Category: Press Release

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Domestic Violence Press Release Violence Violence Against Women Act

PR: Abuse Programs Must Tell the Truth, SAVE Says

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Teri Stoddard

tstoddard@saveservices.org

Abuse Programs Must Tell the Truth, SAVE Says

Washington, DC/October 20, 2011 – In the face of documented bias and misrepresentation, Stop Abusive and Violent Environments (SAVE) is urging abuse reduction programs to present accurate and balanced information about partner violence. This step is essential to assure programs are effective and all victims are served.

SAVE has demonstrated that only one in 10 domestic violence programs present truthful information about partner abuse: http://www.saveservices.org/downloads/SAVE-DV-Educational-Programs .

The website of one national domestic violence organization makes the claim that “there is not a typical woman who will be battered — the risk factor is being born female.”  But 250 studies show domestic violence is an equal opportunity problem for men and women alike: http://csulb.edu/~mfiebert/assault.htm .

The website of Futures Without Violence, a prominent organization in the area, depicts teenage boys as abusers, even though the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports boys are 25 percent more likely to be victims of teenage dating violence than girls: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5704a1.htm#tab11

“It’s impossible to address the problem of partner aggression if we ignore half the victims and half the abusers,” explains SAVE spokesman Philip W. Cook. “All victims have a right to society’s protection, and all perpetrators of violence need intervention and access to treatment.”

The effect of these misleading portrayals is that male victims, and victims of gay or lesbian domestic violence, do not receive the aid they deserve. And female abusers do not receive the treatment and intervention they need.

Because of the need to assure valid information is presented to the public, SAVE has established an accreditation program for training, education, and public awareness (TEPA) programs that address partner abuse. In this way, SAVE ensures that educational programs are based on valid science: http://www.saveservices.org/accreditation/

Sen. Patrick Leahy will soon be introducing the re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act. In a recent letter to the Senator, SAVE offered language for the bill to ensure the accuracy of informational programs: http://www.saveservices.org/wp-content/uploads/Ltr.SenLeahy.pdf

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

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False Allegations Law Enforcement Press Release Restraining Order

PR: One in 10 Falsely Accused of Abuse: Survey

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Teri Stoddard

Email: tstoddard@saveservices.org

One in 10 Falsely Accused of Abuse: Survey

Washington, DC/October 17, 2011 — One in 10 adults has been falsely accused of domestic violence, child abuse, or sexual assault, according to a survey conducted by Stop Abusive and Violent Environments (SAVE). The survey also found a strong disparity between the number of males and females falsely accused: more than three quarters of all false accusations are levied against men. Nearly seven in 10 false accusers are female.

The survey is the first of its kind to be undertaken, and uncovers distressing trends within the American abuse-reduction system.

Child abuse is the commonest false charge — about twice as many people have been falsely accused of child abuse as of domestic violence or sexual assault. In over one quarter of cases, the false allegations were made in a child custody case.

“Each year, millions of innocent Americans are falsely accused of abuse,” explains SAVE spokesman Philip W. Cook. “These false allegations can strip persons of their assets, harm their families, and ruin their lives.”

Because of these widespread injustices, Cook said, SAVE has launched its Campaign 2012, a grassroots effort to reform U.S. domestic violence laws: http://www.saveservices.org/campaign-2012/

False allegations of domestic violence often lead to family break-up, which forces children into single parent households. Such children face a far greater risk of juvenile delinquency, school drop-out, and teenage pregnancy. One analysis concluded such allegations lead to $20 billion a year in increased welfare and public benefit costs: http://www.saveservices.org/downloads/False-Allegations-Harm-Families-and-Children

Although past studies have examined false abuse allegations within specified groups, no national inquiry previously had been made. To this end, SAVE commissioned the national telephone survey, which queried 20,000 households around the country during two rounds in May and September 2011. More information about the survey methods and results can be seen here: http://www.saveservices.org/falsely-accused/survey/

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

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Press Release

PR: SAVE Launches National Campaign to Reform Abuse Laws

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Teri Stoddard

Email: tstoddard@saveservices.org

SAVE Launches National Campaign to Reform Abuse Laws

Washington, DC/ Oct. 12, 2011 — Stop Abusive and Violent Environments (SAVE) is launching its national Campaign 2012 to advocate for the strengthening and reform of U.S. domestic violence (DV) laws. The organization is calling on persons around the country to seize the opportunity afforded by debates, rallies, and town halls to put DV “front and center on the political radar screen.”

