Domestic violence

After my previous post I just wanted to put a few links up. While I wouldn’t say the relationship I have with my ex-girlfriend is now, or ever has been, abusive, on that one occasion I was abusive towards her. I once did some training on domestic violence, and there is a lot to it.

So anyhow, I’m going to link to websites or organisations that deal with domestic violence. I’ll update this from time to time, as I get new information, as well. One thing I want to stress is that there is help, not only for victims of domestic violence, but for perpetrators (or potential perpetrators). I, along with a lot of feminists, get angry at the thought of domestic violence, and angry at the thought of men abusing their wives and partners. However, people make the choices they do for a reason – decisions aren’t made in a vacuum, and that isn’t only true of the oppressed class, but of the oppressors. Men are taught that women are worthless – they end up believing it, and that’s why they rape women, and abuse women. The thing is, I believe that men can make a conscious choice not to make these decisions, so I think it’s important there are organisations to help them do that.

I didn’t intend on saying that much, and it’s more of a general thing, than specific to what I’m doing now. Apart from anything else, it is an oversimplification. Anyway:

Broken Rainbow – a helpline for victims and perpetrators of domestic violence in gay relationships

Women’s Aid

Refuge

ManKind – an organisation which supports male victims of domestic violence (unfortunately I don’t know anything specific about ManKind, or any other organisation that works with male victims, but I thought it was important to put one in)

Respect – support for perpetrators (again, Respect isn’t a charity that I know – but I think it is particularly important that people are aware that there is support available for perpetrators who want to change).

As I said I’ll update this list with other organisations that I come across. I would rather only put in organisations that I know, but a much more full list can be found on the BBC website.