RADAR ALERT:
VAWA is Not Helping Women, Report Shows

It's no secret that the Violence Against Women Act often ignores civil liberties and discriminates against male victims. But everyone assumed that at least VAWA was beneficial to women.

RADAR's latest Special Report, "Has VAWA Delivered on its Promises to Women?," reveals this belief may be false.

Packed with DoJ statistics, scientific studies, and actual examples, the report dissects, analyzes, and explodes the myth that VAWA is good for women. The Special Report documents that:

1. VAWA programs have not affected overall trends of intimate partner abuse.
2. Aggressive prosecution policies are placing women at greater risk of subsequent violence.
3. Real victims of violence can't get the help they need because the system has become flooded with the laughable "David Letterman-type" cases.
4. "No-drop" prosecution policies routinely ignore women's wishes for counseling and repair of the relationship.
5. Ineffective DV policies may lull women into a false sense of security.
6. Draconian law enforcement and prosecution programs ensnare women.
7. Female perpetrators of domestic violence don't get the services they need.
8. Abuse shelters aren't meeting the needs of victims.
9. Overly-broad definitions of child abuse allow children to be removed from their homes.
10. VAWA policies and programs serve to escalate partner conflict and harm children.

This report is a must-read, no-holds-barred critique of our nation's domestic violence system. The report can be seen at: http://www.mediaradar.org/docs/VAWA-Has-It-Delivered-on-Its-Promises-to-Women.pdf.

The report follows the RADAR report, "A Culture of False Allegations: How VAWA Harms Families and Children," which was released last week. That report documents how VAWA undermines families and places children at greater risk of abuse: http://www.mediaradar.org/docs/VAWA-A-Culture-of-False-Allegations.pdf.

So this week, we call on you to read the report, "Has VAWA Delivered on its Promises to Women?" Then forward this Alert to all your friends, media contacts, and elected officials, so they know "It's Time to Fix VAWA."

Date of RADAR Release: February 5, 2007

Want to improve the chance that they'll pay attention to your letter? Click here.

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