You're quite right, Princess Lenora. I would like to think that a gun-free culture in the UK in some way assists the officious bystander.

Anno, WAFE is a women's aid organisation for England which advocates against DV and child abuse.

DV may be down in some areas, but I believe not because men have stopped abusing but because more and more women are running from their abusers. They see and hear from so many sources, other women that there is 'NO' hope for an abuser so they run and thats maybe why its down, if in fact it is...

I agree with chatty. Assuming the DV rates truly are down, I think increased awareness resulting from books like Dianne's and others is a factor. Increased economic independence which enables more women to leave and better law enforcement is probably important also. Maybe DV will someday be completely eliminated from our world. Hopefully in our lifetime.
smile

We're getting more and more resources for battered women too. I think the public is slowly understanding what goes on in these relationships and actually will try to help a woman who has fled. More and more judges have to answer to why they didn't help the victim. This is because of email campaigns, etc. that can target a bad judge...I've started a few in my day.

We have to remember that men are also abused and we look down on them like they are either lying or something else. I received a very long email from a man who has been verbally and physically abused by his wife for eight years. He would never hit her back but tried to deflect her blows. He called the police and they told him to leave or hide in the bathroom all night. She should have been arrested.

I have a question that was prompted by Dianne's statement that men are abused, too. (I have seen this first hand and it is very hard for men, also).

When people use the word Domestic Violence, are they referring mainly to spousal abuse, or would this include child abuse, too?

Child abuse is usually listed in another category. Minors vs adults.

When we see the stats on dv, they include every abuse, not just physical. So, not 4 million women are being beaten but are also and including sexually, verbally, financially abused.