Category: CAMP

PR: Factual Missteps Are Slowing National Campaign to End Partner Abuse, SAVE Says

Post author By saveadmin
Post date October 1, 2013

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Teri Stoddard
Telephone: 301-801-0608
Email: tstoddard@saveservices.org

Factual Missteps Are Slowing National Campaign to End Partner Abuse, SAVE Says

WASHINGTON / October 1, 2013 – Victim-advocacy group Stop Abusive and Violent Environments warns that factual errors and misrepresentations in public education efforts sponsored by domestic violence organizations may represent an obstacle in the on-going effort to rid the nation of domestic violence. SAVE issues the alert in conjunction with Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which is observed in October each year.

The Partner Abuse State of Knowledge (PASK) project, a summary of over 1,700 domestic violence research studies, concludes that mutual abuse among partners is commonplace, and men and women engage in partner aggression at similar rates: http://domesticviolenceresearch.org/

Despite the PASK findings, SAVE notes some domestic violence organizations continue to ignore the problem of mutual abuse and minimize female-initiated aggression: www.saveservices.org/camp/truth/. Some groups maintain that domestic violence is an expression of patriarchal power, a stance that ignores the plight of thousands of women caught in abusive same-sex relationships.

The biased statements undergird shelter policies that allow male victims to be turned away. The informational errors also result in female offenders not being referred for anger management classes, substance abuse treatment, or other services: http://www.saveservices.org/downloads/VAWA-Has-It-Delivered-on-Its-Promises-to-Women

“Domestic Violence Awareness Month is supposed to be about enhancing citizens’ understanding of domestic violence,” notes SAVE spokesperson Sheryle Hutter. “But groups that distort the truth are keeping us from ending the cycle of violence.”

Organizations receiving federal grants are prohibited from engaging in wasteful or fraudulent practices, according to the Department of Justice: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/financialguide/PDFs/OCFO_2012FinancialGuide.pdf Domestic violence services organizations are welcome to update their training materials and fact sheets based on SAVE’s Seven Key Facts About Domestic Violence: http://www.saveservices.org/key-facts/

Stop Abusive and Violent Environments is a victim-advocacy organization working for evidence-based solutions to domestic violence and sexual assault: www.saveservices.org

Accountability CAMP Domestic Violence Press Release Research VAWA Inclusion Mandate Victims Violence Against Women Act

PR: ‘Truth Team’ Will Promote Accurate Information and Inclusiveness by Abuse Agencies

Post author By saveadmin
Post date September 19, 2013

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Teri Stoddard
Telephone: 301-801-0608
Email: tstoddard@saveservices.org

‘Truth Team’ Will Promote Accurate Information and Inclusiveness by Abuse Agencies

WASHINGTON / September 9, 2013 – SAVE, a non-profit victim advocacy organization, announces the launch of a new project called “Truth Team.” The project is designed to counter misinformation and assure compliance with the new federal inclusivity mandate of the Violence Against Women Act.

Truth Team will rely on findings from the Partner Abuse State of Knowledge (PASK) project, a summary of over 1,700 research studies on domestic violence which concludes men and women engage in partner aggression at approximately equal rates. (http://domesticviolenceresearch.org/)

The CDC National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey found 6.5% of men, compared to 6.3% of women, had experienced physical violence committed by a partner. (http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/pdf/NISVS_Report2010-a.pdf , Tables 4.7 and 4.8) The survey also found that each year, men are far more likely to experience psychological aggression: 18% of men compared to 14% of women. (Tables 4.9 and 4.10)

But 18 months after the release of this government study, SAVE notes that many domestic violence organizations still depict partner aggression in ways that are misleading and untruthful. Faulty information can give rise to policies that serve to exclude needy victims. These exclusionary practices often violate provisions added to the Violence Against Women Act during its recent reauthorization.

Truth Team will review agencies’ Fact Sheet, compare them against 10 objective criteria, and assign a letter grade. SAVE will then work with agencies to update their Fact Sheets to assure accuracy. Results of the assessment will be posted on the SAVE website and disseminated to the public.

“Domestic violence groups need to make sure the information they are providing to the public is accurate and honest,” notes SAVE spokesperson Sheryle Hutter. “Lawmakers and the public will no longer tolerate the exclusion of victims from our abuse shelters and service programs.”

