CAFE Proposes First Shelter for Abused Men and Kids

I watched a video by Karen Straughan mentioning a proposed shelter for abused men and their children. CAFE, the Canadian organization which fights for men’s rights, set up a Go Fund Me page for the shelter. Below is their introduction video:

According to Karen, there is a donor who has agreed to match any donations the shelter receives. If you have the money to spare, please support the fundraiser. This will help provide abused men and their children with much needed support as many shelters in Canada discriminate against male victims by refusing them service or access to long-term safe housing.

Please visit the Go Fund Me page for more information.

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Addressing the Lack of Research on Male Childhood Sexual Abuse — On Thursday July 20, fans across the world mourned the loss of Chester Bennington, the lead vocalist for the world-renowned band, Linkin Park. Bennington’s suicide by hanging at the age of 41 stunned fans, but it also brought to light a rarely discussed topic: male childhood sexual abuse. One in six boys are sexually abused before the age of 16—yet the issue remains underreported, undertreated, and highly stigmatized.

Court: Juvenile sex crimes can be basis of civil commitment — Civil commitment of offenders who have been designated as sexually violent predators can be indefinitely extended for those whose crimes occurred when they were juveniles, the Washington Supreme Court unanimously ruled Thursday.

Fear of being called racist ‘stopping people from raising child abuse concerns’ — Potential cases of child abuse are not being raised because people fear being labelled racist, a Labour frontbencher has argued. There is a need to acknowledge that the “majority of perpetrators have been British-Pakistani” in the towns and cities where grooming gangs have targeted girls, Sarah Champion has said.

Unspoken abuse: Mothers who rape their sons

Of all the types of sexual violence that occur, sexual violence committed by women remains the most taboo. Of the women who abuse, mothers remain the most hidden .

It shocks people’s senses to consider that a mother would rape her own child. We perceive mothers as nurturers and inherently good. While most of us are aware that there are bad mothers, people react negatively to any suggestion that a mother would abuse, let alone sexually abuse, her child. This notion of the inherent goodness of mothers and the need to view them positively is so ingrained in some communities that it can be used against them.

That attitude, coupled with people’s tendency to ignore female-perpetrated sexual violence, makes it difficult for victims of mother abuse to come forward. People will  take an incredulous stance and see the victim as impugning their mother’s character rather than sharing their experience. Even when people believe the victim, there is still an attitude of disbelief that anyone would share something so negative about their mother. This is laundry, whether dirty or clean, that should be tucked inside the washer never to be seen.

University of Canberra researcher Lucetta Thomas wants to change. She researched the topic with 23 men who shared their stories of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of their mothers.  In one case, a mother repeatedly abused her son. When the boy became old enough to physically stop his mother from raping him, she brought in an accomplice to hold him down. The man eventually committed suicide.

Thomas decided it was imperative that she complete the research.

Stop the Abuse: Gay Men’s Domestic Violence Project

Often times people want to help others but do not know how. This cannot be any truer than when it comes to helping abused men and boys. The resources sometimes are not apparent and are often difficult to find. Sometimes the resources are hidden or even barred by other groups who wish to polarize the issue. The intent here is to provide those who wish to help male victims with the opportunity to do so.

Please remember that you do no have to empty your wallets to help. Even a small donation can go a long way. And for those on the other side of the issue, it would go a long way to demonstrating real concern for all victims if you donated as well.

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Gay Men’s Domestic Violence Project

1 in 4 Gay Men Experience Domestic Violence

Gay Men’s Domestic Violence Project is a grassroots, non-profit organization founded by a gay male survivor of domestic violence and developed through the strength, contributions and participation of the community.

Gay Men’s Domestic Violence Project supports victims and survivors through education, advocacy and direct services.

Please donate and help make a difference.

Police Training for Domestic Violence with Donald Dutton

Dr. Donald Dutton, Professor of Psychology at UBC, discusses in this video the current domestic violence policies and how they affect the way police respond to male victims.

Despite that the evidence showing that most domestic violence is reciprocal, meaning both partners abuse each other, the focus is exclusively on male-on-female violence. Dutton notes that when one looks at the data, the amount of violence suffered by women compared to men is only slightly higher. The focus on women as victims appears to be more political than evidence based.

The impact of this politicization is that male victims are often treated as abusers or ignored rather than helped. Many abuse support services will refuse to help men or refer them to batterer programs. Police in several countries will arrest the men regardless of who initiated the abuse. The net affect is that men are less likely to report the abuse out of fear of arrest or disbelief.

Shoe0nHead on domestic violence against men

I watched Shoe0nHead’s video about domestic violence. She has a sizable audience, and it will definiately help get the message out about this important issue.

A video about Alien Jack inspired Shoe’s response. Jack’s wife verbally abused him and took him on a rough ride following his open heart surgery. She then lied to the authorities to get custody of their child and accused him of drug abuse to get child services to block his access to his child with his ex.

He unfortunately doesn’t have the money to cover his current expenses. Shoe helped him by supporting his Go Fund Me drive. So far it has reached its goal, but I encourage people to continue to support it.

If people would rather support an organization, Show linked several under her video. You can also support the groups linked below under Male Abuse Resources.

Even if you choose not to donate, please share Alien Jack’s video.

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Abused men suffering from lack of support services — More services are needed to support male victims of domestic abuse, a charity has warned. Abused Men in Scotland (AMIS) – the country’s only group working to support male victims of domestic abuse – said rising levels of this kind of abuse mean more support is needed. It comes as new figures on partner abuse contained in the Scottish Crime and Justice survey revealed that of the 576,000 adults in Scotland who experienced some kind of abuse since the age of 16, 178,000 these were men.

Celebrated Alaska storyteller charged with sex abuse of 14-year-old — A prominent Alaska storyteller and performer faces felony charges after police say he had sex with a 14-year-old boy he met on Craigslist. Jack J. Dalton, 43, appeared in court Wednesday in Anchorage. He is accused of visiting the teenager’s home for sex in March and later admitting in a text message that he knew the boy was underage. Police say Dalton told investigators he previously had sex with a different juvenile he met online five to six years earlier and has used software to anonymously view child pornography.

Cuomo Mum on Child Sex Abuse Bill as Deadline Nears — New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has dodged repeated entreaties from advocates against child sexual abuse to support legislation that would enable many victims of this crime to seek justice from their abusers. In a May 9 statement, Cuomo sidestepped pointed questions from the advocates, and from the press, about his willingness to push the state Senate to pass the Child Victims Act before the current legislative session ends June 16. The bill would eliminate New York’s statute of limitations for sexual abuse, which is one of the shortest in the nation.