garberdog's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent and necessary reading for anyone doing research on or working with survivors of domestic violence.
There is so much misinformation about domestic violence, specifically on the issue of gender and rates of perpetration/victimization. Johnson’s research clearly demonstrates that feminist interpretation of domestic violence (as a pattern of power and control that mostly men do to mostly women-known as intimate terrorism) is correct. General sample surveys that find high rates of female perpetrators and male victims aren’t even measuring “domestic violence” in this strict power and control sense, but low level, mutual violence based on situational conflict. In short, the “gender symmetry” myth is debunked.
Additionally, common myths about domestic violence (such as that it is more common among lower income/non-white populations) are investigated and debunked. If you’re looking at intimate terrorism, it occurs at the same, highly gendered rate across race and class.
As a feminist, I think it is so important that we be clear that domestic violence is a pattern of power and control where one partner systematically dominates the other, not just any violence or conflict in a relationship. We must not lose sight of the basic fact that domestic violence is the result of patriarchy. While anyone in principle can be a victim or perpetrator, in practice we are talking about male violence against women. “Men’s rights activists” cloud the issue and harm survivors of every gender with their spurious claims.
There is so much misinformation about domestic violence, specifically on the issue of gender and rates of perpetration/victimization. Johnson’s research clearly demonstrates that feminist interpretation of domestic violence (as a pattern of power and control that mostly men do to mostly women-known as intimate terrorism) is correct. General sample surveys that find high rates of female perpetrators and male victims aren’t even measuring “domestic violence” in this strict power and control sense, but low level, mutual violence based on situational conflict. In short, the “gender symmetry” myth is debunked.
Additionally, common myths about domestic violence (such as that it is more common among lower income/non-white populations) are investigated and debunked. If you’re looking at intimate terrorism, it occurs at the same, highly gendered rate across race and class.
As a feminist, I think it is so important that we be clear that domestic violence is a pattern of power and control where one partner systematically dominates the other, not just any violence or conflict in a relationship. We must not lose sight of the basic fact that domestic violence is the result of patriarchy. While anyone in principle can be a victim or perpetrator, in practice we are talking about male violence against women. “Men’s rights activists” cloud the issue and harm survivors of every gender with their spurious claims.
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