From Abusegate Bob:

Today Stop Abusive and Violent Environments – SAVE – is launching our new Social Media initiative:

1. SAVE for Victims and Survivors: http://www.saveservices.org/victims-and-survivors
2. SAVE for DV Service Providers: http://www.saveservices.org/service-providers
3. SAVE for Policymakers: http://www.saveservices.org/policymakers
4. SAVE for Persons Falsely-Accused: http://www.saveservices.org/falsely-accused

For each group, we have assembled:

1. An extensive array of resources, information, and advice
2. Facebook page to receive announcements, updates, and Alerts
3. Yahoo page for discussion

A new era of VAWA reform is about to begin! Catch the Wave!!

Article here. Excerpt:

'Kristin Ruggiero of New Hampshire figured it would be a slam dunk. The gambit worked like a charm during the divorce hearing; now she would bring the case to criminal court.

Her husband Jeffrey, an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard, was an incorrigible batterer, at least that’s what she led to the judge to believe. That got him convicted of criminal threatening, and she won custody of their 7-year-old daughter.

But Kristin Ruggiero wasn’t finished.

One day, the woman bragged to her startled ex, “I took all your money, I took your daughter, and now I’m going to take your career.” She went out and purchased a disposable cell phone and registered it in Jeffrey’s name. Then she sent herself a passel of threatening text messages.

Apparently Kristin didn’t realize that in criminal court, allegations are subjected to a higher standard of proof. And all of a sudden the nefarious scheme to frame her ex-husband came crashing down.

Article here. Excerpt:

'So, is this shift in Hollywood’s leading men from macho to meek a reflection of a changing society in which women are becoming more independent, earning more money and perhaps don’t want a more dominant partner? It could be so, according to an article published earlier this year by the Wall Street Journal, based on studies by FaceResearch.org, the online psychology laboratory of the Face Research Laboratory at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. The study concluded that the majority of the 4,800 female participants were more attracted to the more feminine-featured males.

“In America today, we’re seeing a lot more boys disconnected with their own sense of masculinity, due in large part due to higher divorce rates, dad’s working longer hours – the strong father figure is often not around and that’s why the ‘geek’ has become much more mainstream,” explained psychiatrist Dr. Paul Dobransky, author of “Masculinity Code.”

Article here. Excerpt:

'(CNSNews.com) – The Obama administration is focused not just on health-care reform in the United States – but also on improving health care systems around the world, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced on Monday.

The new plan has a “woman- and girl-centered approach,” according to an administration fact sheet.

Speaking at Johns Hopkins University, Clinton outlined the six-year, $63-billion Obama administration initiative to bring global health care services “to more people in more places.” The administration’s Global Health Initiative has “everything” to do with foreign policy, she said.
...
Clinton also said the administration was “moving beyond” the ABC (Abstinence, Be faithful, Correct contraceptive use) anti-AIDS approach adopted during the Bush years to an “A to Z approach to [HIV] prevention” that includes measures such as “male circumcision [and] the prevention of mother-to-child transmission” as well as better HIV screening and education.'

From Glenn Sacks' blog, here. Excerpt:

'How many times have you heard or read the phrase "the best interests of the child?" If you read much about family law and family courts, the probable answer is "more times than I can count." Indeed, establish a Google Alert for the phrase and you'll get links to several articles, court cases, op-eds, etc. a day, every day of the week. In Canada the "best interests of the child" has been raised by the Supreme Court to a level of importance that trumps even constitutional considerations.

So, with the phrase in such common usage and so vital to custody decisions, you might think that it (a) means something and (b) those using it know what it means.

Article here. Excerpt:

'A national men's group is claiming victory over what it calls a feminist agenda on domestic violence.

An independent investigation has upheld the group's complaint about a public awareness campaign in South Australia.

The Ombudsman's inquiry found parts of the $870,000 campaign contained errors.

The Don't Cross The Line campaign has been running in newspapers, on television and radio and on a website.

The Ombudsman in South Australia found some statistics initially published on the site were false and misleading.'

Article here. Excerpt:

Amid all the acrimony that has been recently raised by media coverage of fathers’ rights activists seeking divorce reform, it is crucial to keep focus on the single most important tenet underpinning the entire discussion: the best interests of the children of divorce must be the priority in determining appropriate child custody arrangements.

Based on what you’ve recently seen or heard, or if you read last week’s guest column by Ned Holstein, you might conclude, because I practice law part time when not engaged in my full-time job as your state Senator, that I am so conflicted that the only interests I take into account are those of divorce lawyers!

Story here. Excerpt:

'A Zimbabwean man has fled his homestead after receiving death threats for refusing to be circumcised, it has been reported

Mr Patrick Chauke (46), who comes from Masekesa village under Chief Tshovane in Chiredzi, said he fled his home last month after receiving death threats from the chief and his council for refusing to be circumcised.

