Abused boys and men: feminism’s acceptable losses

Feminist advocacy capitalizes on society’s double standards on intimate partner and sexual violence: the invisibility of damaged men and the belief that the female aggressor is still a victim, no matter how violent she is. These are double standards that, admittedly, precede feminism, as they are rooted in traditional gender roles and expectations–women are damsels; men are villains or heroes. However, information debunking the traditional view of relationship violence has not led to changes in feminist advocacy.

In the U.S., the current lobbying effort began in 1978 during hearings before the House of Representatives subcommittee on select education, 95th congress, 2nd session, on HR 7927 & 8948[Warning - link goes to 400+ page PDF document]. Feminists submitted feminist writing as evidence in order to persuade congress to treat violence in general as a male perpetrated, female suffered behavior, attributable to masculine characteristics, the pressure of traditional gender roles, and social structure.  (more...)

Abused boys and men: feminism’s acceptable losses