More information about SAVE’s Truth Team can be seen at http://www.saveservices.org/camp/truth/

Stop Abusive and Violent Environments is a victim-advocacy organization working for evidence-based solutions to domestic violence and sexual assault: www.saveservices.org

Accountability CAMP Discrimination Domestic Violence Media Press Release Victims

PR: Chicken Ads Reveal Abuse Double-Standard, SAVE Charges

Post author By saveadmin
Post date August 20, 2013

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Teri Stoddard
Telephone: 301-801-0608
Email: tstoddard@saveservices.org

Chicken Ads Reveal Abuse Double-Standard, SAVE Charges

WASHINGTON / August 20, 2013 – A leading victim-advocacy organization is calling on Kentucky Fried Chicken to remove advertisements that depict a woman violently slapping a man. Stop Abusive and Violent Environments — SAVE — charges the ads endorse a double-standard which condemns violence against women, but views violence against men as acceptable and even comical.

A KFC spokesperson has claimed the abusive spots represent “tongue-in-cheek humor.” The controversial ad can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRH9NBcd33k .

Columnist Barbara Kay devotes her August 13 column to the commercials. “There was a time when it was believed that women were never violent by nature,” she explains. “But we know now that domestic violence is a two-way street… it is time our culture stopped finding female on male violence an appropriate vehicle for comedy.” http://princearthurherald.com/en/culture-2/barbara-kay-kfcs-hot-shot-bites-ad-campaign-leaves-me-cold-3

The slap-ads have triggered an international outcry. Persons from 28 countries have signed a petition condemning the KFC ads for promoting “dangerous stereotypes.” http://www.change.org/petitions/kentucky-fried-chicken-stop-making-light-of-domestic-violence

Facebook commentaries were much more pointed, calling KFC “sexist” and saying the company would never produce an ad making light of male-on-female violence.

“KFC executives should be hanging their heads in shame,” notes SAVE spokesperson Sheryle Hutter. “They still don’t get it – there’s no excuse for domestic violence whether it affects a man or woman.”

A major research compilation shows female-perpetrated partner violence is more widespread than male-perpetrated violence — 28.3% vs. 21.6%: http://domesticviolenceresearch.org/

Stop Abusive and Violent Environments is a victim-advocacy organization working for evidence-based solutions to domestic violence and sexual assault: www.saveservices.org

Accusing U. CAMP Campus DED Sexual Assault Directive Innocence Press Release Sexual Assault Sexual Harassment

PR: Honor Independence Day by Demanding Govt. Bureaucrats Restore Freedom of Speech on College Campuses, SAVE Says

Post author By saveadmin
Post date July 1, 2013

Contact: Teri Stoddard
Telephone: 301-801-0608
Email: tstoddard@saveservices.org

Honor Independence Day by Demanding Govt. Bureaucrats Restore Freedom of Speech on College Campuses, SAVE Says

WASHINGTON / July 1, 2013 – During the days leading up to our annual Independence Day festivities, the non-profit group SAVE is calling on Americans to demand the U.S. Department of Justice to restore freedom of speech on college campuses.

On May 9, 2013 the U.S. Department of Justice reached a Settlement Agreement with the University of Montana. The Agreement expands the definition of sexual harassment to encompass any unwelcome conduct, including speech, of a sexual nature. “Unwelcome” would now be judged by a student’s subjective feelings, not by an objective “reasonable person” standard.

The Agreement specifies that its broad new definitions and procedures are intended to be used as a “blueprint” by other colleges. The policy thus applies to all faculty members and the 21 million undergraduate and graduate students at all universities receiving federal funding, and represents a national campus speech code, SAVE believes.

The May 9 policy has triggered controversy and spirited protest. To date, over 100 editorials have been published opposing the federal mandate: http://www.saveservices.org/camp/ded-directive/ded-editorials/.

Elected officials have expressed reservations, as well. In a June 26 letter to the Department of Justice, Arizona senator John McCain charged the DOJ’s new policy threatens free speech and raises “great concerns about the security of constitutional rights.” http://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressOffice.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=818fd6f0-b009-240c-b963-7b7bb47f03fb

The McCain letter highlights examples how the DOJ directive could impair First Amendment rights: A student asking another student on a date; a professor assigning an English literature book that contains sexual allusions; or a student listening to music that contains content of a sexual nature overheard by others.

“Independence Day is about recalling and recommitting ourselves to the Founding Principles of our nation,” explains SAVE spokesperson Sheryle Hutter. “If Americans don’t speak out now in defense of freedom of speech on campus, then how will our freedoms be protected the next time a clueless government bureaucrat comes along?”