SAVE spokesperson, Philip W. Cook notes, “All victims of DV are harmed by a legal system which does not afford certain victims equal protection of the laws, and which contains perverse incentives that encourage false claims by disgruntled partners. SAVE is hopeful that increasing attention will be paid to these injustices by candidates and lawmakers in 2012.”

SAVE is an advocate for all true victims of DV in an environment that tends to marginalize victims who are male or lesbian. The organization fights misinformation with true statistics—pointing out, for instance, that men are as likely to be victims of DV as women are—and also calls attention to homosexual victims of partner violence, who are often ignored.

SAVE’s Campaign 2012 is focusing on eight vulnerabilities of existing DV law:

  • The ease of making false allegations, which end up harming true victims
  • Priority for true victims, so that they are not re-victimized by the legal system
  • Families and children who are hurt by laws that don’t recognize the truth about DV
  • Mandatory arrest, a weapon a spiteful spouse can use against a partner
  • Discriminatory practices that ignore half of DV’s victims
  • Immigration laws, which provide incentives for candidates to falsely allege DV
  • Mismanagement and fraud, which are widespread in billion-dollar federal DV programs
  • False information disseminated by DV groups

SAVE is encouraging the public to join its Campaign 2012 grassroots volunteers at town halls and events across the country as electoral races heat up. The organization has made available at its website (http://www.saveservices.org/campaign-2012 ) flyers that highlight the reforms Congress needs to make. Concerned citizens are encouraged to ask candidates about their willingness to strengthen and reform DV laws.

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

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Dating Violence Domestic Violence Press Release

PR: On Partner Abuse, President Obama Flubs his Facts

PRESS RELEASE

On Partner Abuse, President Obama Flubs his Facts

Washington DC (Oct. 4, 2011) – Stop Abusive and Violent Environments (SAVE) is calling on President Obama to correct false information in the Domestic Violence Proclamation he issued Monday. At a time when victims are demanding accuracy and accountability, the declaration features misleading statements and inaccurate facts.

The presidential proclamation, issued for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, makes the claim that “One in four women and one in 13 men will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.” But multiple studies show that men and women abuse each other at similar rates.

The Center for Disease Control’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey reveals males are being victimized at a higher rate than females: 10 percent of teenage males versus 9 percent of teenage females report dating violence. In the American Journal of Public Health, a second CDC study of young adults revealed a dramatic gap for one-way violence: in 71 percent of cases, females were the aggressors.

The Obama Proclamation also states, “Young women are among the most vulnerable, suffering the highest rates of intimate partner violence.” But the President did not mention that the most important risk factor for female victimization is a woman striking the first blow with a slap, punch, or other form of physical aggression.

This follows Vice President Biden’s recent visit to The View (ABC) where he only addressed the problem of male-on-female abuse. The Vice President also side-stepped Whoopi Goldberg’s direct question about women hitting men.
The Presidential Proclamation follows a string of high-profile media reports of women harming, or threatening to harm men:
Duke lacrosse accuser Crystal Mangum stabbed her boyfriend Reginald Daye to death in April. In July, Katherine Becker of California drugged her husband, tied him to a bed, and sliced off his penis. Later, actor Daniel Baldwin filed for a restraining order against his wife writing, “My wife has claimed over 10 times in the last two months that she will stab me, slash me or slit my throat in my sleep. I am truly fearful for my life.”

