Young: Rethink violence law from the center

Article here. Excerpt:

'The Violence Against Women Act, passed in 1994, is up for its third reauthorization in Congress this spring. The legislation, which promotes stronger state policies combating domestic violence and sexual assault and secures federal funds for related programs, has always enjoyed bipartisan support. But no longer. While the 2012 bill is co-sponsored by Democrat Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Republican Mike Crapo of Idaho, the Senate Judiciary committee approved it last month on a 10-8 partisan vote, with not one Republican voting for it.

Republicans have lately been accused of waging a "war on women," which puts them in a bad position to demand a critical review of the law. And that's unfortunate, because it needs one.

Helping victims of rape and abuse is a noble cause. But VAWA has always been about more than that. The original bill, sponsored by then-Sen. Joseph Biden, was crafted primarily by feminist groups which, however genuine their commitment to helping women, are also committed to a narrow ideological approach to complex issues.

The activists tend to view violence against women entirely through the lens of gender oppression -- men terrorizing women to enforce patriarchal supremacy. Yet domestic violence research paints a far more nuanced picture. Mental illness, substance abuse and dysfunctional family dynamics are major factors. Many violent relationships are characterized by mutual abuse, and while women are at higher risk, female aggression is fairly common (and is not, as advocates claim, only a form of self-defense).'