“I am a victim of harassment and fear that they will kill me. On 27 July this year, the chief sent his man to take me to the bush for circumcision and threatened to kill me if I refused,” he said.'

Latest from "A Voice For Men" here. If you're a gay man, don't let the article headline fool you. Read on. Excerpt:

'If you have spent any real amount of time reading the articles, and in particular the comments in men’s movement forums, then you are aware of an often anti-homosexual attitude that has been prevalent for quite some time.

On a political level, some of the resentment is understandable. Gay activists have aligned themselves with feminists, and, while marching in misandric lockstep, have draped themselves in victim couture and made their grab for special government considerations. The resultant draconian intrusions and bullying on behalf of gays and other special interest groups is a core issue in the men’s movement, and for good reason.

They have no idea who their real enemies are. No, not a freaking clue. And that ignorance sets up them up to lose more rights than they could ever hope to gain.
...

Article here. Excerpt:

Women teachers are holding back boys by reprimanding them for typically male behaviour, according to a study out today.

They are reinforcing stereotypes that boys are ‘silly’ in class, refuse to ‘sit nicely like the girls’ and are more likely to indulge in ‘schoolboy pranks’.

Women teachers may also unwittingly perpetuate low expectations of boys’ academic achievement and encourage girls to work harder by letting them think they are cleverer.
...

The study of primary schools in the county suggests that under-performance among boys in most national exams could be linked to lower expectations.

The research mainly implicates women teachers, since nearly 90 per cent of primary school teachers are female. It warned that school staff find boys’ play, such as wielding toy guns, ‘particularly challenging and difficult’.

Boys are punished and urged to conform to a more feminine style of play instead of being taught how to play responsibly with their preferred toys.'

The gravy train for victims of DV (female only) just gets longer and longer here in Australia. Universities in Australia are mostly publicly-funded so it is only a small step until this becomes a mandatory benefit for all female public servants. Just another way for taxpayers' (mostly men) money to be handed over to females. Of course no mention of male victims of DV even though it is becoming almost impossible for the media, governments and academics to keep denying the irrefutable truth. -- Great Southern Lander

Excerpt:

'Victims of domestic violence will get an extra 20 days of paid leave a year as part of a historic clause in an enterprise agreement.

In a first for Australian workplaces, the Public Service Association of NSW has been negotiating with the University of NSW to allow its workers to take special leave to attend court, counselling or a doctor.

From Abusegate Bob:

Last week we alerted persons about Allstate Insurance Company’s flawed DV statistics: http://www.allstate.com/foundation/about-domestic-violence.aspx. Many responded, but as seen from the four responses below, Allstate still doesn’t understand that DoJ crime reports provide a biased depiction of DV.

So folks, it’s time we send a powerful message to Allstate: CANCEL YOUR POLICY…AND DO IT NOW!

+++++++++++++++++++

Dear Mr. A:

You recently contacted us regarding the Allstate Foundation’s on-line resources about ending domestic violence, and your e-mail was brought to my attention. Thank you for sharing your feedback, which is important to us. I would like to take a moment to personally respond to your concerns.

A blog post here, repors on a new book from the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Service Administration. Excerpt:

'Among disadvantaged people in the United States, the most needy and least helped are probably African-American men, according to a new book from the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration.
...
The book is a collection of studies, which details the disadvantages that black men face and suggests ways they can be helped. The contributors are leading scholars in social work and other related fields from around the country. Among the findings reported in the book:

• Black male youths are likely to grow up in single-parent homes. The boys often don’t have fathers residing in the home to serve as role models. Without paternal involvement, boys are more likely to develop ideas about what it means to be a man based on negative media portrayals and depictions, which leads them to be emotionally uninvolved and apprehensive.
...

This email action form is from an IA newsletter:

'The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Task Force on Circumcision has been meeting to finalize its policy on routine male circumcision. Having recently retracted its policy statement calling for a lift of the Federal ban on female genital cutting – and with U.S. circumcision rates at an all-time low – the AAP must now stand up and protect the rights of ALL children to an intact body.

While the AAP prepares to go public with its statement, it’s critical that it hear directly from people who oppose circumcision. Remind them that it’s wrong – morally, medically, and ethically – and that doctors took an oath to “do no harm.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'British Airways has changed its seating policy after a businessman complained of being treated like a "child molester" when sitting next to a boy he did not know.

The airline has confirmed to The Sunday Telegraph it has altered its procedures to protect unaccompanied minors – the aviation industry term for children flying without a parent or guardian.

It follows the case of Mirko Fischer, a hedge fund manager who was told to move seats by cabin crew under an internal rule that prevented adult males sitting next to unaccompanied children.'