Tages-Anzeiger, November 22, 2006
Domestic violence is not limited to men. In at least ten percent of
reported cases, the perpetrators are women. This is according to a report by the
Bernese Equality Commission.
Previous research on this topic has been almost exclusively based on traditional
demonstrate that this is not always the case
Police statistics from several cantons (BE, SG, AR, ZH), on which this report is based,
It's not about the rolling pin.
So far, violence against women has primarily been the subject of jokes about how they
greet their henpecked husbands with a raised rolling pin. This image is not helpful.
Instead, men must learn to accept their experience of being victims and talk about it,
the commission demands. This also requires an inventory of counseling and
support services.
According to the report, recent studies show that fathers and mothers
perpetrate violence against children roughly equally. However, the extent of
violence perpetrated by fathers and mothers cannot be directly compared as long as both do not
dedicate equal time and responsibility to their children.
Unequal Role Distribution:
In its report, the cantonal office for gender equality proposes
professional groups confronted with domestic violence to how to deal with male victims and
sensitizing
, greater attention should be paid to violence perpetrated by women.
This violence is often caused by being overwhelmed by children who cry,
are defiant, or hyperactive. The connection between unequal role distribution and violence within the family must
be made visible and addressed.
However, the commission emphasizes that additional measures must not be at the expense of female victims of violence
. These services must not be reduced.