Liz Claiborne Site Stereotypes All Abusers as Male

Dr. Matrix writes "Liz Claiborne's "love is not abuse" campaign against domestic violence includes a web site. The site suggests that men should be recognized "not only as perpetrators or potential offenders, but as bystanders who can confront abusive males," but directly acknowledges neither that women can be abusers nor the extent to which they are and...promulgates the stereotype that only men are abusers and only women are victims." Dr. Matrix included some quotes from the site that displayed this bias, which can be read in the Read More section of this story.

The stereotypes are repeated throughout the site in statements such as the following:

If you suspect that your sister, friend, co-worker or neighbor is being abused, let her know you're there to support her.

In one footnote, justification for the site's anti-male tone, which consists of the stereotypical gendering of victims of domestic violence as female and perpetrators as male is provided in the following statement:

*The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that more than 90% of all relationship abuse victims are female and most abusers are male. Because of this, we use "she" when referring to victims and "he" when referring to abusers. Whether the victim is male or female, violence of any kind in relationships is unacceptable.

If the situation were reversed and 90% of abuse victims were male and "most" abusers were female, the across the board gendering of abusers as female and victims as male would provoke feminist outrage.
More to the point, other studies suggest abusers are roughly equally male or female.

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