RESOURCES AND LINKS

National Domestic Violence Hotline for the United States and Canada: 1-800-799-SAFE.
Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network Hotline (Rain): 1-800-656-4673.
National Latino Alliance for the Elimination of Domestic Violence (646) 672-1404 http://www.dvalianza.org
Institute on Domestic Violence in the African-American Community (877) 643-8222 http://www.dvinstitute.org
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (202) 745-1211 http://www.ncadv.org
Men Overcoming Violence (415) 626-MOVE http://www.menovercomingviolence.org
Family Violence Prevention Fund http://www.endabuse.org
http://www.batteredmotherscustodyconference.org
http://www.unitedforjustice.com
http://www.icfcr.org (Illinois Coalition for Family Court Reform)
http://www.safestate.org (CA AG Crime and Violence Prevention Center)
http://www.prisonerswithchildren.org
http://www.protectiveparents.com
http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/rules/
http://www.purpleberets.org
http://www.protect.org/
http://www.trishwilson.typepad.com
http://www.barrygoldstein.net/
http://www.taliacarner.com/
http://www.courageouskids.net http://www.contact@courageouskids.net

Lundy Bancroft is an author, trainer, counselor, and activist on issues of abuse and recovery. His current work focuses particularly on men who abuse women and the impact those men have on the lives of both women and children.
http://www.lundybancroft.com/

Barry Goldstein, attorney, teacher, author and advocate for women abused by their partner (and too often the courts) has written a book for women seeking to leave their abusers and for their friends, family, supporters and advocates. SCARED TO LEAVE AFRAID TO STAY Paths From Family Violence to Safety
http://www.barrygoldstein.net/

REBUTTAL TO: Glenn Sacks on PAS article July 10, 2006

I couldn’t get through all of his diatribe at one time, had to break it up into 2 different days. It is just a repeat of what he has been saying for years, citing the same cases, using the same labels, the same story rewritten over and over again…blah, blah, blah. Do not believe his proof of no abuse occurring in the Marks, Loeliger and Neustein cases. I believe that mothers will do whatever it takes to protect their children, even accepting guilt for crimes not committed.

Sacks and Leving do not support their claims with facts, as I personally have looked up some of their claims and found that the actual studies did not support what they wrote, and some of their true stories are actually fiction, as they put disclaimers near the end, stating that this is how "some men feel". Gotta read that fine print hidden in the body of their lengthy FR manifestos.

I questioned the motive behind the “longitudinal study published by the American Bar Association in 2003 followed 700 'high conflict' divorce cases over a 12 year period and found that elements of PAS were present in the vast majority of the cases studied.” I admit that I have not seen this study, but anything that is studied to justify the legal professions involvement in custody cases, in which they make shamefully large amounts of money to the detriment of the parties involved, makes me think this study could be self serving.

I also wondered about the 700 cases, how they were chosen for a study. Overall, 700 cases over a 12 year period really amounts to a miniscule fraction of contested custody cases considering that in San Diego County (CA) there were a total of 1,258 new divorce filings for June of 2005 alone. You can reasonably estimate that 10% were contentious (high conflict) with custody disputes. That would make 125 cases found in only 1 month, in only 1 county, in only 1 state, which could account for just over 1/5th of the supposed 700 cases found over 12 years in the ABA study.

What kind of study would be considered valid that uses such a small amount of cases, questionably chosen and then vaguely labels the presence of some "PAS" tactics as *“a common, well documented phenomenon”?
(*as per Glen Sacks article-July 10, 2006 http://glennsacks.com/enewsletters/enews_7_10_06.htm)

Propaganda perhaps, to support the continuation of very lucrative litigation, ostensibly to battle a syndrome that harms children and their innocent fathers.

Some very pwerful words in defining domestic abuse

In Their Own Words

March 28, 2006
“We are telling victims that the abuser will be treated differently if he/she is in a position of power, that we are unwilling to call what is happening to them abuse, and that we are unwilling to hold the abuser accountable. We are telling abusers that they will not be held accountable by this community and that we are willing to brush off (even reward) their behavior because of their position; essentially we are giving current and potential abusers permission to be abusive. We have an obligation as a community to say out loud that domestic violence – in its various forms and regardless of the abuser’s position – is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.”

-- Melissa Radcliff, Family Violence Prevention Center of Orange County, Chapel Hill News, February 24, 2006. Radcliff wrote the guest editorial after Carrboro’s fire chief was allowed to remain on the town’s payroll until retirement, even though he violated a domestic protective order. The violation occurred just a week after the Chief accepted a plea bargain that allowed him to avoid criminal conviction if he stayed away from his former girlfriend for six months.
http://endabuse.org/newsflash/index.php3?Search=Article&NewsFlashID=749



A Call To Action: New Legislation Will Address Findings From WHO Study
June 9, 2006

“We found that women’s greatest risk of violence is from a partner,” said Claudia Garcia-Moreno, Department of Gender, Women and Health, World Health Organization and the study’s overall coordinator. “Many women internalize social norms that justify abuse. Many think, for instance, that a man is justified in beating his wife if she disobeys him or refuses to have sex.”

“Our biggest surprise,” Garcia-Moreno added, “was learning how hidden the problem is and how few women contact formal support services. In fact, many women had never told anyone about the violence in their lives before we asked them for this study. We need to do more to change social norms that justify violence against women.”

Action Needed

“The depth and scope of the global landmark study is remarkable,” Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE) said. “This report reveals a global picture of the treatment of women – and the statistics are appalling and egregious. In some communities, women are safer in the streets than they are in their own homes. This reality is unacceptable and preventable – and we need to step up our strategies to address it.”

“We have learned from our work here in the U.S. that we will not end violence by building shelters and training police officers and judges alone,” Family Violence Prevention Fund President Esta Soler said. “That work is crucial, but violence against women will not stop until communities and countries decide to stop it. So our goal must be to change the social norms that tolerate violence and allow women to be treated as chattel.”

http://endabuse.org/newsflash/index.php3?Search=Article&NewsFlashID=771