challenging institutional disbelief around domestic & sexual violence and abuse
We recently had a discussion on twitter with the Independent journalist Kevin Rawlinson, regarding some of the reporting of the Oxford Sexual Exploitation & Abuse case. Kevin and I had a somewhat heated discussion, and he is clearly passionate about ending the blame culture around victims of sexual exploitation and abuse. Following on from this, more »
The evidence given at the Old Bailey in the latest child sex abuse ring trial was so horrific that some reporters on the Press benches estimated they were able to report only around 15 per cent of it in any detail. The case was not unique. Beyond the sheer brutality of the physical abuse, one more »
I recently noticed a thread on another website about street harrassment. Within this thread there was lots of different advice from different posters. However i found some of the advice and the context within incredibly worrying. The advice ranged from, appearing more confident in public so you will at least reduce the risk of harassment more »
Carol Sarler’s article ‘Calm down! Saatchi’s no monster and Nigella’s no battered wife’ in the Daily Mail on 25th June did anything but calm me down. It is rage inducing stuff full of myths, stereotypes, victim shaming and blaming. It reads like a long ‘check your privilege’ piece. Firstly, the headline. Aside from the patronising more »
My experiences with domestic and sexual violence seem to have merged together. The truth is, I was a perfect victim. I was compliant. I didn’t tell. I didn’t scream, I didn’t yell. I didn’t complain, I didn’t do anything, really. What I did do was find a space in my head. It was quiet, I more »
This submission was sent to us via twitter, thanks to @lesmondine. National Pub Watch have this poster, showing how apparently, the ‘joke’ is on you, if you are consuming alcohol and your trousers are down, exposing your underwear. To us, this isn’t a ‘joke’ – it is an attempt at an indecent assault. How is more »
The Daily Express ran a truly spectacular piece of victim-blaming yesterday. Virginia Blackburn called women who don’t like being sexually harassed by men “wussies”. Apparently, we should consider it a compliment if men repeatedly harass us into having a drink with us. Women’s boundaries are irrelevant when men’s feelings might get hurt. Blackburn also labels more »
On Thursday June 29, the Independent published an article on a murder-suicide involving a British family living in Costa Del Sol. Apparently, the man murdered his wife and child because he lost his job and they were ill. Because, it is completely reasonable to murder your wife who is ill and your daughter who is more »
Damian Gee has been convicted of assault because he chose to punch his partner in the face and then he threatened to kill her with a knife. Damian Gee assaulted his partner because she ended their relationship because Gee had an affair. He turned up at her residence at 3 in the morning, uninvited and more »
The Daily Mail is back with yet another piece of vile victim blaming. This time they are outright saying that Nigella Lawson was not a victim of intimate partner violence at the hand of her husband Charles Saatchi. According to the DM, Saatchi is not an abuser. Just a bore. Because strangling your partner is more »