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

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Domestic Violence Press Release

PRESS RELEASE: SAVE Deplores Portrayal of Domestic Violence as Glamorous

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Teri Stoddard, tstoddard@saveservices.org

SAVE Deplores Portrayal of Domestic Violence as Glamorous

Stop Abusive and Violent Environments (SAVE), along with many other advocacy groups and media outlets, has condemned fashion photographs recently taken of television star Heather Morris (Brittany from “Glee”) engaged in mock domestic violence with a male model. But advocates other than SAVE have ignored the male victim in the pictures, and by focusing only on the depicted violence against Ms. Morris, they perpetuate damaging stereotypes and hide the facts about domestic violence from Americans.

A black-eyed Morris, dressed as Barbie, stares seductively into the camera, and later merrily presses a hot iron to her partner’s crotch. The photo depicts a getting-what-he-deserves storyline that reinforces serious misconceptions about domestic violence. Men are stereotyped as abusers, and Barbie supposedly strikes a blow for victims everywhere.

The truth is that men are just as likely to be the victims of domestic violence as women (although they are much less likely to report the crime) and most of the time, domestic disputes result in mutual violence. But while Barbie’s bruising is facial, “Ken” is sexually assaulted through his trousers. In this case, as in thousands of others, shame will probably cause Ken not to report the crime.

Predictably, reactions to the photos have focused only on the abuse to Barbie: her assault of Ken has been ignored, even though it is the more serious crime. Rita Smith, director of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), spoke to E! news about the photos, but it was as if she had seen a different set of photos.

Still worse, nothing has been said about the photographer’s donation to an advocacy group that disregards male victims of domestic violence and portrays men as serial abusers: after the negative public reaction to the shoot, Tyler Shields told the Daily Mail that he would auction off his photos and donate the proceeds to Glamour magazine’s Tell Somebody campaign. The Tell Somebody campaign, like almost all programs, focuses exclusively on violence perpetrated against women—that is, on only half the picture.

SAVE is calling on Shields to select a different beneficiary—one that serves all victims, whether they are female or male, gay or straight—so that proceeds from the sale of a photo making light of domestic violence  victims will not go to a project that stereotypes men as the only abusers.

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CAMP False Allegations Press Release

PRESS RELEASE: Academia Rebels Against the Presumption of Guilt for Men

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Wendy McElroy, 301-801-0608, wmcelroy@saveservices.org

ACADEMIA REBELS AGAINST THE PRESUMPTION OF GUILT FOR MEN

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24 / U.S. Newswire / — Stop Abusive and Violent Environments is calling on the U.S. Department of Education to rescind a controversial directive. The new DED rule forces persons to abandon their due process rights to get an education. Such persons are considered “guilty until proven innocent” whenever an on-campus sexual accusation occurs.

On April 4, the DED Office of Civil Rights instructed every university that accepts federal funds to use a “preponderance (51%) of evidence” standard in evaluating allegations of sexual offense, including rape. An accuser only needs to ‘tip the scales’ for a professor or student to be found “guilty.”

But the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is now objecting. The group wants sexual accusations to be judged by a higher standard than traffic courts use for parking tickets.

On June 27, Gregory Scholtz, AAUP’s Director of the Department of Academic Freedom, Tenure, and Governance wrote to DED to protest the “lower standard of proof” that threatens “academic freedom and tenure.”

Then on August 18, AAUP’s Chair of the Committee on Women expressed concern about the “potential for accusations, even false ones, to ruin a faculty member’s career.” Backlash from two separate units of the AAUP is remarkable. Their recognition of false accusations is extraordinary.

“People lie for many reasons including revenge and shame; people also make mistakes. This is why courts presume an accused to be innocent and place the burden of proof on the accuser,” explains SAVE spokesman Phil Cook. “Hard evidence and due process are all the more important in sexual cases that often devolve to ‘he said, she said.’”

As a result of the DED directive, campuses are already beginning to reverse the presumption of innocence. Based on questionable data, men are assumed to be predators and women are said to “never lie” about issues like rape.  By lowering the standards of justice, the OCR is encouraging false accusations.