The May 9 policy comes on top of a controversial 2011 Dept. of Education mandate requiring colleges to use the weakest preponderance-of-evidence standard in handling allegations of sexual assault and curtail other due process protections. More information on the effort to restore free speech on college campuses can be seen here: http://www.saveservices.org/camp/free-speech/

Stop Abusive and Violent Environments is a victim-advocacy organization working for evidence-based solutions to domestic violence and sexual assault.

CAMP False Allegations Innocence Law Enforcement Press Release Prosecutorial Misconduct Wrongful Convictions

PR: SAVE Cites Excessive Delays, Bias with Hancock County Prosecutors

Post author By saveadmin
Post date April 29, 2013

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Teri Stoddard
Telephone: 301-801-0608
Email: tstoddard@saveservices.org

SAVE Cites Excessive Delays, Bias with Hancock County Prosecutors

WASHINGTON / April 25, 2013 – A Hancock County prosecutor, found guilty in December on multiple counts of unethical conduct, has yet to be sanctioned for her misconduct. Assistant district attorney Mary Kellett’s unethical actions harm the credibility of real victims and represent a threat to innocent citizens, charges SAVE, a victim-advocacy group.

After a two-year investigation, a three-member panel of the Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar ruled on December 5, 2012 that ADA Kellett engaged in multiple incidents of prosecutorial misconduct. The Bar Panel found Kellett did not act as a truth seeker, misled the jury, and engaged in conduct unworthy of an attorney (1).

The Panel cited Kellett’s failure to turn over “at least two key pieces of exculpatory evidence” which were critical to the defense of Vladek Filler, who had been charged with sexual assault. The seriousness of Kellett’s misconduct, the Panel emphasized, “cannot be overstated.”

More than four months later, the Maine Judicial Supreme Court has yet to decide on Kellett’s punishment. Despite the Bar Panel’s recommendation for suspension of her law license, Kellett has been allowed to continue her prosecutorial work.

Prosecutor bias has been documented in other domestic violence cases in Hancock County.

Cynthia Boucher had violated the bail conditions for a previous domestic incident against her husband Michael, an Ellsworth city councilman. He ended up in the hospital with facial lacerations.

Despite being a repeat offender, Mrs. Boucher was offered a plea deal that removed the domestic violence and bail violation charges, replacing them with a charge of simple assault. Boucher was ordered to spend only a weekend in jail and pay a $300 fine. Her victim was forced to flee the area with his daughter and resign his city council seat (2).

“This 4-month delay in sanctioning Mary Kellett is unconscionable and outrageous,” notes SAVE spokesman Howard Goldman. “Dozens of innocent men may risk similar prosecution without probable cause, while female repeat offenders are being given sweet-heart deals by Hancock County prosecutors.”

SAVE calls for DA Carletta Bassano to immediately remove Mary Kellett from her prosecutorial duties, and urges the Maine Supreme Court to act promptly on the Bar panel’s recommendation to restore integrity and credibility to Maine’s criminal justice system.

Stop Abusive and Violent Environments is a victim-advocacy organization working for evidence-based solutions to domestic violence and sexual assault: www.saveservices.org

(1) http://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=mebar_overseers_discipline&id=464815&v=article
(2) http://bangordailynews.com/2012/12/20/news/hancock/wifes-violent-outbursts-prompt-ellsworth-city-councilor-to-resign-leave-town/

CAMP Domestic Violence Media Press Release Violence Violence Against Women Act

Press Release: SAVE Calls on Anti-Violence Groups to Renounce Shaming Campaign

Post author By saveadmin
Post date February 27, 2013

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Teri Stoddard
Telephone: 301-801-0608
Email: tstoddard@saveservices.org

SAVE Calls on Anti-Violence Groups to Renounce Shaming Campaign

WASHINGTON / February 27, 2013 – A leading victim-advocacy organization is calling on domestic violence groups to renounce the shaming attacks and misleading claims by groups claiming to be advocates for passage the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). SAVE, an advocate for services for all victims of domestic violence, says such unfounded accusations invite ridicule and serve to discredit the movement to curb intimate partner abuse.

The Huffington Post has previously criticized harsh attacks on House GOP leadership regarding the VAWA reauthorization as “incendiary and extreme” (1).

