I am fortunate enough to be with a girl who is level headed and sensible, which allowed me to illuminate and point out the countless examples of misandry we see on television and marketing. She even understands my concerns for my future sons' and grandsons' self-esteem and confidence should this continue.

I understand how important it is to keep a tally and log all the misdeeds of marketing and media and even legal matters which target men. It is a necessary thing to track for future reference. However, there is a goodly amount of modern literature dealing specifically with the detrimental effects of male bashing in today's society, presented in a thorough and purposeful manner. Surprising to me, at least, there are female authors of these works as well.

Report here. Excerpt:

'The present report--the product of three years of research and well over a thousand inmate letters--describes the complex dynamics of male prisoner-on-prisoner sexual abuse in the United States. The report is an effort to explain why and how such abuse occurs, who commits it and who falls victim to it, what are its effects, both physical and psychological, how are prison authorities coping with it and, most importantly, what reforms can be instituted to better prevent it from occurring.'

Article here. All examples and stats cites are of battered women, no mention of men. Excerpt:

'I certainly felt alone during my abusive relationship, but unfortunately I was in good company. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that between 1 million and 3 million women in America are physically abused by their husband or boyfriend each year.

Every day, on average, three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends. At some point in our lives, 25 percent of American women will report being physically abused or raped by intimate partners, according to the National Violence Against Women Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, these statistics, grim as they are, fail to highlight the root of the abuse cycle. A national survey showed that 50 percent of men who frequently assault their wives also frequently abuse their children.'

Feel free to submit reader comments below the article. Polite comments including links to articles discussing the full story re DV are most productive.

Article here. Excerpt:

'One fine evening all the women surrounded the country liquor shop and the ahaataa. They were holding placards in their hands demanding closure of the establishment. All the men who were inside the ahaataa were beaten with footwear. In many cases wife / sister of the man being beaten was cheering the crowd to do a more thorough job. Police watched as spectator only ensuring that the beating did not cross limits. The next day, authorities decided to shift the liquor shop away from the area. The women were jubilant. They had emerged victorious and felt empowered.

From Men's Health Australia:

Wednesday February 18, 2009
Senate Select Committee on Men's Health

The Australian Senate has established a Select Committee on Men's Health to inquire into general issues related to the availability and effectiveness of education, supports and services for men's health. Submissions close on 27th February. Many have wondered why this inquiry was established, considering the public consultation process currently underway to develop Australia's first long-awaited National Men's Health Policy.

Article here. Excerpt:

'New statistics suggest that men in their early 20s are MORE likely to be abused by their partner than women the same age. It's not a subject that's much talked about. On Newsbeat, we're changing that.

Story here. A whopping FOUR MONTHS for making her ex-husband's life a living Hell. As usual, reverse the sexes and the sentence would be more like FOUR YEARS. Excerpt:

"A husband whose ex-wife subjected him to a bizarre hate campaign has spoken out after she was finally jailed following 11 arrests for harassment.

Judith Holmes-O'Brien, a 44-year-old professional belly dancer, was convicted of breaching a restraining order against contacting ex-husband Barry.

A court heard she hurled abuse at Mr Holmes-O'Brien's new partner and told his staff and customers he was a paedophile."

The Wrong in Women’s Rights (Part II)
by E. Abdiel

Some may have thought that I plainly stated in Part I of my editorial “THE WRONG IN WOMEN’S RIGHTS” what the correct course of action should be for assigning financial responsibility to men for illegitimate children (If you have not read this, please go to http://news.mensactivism.org/node/11762). Let me make this clear. I did not plainly state it. My intent in writing the original “THE WRONG IN WOMEN’S RIGHTS” is threefold.

Story here. Excerpt:

'A mother who smothered her son with a pillow then left him in her car where he was overcome by exhaust fumes has been released into the community.

Karyn Louise Kemp, 34, admitted responsibility for killing her seven-month-old son Jacob in January last year.

She was found not guilty because of mental incompetence.'

From ACFC's recent newsletter here.

'Gransma Sheila Peltzer left the United States January 21, 2009 for Africa attempting to scale 19,200' Mount Kilimanjaro. She dedicated the climb to Shared Parenting and Familial Dysautonomia. At 4:00 a.m guides awakened Sheila after five days of climbing to prepare for the hike to the summit. At 4:00 p.m., after walking twelve hours her guides suggested she end the effort and return to the base camp. Sheila indicates the air gets thin at 17,500'.

Story here. Excerpt:

'INNOCENT-eyed Alfie Patten spent his first night acting as a 13-year-old dad and declared: “It was easier than I thought.”

The four-footer — who looks no more than eight — said: “I know I’m young, but I plan to be a good dad.”

As he went on the PlayStation with 15-year-old girlfriend Chantelle Steadman, he added: “I think we’ll be good parents. I’ll have to work extra hard at school.”

Chantelle looked up from 18-rated action game Saints Row II to admit her first night out of hospital since having 7lb 3oz daughter Maisie had been tough and had left her “in a daze”.
...
Mickey and Minnie Mouse hold hands, surrounded by lovehearts, on the headboard of her bed — where Maisie was conceived when Alfie was just 12 and Chantelle 14.'

If the girl were 13 and the boy 15, wouldn't he be facing charges right now?

Story here. Excerpt:

'A primary school teacher who bombarded a 14-year-old-boy with sexually explicit text messages was jailed yesterday.

Lynn Walls, 42, befriended the boy after logging on to the interactive fantasy internet game World of Warcraft.
...
She was jailed yesterday for 12 months after a court heard how she left the teenager, now 15, feeling suicidal.
...
She was banned from working with children for life and placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for ten years.'

Here are two things you can do to help male victims of domestic abuse:

1. Sign this petition. Excerpt:

For decades domestic abuse has been looked upon as a social problem of violence against women by men. Battered women's advocates and others concerned about domestic violence have created and funded over 2000 non profit agencies across the country that help victims. For more than 20 years these agencies have specialized in offering a full spectrum of services to what has been considered the traditional victims of domestic violence, women and children.

2. Help the Domestic Abuse Helpline for Men and Women (http://www.dahmw.org/) receive a $5,000 grant. Voting online begins January 19, 2009 through March 2, 2009. To vote online visit http://www.communitymattersmore.com/. We are starting up male victim/survivor support groups in Feb. 2009. Contact us for more information.

Article here. Excerpt:

'Contrary to the nurturing images of sisterhood put forth by chick flicks, female friendships can be a ticking time bomb of fickleness and judgment, according to results of a study in the journal Psychological Science.

Traditional views hold that women are more socially co-operative than men, but researchers from the Universite du Quebec at Montreal, Harvard University and Emmanuel College in Boston found female same-sex friendships are significantly less tolerant, more volatile, and likelier to degrade based on a single negative incident than male same-sex friendships.'

National Men's Health Policy Consultation Forums Announced

The Australian Government has announced the dates for community consultation forums in Tasmania, Sydney and Canberra for its National Men’s Health Policy. We encourage you to circulate this email widely and attend the forum closest to you to let your views about men’s health issues be heard.