SAVE applauds the AAUP for its courage in demanding the OCR rescind its April 4th mandate. SAVE urges college student parents to contact the Department of Education to demand for due process for all.

The SAVE letter to the Department of Education can be seen here: http://www.saveservices.org/wp-content/uploads/OCRLetter.pdf. SAVE is a national victim advocacy organization working for evidence-based solutions to domestic violence.

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Press Release Victims

PRESS RELEASE: DHHS Under Fire for Sex Bias in Screening Guidelines

PRESS RELEASE

DHHS Under Fire for Sex Bias in Screening Guidelines

WASHINGTON – Stop Abusive and Violent Environments, a victim-advocacy organization, is charging bias in the screening guidelines recently issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The guidelines will require health plans recognized under President Obama’s Affordable Care Act to conduct domestic violence screening and counseling for women…but not for men.

The HHS rule was issued exactly three weeks after Catherine Becker of California drugged and bound her husband to a bed. Then she severed the man’s genitalia with a 10-inch knife and disposed of his penis in a garbage disposal.

When the rules were announced, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius explained, “These historic guidelines are based on science and existing literature.”

But independent scientific groups have consistently recommended against routine medical screening for domestic violence, citing lack of evidence of benefit. These include decisions by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care, and the Health Technology Assessment Program in the United Kingdom.

“Over 250 studies show women are at least as likely as men to engage in partner violence,” explains SAVE spokesman Philip Cook. “If Catherine Becker’s husband had been screened for abusive relationships, it’s possible this horrible castration could have been avoided.”

Stop Abusive and Violent Environments is calling for the HHS screening rule to be removed or revised to be gender-inclusive. The HHS requirements can be seen here: http://www.hrsa.gov/womensguidelines

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Press Release Violence Against Women Act

PRESS RELEASE: Dr. Phil’s Testimony was ‘Reckless and False,’ Group Charges

PRESS RELEASE

Dr. Phil’s Testimony was ‘Reckless and False,’ Group Charges

WASHINGTON / July 25, 2011 – Stop Abusive and Violent Environments, a national victim-advocacy organization, is charging that Dr. Phillip McGraw, a TV personality known to many as Dr. Phil, made claims at a recent Senate committee hearing that were “reckless and false.”

Dr. McGraw’s testimony was given during a July 13 hearing on the Violence Against Women Act held by the Senate Judiciary Committee. McGraw, a psychologist, often appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

During his testimony, Dr. McGraw made repeated statements about violence against women, but glossed over the widespread problem of abuse against men. McGraw made a number of claims that were flatly wrong, SAVE alleges.

Dr. McGraw asserted that “Domestic violence is now the most common cause of injury to women ages 15 to 44.” But the actual leading causes of injury to women are falls, overexertion, and car accidents. McGraw told the senators that “In too many situations violence against women, young and old, is almost treated as an ‘acceptable crime.’” But that statement ignores research showing over 90% of Americans abhor domestic violence.

Dr. McGraw’s testimony “is reminiscent of the Jim Crow rape scares that focused on black-on-white rape, while studiously ignoring the problem of white-on-white sexual assault,” the SAVE letter explains.

“Two weeks ago Catherine Becker allegedly sliced off her husband’s penis and tossed it in the garbage disposal,” notes SAVE spokesman Philip Cook. “The gruesome incident took place just miles from Dr. Phil’s southern California home. But by the time Dr. McGraw arrived in Washington for the hearing, all awareness of male victimization seemingly had vanished from his mind.”

Women are as physically aggressive, or more aggressive, than men in their relationships with their spouses or male partners, according to a research summary compiled by Dr. Martin Fiebert of California State University.

A copy of the SAVE letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee can be seen here: http://www.saveservices.org/downloads/Reckless-False-Statements-Made-to-Senate-Judiciary-Committee

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

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Dating Violence Press Release Sexual Assault Victims Violence

Partner Violence Reduction Act Brings Hope to Victims

Partner Violence Reduction Act Brings Hope to Victims

WASHINGTON, July 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Aiming to strengthen the federal Violence Against Women Act, today the Partner Violence Reduction Act was released for consideration and future enactment by the United State Congress. The proposed law was developed by Stop Abusive and Violent Environments – SAVE – a national victim-advocacy organization.