Yesterday a group called “Friends of VAWA Coalition” issued a press release headlining the Republican VAWA proposal as being “nothing less than shameful.” (2)

The release claims the bill recently proposed by House Republicans would “deny critical services to many victims.” But SAVE’s review of the GOP bill did not identify any provisions that would restrict services for any group. One Republican aide specifically stated, “The House bill protects all people from discrimination.” (3)

The Friends of VAWA Coalition also charges the GOP bill leaves Native American women “without vital protections” because it allows the defendant to request the case be transferred to a federal court to assure constitutional rights. But Senator Patrick Leahy, lead author of the Senate VAWA bill, has termed such a provision to be “reasonable; a middle ground position regarding tribal jurisdiction.” (4)

“As a woman, I’m saddened and embarrassed that groups purporting to be working for safe families would resort to such extreme rhetoric,” notes SAVE spokesperson Sheryle Hutter. “These mindless attacks only reinforce the worst stereotypes about females.”

A recent report from the Independent Women’s Forum highlights numerous problems with VAWA (5). A national survey found two-thirds of registered voters favored major reforms to the Violence Against Women Act (6).

Stop Abusive and Violent Environments is a victim-advocacy organization working for evidence-based solutions to domestic violence and sexual assault: www.saveservices.org

Bills CAMP Domestic Violence Law Enforcement Press Release Research Restraining Order Special Report Victims Violence Violence Against Women Act

PR: Ideology Over Science: Anti-Abuse Policies Put Victims at Risk, SAVE Report Says

Post author By saveadmin
Post date February 11, 2013

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Teri Stoddard
Telephone: 301-801-0608
Email: tstoddard@saveservices.org

Ideology Over Science: Anti-Abuse Policies Put Victims at Risk, SAVE Report Says

WASHINGTON / February 11, 2013 – Widely used criminal justice measures intended to curb partner abuse are in fact placing victims at risk of violence, according to a research summary released today. Restraining orders, mandatory arrest, and aggressive prosecution policies are increasing, not decreasing partner violence, according to the SAVE report: http://www.saveservices.org/2013/02/the-violence-against-women-act-is-a-deadly-proposition/

Aggressive criminal justice policies are funded by the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and then implemented according to state laws. The SAVE report reveals:

1. Protection Orders: VAWA funds the enforcement of restraining orders, but they widely believed to be ineffective in curbing abuse. A review of 119 homicide-suicides in North Carolina revealed the issuance of a restraining order was the most common trigger for such tragedies, found in 41% of such incidents.

2. Arrest: VAWA funds mandatory arrest policies in 20 states around the country. Harvard researcher Radha Iyengar found that “intimate partner homicides increased by about 60% in states with mandatory arrest laws.” This translates into over 600 deaths each year.

3. Prosecution: VAWA pays $35 million annually to prosecutors who follow mandatory prosecution policies. But one 48-city study found prosecuting restraining order violations doubles the number of homicides among white wives and increases risk for other groups, as well.

The SAVE report terms the continued taxpayer funding of these harmful policies as “A triumph of ideology over science and common-sense.”

“What kind of crazy law purports to be about stopping abuse, but in truth is escalating tensions and discouraging victims from calling for help?,” asks SAVE spokesperson Sheryle Hutter. “Taxpayers should be demanding a complete overhaul of these irrational domestic violence programs.”

Over 40 leading scientists and organizations have endorsed major reforms to VAWA and state-level domestic violence policies: http://www.saveservices.org/pvra/vawa-reform-principles/. The Violence Against Women Act is currently up for reauthorization in Congress.

Stop Abusive and Violent Environments is a victim-advocacy organization working for evidence-based solutions to domestic violence and sexual assault: www.saveservices.org

CAMP Domestic Violence Press Release Victims Violence Violence Against Women Act

PR: Politicizing the Truth: White House Order Ignores the Plight of Most Victims of Violence

Post author By saveadmin
Post date August 15, 2012

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Teri Stoddard
Phone: 301-801-0608
Email: tstoddard@saveservices.org

Politicizing the Truth: White House Order Ignores the Plight of Most Victims of Violence

WASHINGTON / August 15, 2012 — Victim-advocacy group Stop Abusive and Violent Environments (SAVE) is charging the White House with politicizing the issue of violence. SAVE says Obama’s executive order “Preventing and Responding to Violence Against Women and Girls Globally”(1) marginalizes and ignores the suffering of male victims of violence.

