RADAR ALERT:
Protect Our Children, Tell Congress to Hold VAWA Hearings Now

Each year the parents of 1 million American children get a divorce.

In an estimated one-third of divorces, an allegation of domestic violence is made, often in the form of a restraining order. These restraining orders have become so widespread that they are referred to as “silver bullets,” “slam-dunks,” or simply, “divorce planning.”

In half of all restraining orders, there is not even an allegation of violence. (http://www.mediaradar.org/docs/VAWA-Restraining-Orders.pdf) Even in those orders that do allege violence, often the person who requested the order was mutually involved, the dispute was minor, or the allegation of violence was flat-out false. So it is estimated that 80% or more of DV allegations represent trumped-up and even malicious claims of domestic “violence.”

In 85% of divorces, custody is awarded to the mother, thus depriving the children of contact from their father.

That means each year, false claims of domestic violence contribute to over 200,000 children losing daily contact with their father. That's about 550 children each and every day. And that's a huge tragedy for our children and for our nation.

This spring, 25 organizations from across the country banded together and signed on to a Resolution to counter the negative impact of VAWA. The Resolution is shown at the end of this Alert.

We are requesting that Congress hold hearings on the massive civil rights violations that are happening each and every day, as a direct result of VAWA-funded programs.

This Alert is the last call for our VAWA Spring Campaign. This is it. Please contact your Representative and two Senators with this very simple message:

WE WANT CONGRESS TO CONDUCT HEARINGS ON THE MASSIVE CIVIL RIGHTS ABUSES OF VAWA. AND WE WANT THE HEARINGS NOW.

Please make a telephone call to the Legislative Aide who deals with judicial or family issues. Or better yet, fax a copy a copy of the Resolution to your elected official.

Please do it now, for a better future, for our children.

RESOLUTION
Regarding the Violence Against Women Act

1. Whereas, in 2000 Senator Orrin Hatch directed the executive branch to “ensure that men who have been victimized by domestic violence and sexual assault will receive benefits and services under the Act” ¹
2. Whereas, despite that statement of Congressional intent, male victims continue to be turned away from VAWA-funded shelters. ²
3. Whereas, the language of the 2005 Violence Against Women Act now recognizes that male victims of domestic violence are in need of treatment and protection, and requires VAWA-funded programs to provide them with such services. ³
4. Whereas, VAWA funds judicial education programs that instruct judges to disregard constitutionally-protected due process provisions, ⁴
5. Whereas, judges often issue restraining orders without any direct threat of harm, ^{5, 6} and restraining orders are widely used as “part of the gamesmanship of divorce.” ^{7, 8}
6. Whereas, the Massachusetts Trial Court found that less than half of all restraining orders issued in that state involved even an allegation of physical violence, ⁹
7. Whereas, it has been estimated that each year one million protective orders are issued in the United States, and about 500,000 of such orders represent a direct violation of due process protections, ^{10, 11}
8. Whereas, 15% of such protective orders are issued against women and 85% against men. ¹²
9. Whereas, research shows that most instances of partner aggression are minor in nature, ¹³ and such cases require counseling, not legal intervention,
10. Whereas, VAWA-funded programs and policies often discourage couple counseling and partner reconciliation, and
11. Whereas, various VAWA incentives serve to promote family break-up, ¹⁴ which results in children losing daily contact with one of their parents. ¹⁵

Therefore, the undersigned organizations request that:

1. The VAWA appropriation bill for FY2007 include report language directing the DoJ Violence Against Women Office to provide Congress, no later than December 30, 2007, with client utilization statistics of VAWA-funded programs and services, in compliance with the male-inclusive requirements of Section 40002(b)(8) of the 2005 Violence Against Women Act.
2. The Senate and House Appropriations Committees support and approve President Bush’s budget request to fund the Violence Against Women Act at the $347 million level in FY2007.
3. The United States Congress establish a panel to investigate the claims that the Violence Against Women Act promotes the excessive issuance of restraining orders, which often leads to family break-up and inappropriate loss of parent involvement.

Signed:

Date of RADAR Release: April 21, 2006

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R.A.D.A.R. – Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting – is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence. http://www.mediaradar.org