Debunking Feminist Myths about Domestic Violence

August 1, 2014

Feminism, Secularism, and other marriage-bashing social theories are little more than complex contrivances designed to offer men and women an excuse for abandoning the needs of children and family.

Feminist theory holds that marriage between a man and a woman is, by its very nature, sexist because it is the proclivity of men to dominate and oppress women. This is, of course, a myth. Feminism, Secularism, and other marriage-bashing social theories are little more than complex contrivances designed to offer men and women an excuse for abandoning the needs of children and family, in favor of their own fleeting appetites. But it’s more sinister than screwy priorities.

Feminists, not content to wallow in their own victim-hood, launch continuous assaults against the traditions of courtship, marriage between men and women, and the nuclear family. One of their most insidious of these doctrines says domestic violence is an inevitable component of traditional marriage, and that the most dangerous place on earth for a woman is at home with her husband. Examples of this kind of thinking can be found in feminist publications, Facebook pages, and American universities. Though ambiguous, the term “intimate partner” is used mostly in reference to male partners, specifically husbands.

The intended message is that marriage is a flawed social construct and that violence is inherent to male/female relationships. Despite errors in the logic of this narrative, it makes up a cornerstone of modern feminist theory, and provides fodder to the Left to further discredit men’s roles and the nuclear family.

As if marriage and family aren’t big enough targets for feminist extremists, domestic violence is used to promote a gun control agenda as well. Men and guns of themselves are evil, but a man with a gun spells doom for a woman, or so the story goes.

Although it takes a canon of Feminist myths to smear traditional marriage and nuclear family, it only takes a few facts to discredit these odious feminist myths.

• Myth: Husbands are responsible for most domestic violence against women.
• Truth: According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics report of 2000, the highest incidence of domestic violence took place between divorced spouses, the second highest was among cohabitating couples who had never been married, with the incidence of violence between married couples comprised a small fraction of that found among the other categories. In other words, couples who are married have less than 10% of the incidence of domestic violence of cohabitating or divorced/separated couples. Read more here.
• Myth: Marriage sets the stage for greater domestic violence because men regard women and children as property.
• Truth: Marriage provides women and children greater respect and a safer home environment. As indicated previously, domestic violence between married couples is rare in comparison to that of divorced or cohabitating couples, but there is greater respect and protection afforded in the homes of married couples as well. Children are much less likely to abused, and according to a 2010 study on child abuse, children in single-parent families had a 77 % greater risk of physical abuse and an 87 % greater risk of physical neglect than did those in homes with married parents. 
• Myth: Domestic tranquility is greater for couples of the same sex than for heterosexual couples.
• Truth: The 2013 CDC study on Interpersonal and Sexual Violence and Sexual Orientation concluded that the highest rates of domestic violence occurred among bisexual women. Incidence of domestic violence for lesbians and homosexual men were above that of heterosexual domestic partners (cohabitating, never married, married). According to the author of the report, “This report suggests that lesbians, gay men and bisexuals in this country suffer a heavy toll of sexual violence and stalking committed by an intimate partner.” 
• Myth: The presence of a firearm in the home increases the potential for domestic violence.
• Truth: The CDC 2010 Report on Violence Prevention indicates that guns and knives are the least used means of attack in domestic violence cases, with choking and deliberate burning much more common.  The presence of a gun in the home of a lawful gun owner does not make domestic violence of any sort more likely. The FBI 2011 Report on Violent Crime in the United States showed a correlation between dropping rates of violence and increased gun ownership in America over the last decade. Finally, the CATO Institute has issued repeated studies showing a correlations between greater gun ownership and lower overall rates of violence. Spouse on spouse violence which employs a firearm is rare, and its clear that any potential victim of violence, whether it be domestic or stranger violence, enjoys better odds if they own and know how to properly use a legal firearm.

Debunking Feminist myths is a permanent job. Once a particular false narrative is exploded with logic and facts Angry Socialist Women of the Left will find another rationale to bash men and the family. In their very approach, Feminists prove themselves to be anything but pro-woman. Thousands of years of history, tradition, and religious observance have given us an excellent model for human civilization based on family, with a man and woman at the head who work to rear the next generation within a moral framework. If Feminists stood for the well-being of women, they would acknowledge that women, men, and children are most benefited by the wedding covenant, and that it offers great personal fulfillment for women who choose the path of marriage and motherhood.

Imperfect as men and women may be, they need one another, and without them, the next generation will not be.

by Marjorie Haun 8/1/14