According to the World Health Organization, men are twice as likely to die of violence as women. Globally, violence accounts for 14% of male deaths and 7% of female deaths.(2)

Regarding intimate partner violence, studies across the globe find women are as likely as men to be perpetrators of abuse.(3) In the United States, a Centers for Disease Control survey reported that among young adults, half of all partner aggression is mutual, and 71% of the instigators of nonreciprocal partner violence are female.(4)

Current criminal cases illustrate the gravity of the problem:

— Brenda White of Taylorsville, Utah is currently on trial for attempting to kill her husband with an SUV.(5)

— This past Saturday, Na Cola Darcel Franklin of Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania stabbed her fiancé to death just hours before their planned wedding.(6)

— Julie Elizabeth Harper of Carlsbad, California is being held on $2 million bail for fatally shooting her husband with their children nearby.(7)

“In the halls of Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike agree the Violence Against Women Act must help all victims of violence.” says Philip W. Cook, SAVE spokesperson, “But the White House’s election-year Order politicizes the issue and distorts the truth. It’s divisive, it’s unfair, and it’s dishonest.”

Earlier this week the Belfast Telegraph reported on a “Dramatic Rise in Violence against Northern Ireland Men in the Home.”(8)

Stop Abusive and Violent Environments is a victim-advocacy organization working for evidence-based solutions to partner violence: www.saveservices.org

1. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/08/10/executive-order-preventing-and-responding-violence-against-women-and-gir
2. http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/world_report/en/introduction.pdf
3. http://www.saveservices.org/policymakers/what-is-the-profile-of-domestic-violence-around-the-world/
4. Whitaker DJ et al. Differences in frequency of violence and reported injury between relationships with reciprocal and nonreciprocal intimate partner violence. American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 97, No. 5, 2007.
5. http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/54649493-78/brenda-jon-defense-building.html.csp
6. http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-whitehall-wedding-day-murder-20120811,0,706030,full.story
7. http://www.10news.com/news/31354629/detail.html
8. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/dramatic-rise-in-violence-against-northern-ireland-men-in-the-home-16197462.html#ixzz23Uypn5HD

Abuse Shelter CAMP Dating Violence Domestic Violence Press Release Research Victims Violence

PR: Dishonest Portrayals by the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence

Post author By saveadmin
Post date August 7, 2012

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Teri Stoddard
Phone: 301-801-0608
Email: tstoddard@saveservices.org

Dishonest Portrayals by the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence

WASHINGTON / August 7, 2012 – Women commit half of all partner abuse, but the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence (MCEDV) all but ignores the widespread problem of female-initiated partner aggression. SAVE, a national victim-advocacy organization, calls on the Maine Coalition to present balanced and truthful information to legislators and to the public at large.

Male high school students in Maine are more likely to be hit, slapped, or physically hurt by their girlfriends. According to the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey, 11.6% male secondary students have been a victim of dating violence in the past 12 months, compared to only 10.6% of female students (1).

Female-perpetrated abuse is even more worrisome among young adults. According to a national Centers for Disease Control survey, 70% of one-way abuse is committed by women, while only 30% of abuse is perpetrated by men (2).

Homicide statistics provide a sobering perspective, as well. According to the 2012 report of the Maine Domestic Abuse Homicide Review Panel, women committed 5 out of 13 domestic violence homicides in recent years (3).

Last year Roxanne Jeskey of Bangor admitted to killing her husband Richard. A detective’s report detailed the injuries: “These included nose fractures, loss of an eye, rib fractures, rectal incised wounds, and internal hemorrhage from an instrument(s) pushed through his scrotum into his abdomen. Further, Mr. Jeskey was strangled with sufficient force to break the hyoid bone of his neck.” (4).

Despite disturbing media accounts, the website of the Maine Coalition repeatedly implies that only men are abusive (5). These are a few of many examples:

What is domestic violence and abuse: “The difference lies in the batterer’s belief system regarding women and children.”
Its Dating Bill of Rights includes, “Say, ‘I think my friend is wrong and his actions are inappropriate.’”
A Friend in Need of Help: “ten ways to support female victims”

The Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey shows that among 11^th and 12^th graders, females are more than twice as likely as males to perpetrate dating violence (1). But the MCEDV home page advertises that the Young Adult Abuse Prevention Program “is seeking an educator to conduct classroom presentations on dating violence. The applicant must convincingly portray a teenage female in a theater piece.”