The Partner Violence Reduction Act will bring hope to abuse victims such as Ebonee Barnes, mother of three. Writing in a Philadelphia-area newspaper, Barnes recently revealed that the “shelters they place us in are beyond unlivable.”

The Partner Violence Reduction Act will also offer hope to persons like Sean Lanigan, a northern Virginia teacher who was falsely accused by a student of sexual assault. As featured in a recent Washington Post expose, the school district refused to restore Lanigan’s full teaching privileges even after a jury found him innocent of all charges.

And the Partner Violence Reduction Act will kindle hope among victims of domestic violence who have been refused help on account of their sex or gender identity. The PVRA will ban discriminatory practices by abuse shelters and other domestic violence services.

Part of the problem stems from overly-broad definitions of abuse. “Right now, just raising your voice counts as ‘domestic violence,’ which clogs the system with trivial and even false complaints,” explains SAVE spokesman Philip Cook. “That forces persons in life-threatening situations to wait their turn and hope for the best.”

The Partner Violence Reduction Act:

  1. Gives first priority to real victims and reduces false allegations by constraining definitions and distinguishing between an allegation and a judicial finding of domestic violence.
  2. Makes the law gender-inclusive and removes discriminatory policies.
  3. Seeks to protect and restore families when the abuse is minor.
  4. Removes harmful mandatory arrest, predominant aggressor, and no-drop prosecution policies, thus helping to restore due process.
  5. Allows legal assistance to be provided both to the alleged victim and alleged offender.
  6. Improves the accountability of domestic violence organizations.
  7. Curbs immigration fraud.
  8. Removes provisions that violate the Constitution and restores civil rights to the accused.
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Dating Violence Domestic Violence False Allegations Press Release

11% Falsely Accused of Abuse, Survey Shows

11% Falsely Accused of Abuse, Survey Shows

WASHINGTON / June 2, 2011 – A national survey of 10,000 Americans reveals 11% report they have been falsely accused of abuse. The first-ever survey of its type probed persons’ first-hand experiences with false allegations of child abuse, domestic violence, and sexual abuse. The study was commissioned by Stop Abusive and Violent Environments.

The survey results headlined a False Allegations Summit, which was held today at the Fairfax Hotel in Washington, DC.

Conducted May 2-4, 2011, the survey also found 15% of respondents personally knew someone who has been falsely accused of abuse. In 81% of the cases the falsely accused person was a male, and in 70% of cases the false alleger was a female. Twenty-six percent of the wrongful accusations were made in the context of a child custody dispute.

“This survey shows tens of millions of Americans have been falsely accused of abuse,” explains SAVE spokesperson Natasha Spivack, “These persons were stamped with the scarlet Abuser label, leaving them to wonder whatever happened to the notion of ‘innocent until proven guilty’.”

The Summit featured statements by leading stakeholder organizations, including the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Home School Legal Defense Association, American Coalition for Fathers and Children, National Coalition for Men, and Encounters International.

The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers statement spotlighted the “immense, often irreparable harm caused to our clients by false allegations, not only to reputation and personal relationships, but often to the accused individual’s livelihood and even heath.”

The Summit also included the emotion-wrought testimonies by four victims of false allegations of abuse.

The False Allegations Summit is being held in the wake of a recent Washington Post front-page article about Sean Lanigan, a local school teacher who was falsely accused of sexual molestation by a 12-year-old student. The article triggered editorial commentaries and citizens’ expressions of disbelief and outrage.

The full survey results can be viewed here: http://www.saveservices.org/false-allegations-awareness-month/survey-results/. The False Allegations Summit is the kick-off to False Allegations Awareness Month in June. More information on the observance can be found here: http://www.saveservices.org/false-allegations-awareness-month/.

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