2. May 11th: Seker Yildiz found dead at home. Her husband has been charged with murder.
3. April 28th: Linda Locke (51) died in hospital following injuries inflicted the day before. Her partner arrested and charged with murder.
4. April 25th: Melita Hart (18) killed at her home. Her partner has been charged with murder.
5. April 23rd: The body of a woman found in the boot of a car near Bermagui is believed to be Daniela D'Addario (35). Her partner has been extradited to the ACT and charged with her murder.

I do not know if mental illness or substance use was a factor in these 5 separate murders.

Regarding the claim that “men are victims too”, has a woman murdered her male partner in the past month?

In my view, more resources should be spent on the issue of domestic violence. With this rate of men murdering women, it seems reasonable that resources are spent trying to prevent further murders

Wolly B

I am surprised that you compared (in an earlier post) those who die from murder with those who die from asthma (a medical condition). This is like comparing oranges with apples. You also suggest some men commit suicide after separation. This is very sad but can taking one’s own life be compared with taking another person’s life?

Roscop

In my view, the Australian of the year deserves respect whether or not you agree with her.

Sarah have you bothered to look at the material I referenced earlier in the thread or are you just repeating what those with similar viewpoints are spouting without at least investigating the other side of the issue?

Given you have made no acknowledgement of having looked at the material and also taken a swipe at me for thought bubbles in a subsequent post whilst seemingly avoiding any debate of the evidence on this significant aspect of gender issues your interest in the actual evidence does not seem serious.

Rather the repeating of a view of DV that serves the feminist cause but does nothing to understand the issue and little to reduce the overall rates of DV because the political benefits of misrepresentation of DV to the feminist movement are apparently much more important than the well being of those caught in DV situations.

R0bert

Robert

I have scrolled back to your post:
"The real points of difference are over a range concepts. I'll list some that come to mind.
- That men have somehow been uniformly more advantaged than women whilst ignoring the inconvenient aspects of advantage and disadvantage.
- That men alone are responsible for the shape of society.
- That men should be held to a higher standard than women when it comes to the impact of our own choices on life outcomes.
- That men somehow are more responsible for the social constructs, limitations and restrictions that we almost all face.
- That feminist dogma based on marxist concepts of power structure should decide the outcomes of gender research rather than actual figures.
- That womens perception of what occured is both more important than mans and more important than truth".

I frequently have thought bubbles (or as you called it: “things that come to mind”). Thought bubbles lead me to undertake ‘curiosity driven’ research - the best research I do.

I have read with interest all your posts – as I have read everyone’s posts. I have also read all the links in everyone’s posts. There have been a lot of links – and I confess to having read some more thoroughly than others.

I have not however responded to everyone’s posts nor everyone’s links – I simply don’t have the time. And as I have said previously, I am not an expert in the area of intimate partner violence.

In your previous posts you provided these links:
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=17286#305193
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=17286#305183
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive-aggressive_behavior
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/albury-sex-assault-investigation-finalised/story-fnq2o7dd-1227329546549
http://www.allianz.com.au/car-insurance/news/fine-for-an-unlocked-car
http://www.aic.gov.au/statistics/violent%20crime/assault.html
http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/facts/2011/facts_and_figures_2011.pdf
http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/vvcs9310.pdf
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/1370.0~2010~Chapter~Aboriginal%20and%20Torres%20Strait%20Islander%20peoples%20%284.4.6.2%29 .
http://www.ask.com/wiki/Indigenous_Australians_and_crime
http://web.csulb.edu/~mfiebert/assault.htm

I would be happy to respond if you think there is something special I should read again.

The view I presented in my post was my own. It was not a view of DV (I assume DV is an acronym for "domestic violence") that serves the feminist cause.

I hope those men and women who work to prevent intimate partner violence are interested in the well being of all those (both men and women) caught in DV situations.