History of Feminism
Related: About this forumMinimizing Rape, from The Southern Poverty Law Center
THE CLAIM Mens rights activists often insist that men are victimized by sex crimes and abuse just as much as women are, if not more. This assertion is meant to support their contention that the courts and laws outrageously favor women.
THE REALITY A major 2010 study by the Centers for Disease Controls National Center for Injury Prevention and Control thoroughly debunks such claims. Nearly one in five American women (18.3%), the study found, have been raped; the comparable number for men is one in 71 (1.4%). Not only that, but more than half (51.1%) of female victims reported that their rapist was an intimate partner a current or former spouse or boyfriend, or a date. According to a 2000 study by the Department of Justice, female rape victims were also about twice as likely as male rape victims to be injured during an assault (31.5% versus 16.5%), even though many women do not physically resist their attackers for fear of injury. Overall, the studies found, most violence of all kinds against women (64%) came from current or former intimate partners, while that is true for only about one-sixth (16.2%) of men. Women were also far more likely to be stalked than men (16.2% versus 5.2%), and two-thirds of womens stalkers (66.2%) were current or former intimate partners, compared to four in 10 for men (41.4%). A 2005 Department of Justice study also found that between 1998 and 2002, 84% of spousal abuse victims were female, as were 86% of victims of abuse at the hands of a dating partner. Males made up 83% of all spouse murderers and 75% of dating partner murderers.
THE CLAIM Close to half or even more of the sexual assaults reported by women never occurred. Versions of this claim are a mainstay of sites like Register-Her.com, which specializes in vilifying women who allegedly lie about being raped. Such claims are also sometimes made by men involved in court custody battles.
THE REALITY This claim, which has gained some credence in recent years, is largely based on a 1994 article in the Archives of Sexual Behavior by Eugene Kanin that found that 41% of rape allegations in his study were false. But Kanins methodology has been widely criticized, and his results do not accord with most other findings. Kanin researched only one unnamed Midwestern town, and he did not spell out the criteria police used to decide an allegation was false. The town also polygraphed or threatened to polygraph all alleged victims, a now-discredited practice that is known to cause many women to drop their complaint even when it is true. In fact, most studies that suggest high rates of false accusations make a key mistake equating reports described by police as unfounded with those that are false. The truth is that unfounded reports very often include those for which no corroborating evidence could be found or where the victim was deemed an unreliable witness (often because of drug or alcohol use or because of prior sexual contact with the attacker). They also include those cases where women recant their accusations, often because of a fear of reprisal, a distrust of the legal system or embarrassment because drugs or alcohol were involved. The best studies, where the rape allegations have been studied in detail, suggest a rate of false reports of somewhere between 2% and 10%. The most comprehensive study, conducted by the British Home Office in 2005, found a rate of 2.5% for false accusations of rape. The best U.S. investigation, the 2008 Making a Difference study, found a 6.8% rate.
http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2012/spring/myths-of-the-manosphere-lying-about-women
MotherPetrie
(3,145 posts)ismnotwasm
(41,980 posts)And we have so-called liberals proudly promoting this bullshit.
BainsBane
(53,032 posts)ismnotwasm
(41,980 posts)Is reminiscent of the worst of conspiracy theorists. I have an acquaintance who is dying of cancer--hospitalized as I type this, because he was too crazy to believe in anything but his web-supported anti-government paranoia.
Apply that thought process to this kind of misogyny and you get the same effect, only with women take the brunt of the damage.
BainsBane
(53,032 posts)believing in conspiracy theories makes the individual nuts, but I'm not sure how broad of an impact it has. You would know better. Misogyny is obviously linked to a patriarchy that seeks to keep women subjugated. These days, I think it tends to be the most insecure, and sometimes unaccomplished, who feel the need to demean women. A strong man doesn't fear a strong woman.
ismnotwasm
(41,980 posts)I was thinking more in terms of how one can think that way; gather allies even, when its obviously destructive. My friend is an anti-vaccer for instance--those people have caused widespread damage.
It can't really compare to the patriarchal social system, you're right about that
redqueen
(115,103 posts)Can't be exposing DUers as MRAs, MRA apologists, or anything else. Just because they share that anti-feminist, misogynist propaganda doesn't give you the right to... you know... call them out for it. Even if you don't mention their names. Nope, still too much. Too mean. Can't have that here. Oh no.
ismnotwasm
(41,980 posts)Proud of it even. Why get all upset if its a movement you're proud of?
I mean I'm proud of being a feminist, why wouldn't these MRA's brag it up? You think it's the rampant rape apology? Or the not so quietly held belief that feminists are shrill complainers about everything and should just shut up already? Or the evo-psych bullshit trying to be science. (even evolutionary biologists look askance at some of THAT crap-- it's won itself no good reputation in the science world)
The MRA's internal philosophy problems are no doubt considered women's fault. Because growing up and taking responsibility is Hard Work.
redqueen
(115,103 posts)Despite the fact that anyone who knows anything about those groups can smell their disinformation a mile away, they claim they just happen to have come to the same idiot-assed conclusions on their own. They even post the same hoax stories that are designed to bait idiot men into defending rapists, wife beaters, child molesters, etc.
But god forbid anyone openly say 'MRA talking points are posted on DU', because that's considered wrong. Not posting anti-feminist bullshit. Not posting hoax stories. Not being a rape apologist. Nope, all that is defended.
Calling it out? Baaaaad! Bad feminist!
What a fucking joke.
ismnotwasm
(41,980 posts)You'd think they'd have an actual defense of ideology--you know, something that makes sense.
It's not like there aren't Men's groups working to fight toxic masculinity and rape culture. Those men have no need to hid behind weasel words and disgustingly wrong statistics..
redqueen
(115,103 posts)Too bad they're coddled by those too stupid to recognize them. It's kinda disturbing, though, really, that so many would be so blind to those types on a progressive board. It's made me rethink my expectations re: the amount of and tolerance for misogyny in liberal / progressive spaces. Ugly lesson, really.
seabeyond
(110,159 posts)we treat him like an all knowing god.
today my 15 yr old son was talking to me. started about how right carlin was on something. i told him, he is not right about all things. he is still a white male that tells minorities how we should feel, while he sits in privilege.
son says, ... carlin is a liberal. believes in womens rights.
yes, he is liberal. and yes he stands up about womens rights. and yes... he can still be sexist.
we have lotsa liberal that are still living in a sexist world, that adamently defend womens rights, yet cry, whine have a tantrum when called on their privilege.
wryter2000
(46,045 posts)Love the fact that the very first word in the article is "misogynists." There's no hemming and hawing about the fact that men's rights groups are hate groups.
BainsBane
(53,032 posts)Amazing how some will adopt all those positions yet insist they aren't misogynists. Of course, even white supremacists insist they aren't racists, so I guess it shouldn't be so surprising.