VAWA Hearing: “The Increased Importance...” testimony available

Note that most of the testimony delivered today is available for download as .pdf files. Go to the hearing page and look at the right-hand column under "Witness Testimony". You can download and read the statements. Of note is Dr. Gelles' statement which discusses on pages 6 and 7 of the .pdf file the lack of scope of the Act for male and other victims of DV. In his conclusion he states that this is an opportunity to revisit the scope of VAWA and to start including men in its consideration but also disputes the notion that the economic downturn we are in is causing an increase in DV generally.

I have read the other statements. [I am including contact information for those who made them. But if you choose to contact any of them and voice your concerns, I urge you to be factual and polite. (I suggest where possible that you use email over telephone since it is harder to get into heated arguments over email.) You will be a lot more persuasive if you point out the well-documented facts around male DV victims vs. being accusatory and making unproductive comments about, say, their relatives.] My take:

The Honorable Susan Carbon: No mention at all of male DV victims except on page 10 of the .pdf where she says: '...According to the 2007 "Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance" survey...approximately 10% of adolescents nationwide reported being hit, slapped, or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend in the past year.' (Contact here)