“Domestic violence is too important an issue for persons to spin and mutilate the truth,” explains SAVE spokesman Philip W. Cook. “If the Maine Coalition wants to bring an end to the cycle of domestic violence, it needs to stop ignoring half the cycle.”

Female-initiated aggression is the leading risk-factor for women becoming injured by an intimate partner, according to a research summary by Sandra Stith, PhD (6).

Citations:

1. http://maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/population-health/inj/documents/miyhs-highschool-2011.pdf, page 8.
2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17395835
3. http://www.maine.gov/ag/dynld/documents/Working_Together_to_End_Domestic_Violence_04-11-12.pdf, page 11.
4. http://www.truecrimereport.com/2011/06/roxanne_jeskey_viciously_murde.php
5. http://mcedv.org/
6. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359178903000557

Stop Abusive and Violent Environments is a victim advocacy organization working for evidence-based solutions to partner abuse: www.saveservices.org

CAMP Domestic Violence Press Release Violence

PR: Verizon Abuse Video Sparks Controversy, Condemnation

Post author By saveadmin
Post date December 6, 2011

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Teri Stoddard

Telephone: 301-801-0608

Email: tstoddard@saveservices.org

Verizon Abuse Video Sparks Controversy, Condemnation

Washington, DC/December 6, 2011 — SAVE is charging the Verizon Foundation with misleading the public about domestic violence, after the corporate giant released a video filled with one-sided images and controversial claims. Titled “Monsters”, the video presents a bleak picture of home life in America: fathers as abusers, wives and daughters as victims, and sons as future batterers (1).

Research shows levels of partner aggression are the same among males and females (2), an observation highlighted by the recent TV clip of starlet Kim Kardashian punching her husband Kris with a closed fist. A recent Washington Post article documents growing levels of aggressive behavior among women on campuses and in schools (3).

The provocative Verizon video has stirred controversy and invited condemnation.

One editorialist deplored the video’s “misandric boy bashing” and charged the information “has the potential for spreading harm and hate.” (4) The pro-feminist blog Jezebel has described the video as “disturbing” (5). Deploring the overt biases in the video, a blogger at RoarforFreedom wrote, “My mother still tries to convince all of her adult children–as well as the grandchildren, what an idiot and monster my father is” (6).

The Monsters video is not the only source of false information from the Verizon Foundation.

The Verizon website makes the claim, “Domestic violence is the single greatest cause of injury to women ages 15 to 44 in the U.S. – more than muggings, car accidents and rapes combined.” (7).

But leading family researcher Richard Gelles counters, “as good a sound bite as it is, the statement is simply not true.” (8) The overwhelming leading causes of injury to women in this age group are accidental falls and automobile accidents.

The Verizon website claims, “One in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.” But a balanced statement would indicate that one in four men also experience domestic violence in their lifetimes.

By focusing on aid only for female victims, Verizon ignores half of the population in need of help and perpetuates inappropriate stereotypes.

“Verizon’s video smears fathers as the only potential abusers in a household, when in fact women are as likely to abuse their partners, and more likely to physically abuse children,” explains SAVE spokesman Philip W. Cook. “This scary animated video labels all fathers as potential ‘monsters,’ and frightens impressionable children.”

Misinformation and false stereotypes are widespread and undermine legitimate abuse-reduction efforts: http://www.saveservices.org/downloads/SAVE-DV-Educational-Programs.

(1) http://www.multivu.com/mnr/52044-verizon-foundation-national-domestic-hotline-video-launch-monsters

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

(3) http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/violent-incidents-involving-female-students-surge-on-campuses-in-schools/2011/11/11/gIQAOsMJJN_story.html

(4) http://ncfm.org/2011/12/action/the-verizon-foundation-and-the-national-domestic-violence-hotline-team-up-to-promote-hate/

(5) http://jezebel.com/5865167/domestic-violence-ad-implies-only-men-are-abusers?autoplay

(6) http://www.roarforfreedom.com/comment-on-domestic-violence-psa-boycott-verizon-for-portraying-all-men-as-abusive-monsters-and-all-boys-as-potential-abusive-monsters-by-thegirlinside/

(7) http://foundation.verizon.com/core/domestic.shtml

(8) Gelles R. The politics of research: The use, abuse, and misuse of social science data. Family Court Review Vol. 45, 2007, page 45.

Stop Abusive and Violent Environments is a victim-advocacy organization working for evidence-based solutions to partner violence: www.saveservices.org.