PRESS RELEASE

Women More Likely to Abuse, But Disinformation Continues at NYC Event

Research now reveals that women are far more likely than men to engage in domestic violence. But the VDAY Festival, which begins today in New York City, will force-feed the claim that only women can be the victims of partner abuse.

Psychologist Renee McDonald interviewed married and co-habiting couples, and reported that women were twice as likely to engage in severe partner violence: http://www.washingtontimes.com/culture/20060511-112526-4029r.htm. Family violence researcher Murray Straus recently presented findings from over 13,000 university students in dating relationships. He found that female-only violence was twice as common as male-only violence: http://www.unh.edu/news/cj_nr/2006/may/em_060519male.cfm?type=n

The purpose of the NYC events is to bring .the issue of violence against women front and center.. A 5K run in Prospect Park will likewise demand .an end to violence against women..

But the NYC events will give a one-sided portrayal of domestic violence. The events are sponsored by VDAY, an organization created by Eve Ensler, author of The Vagina Monologues. The program is supported by the Avon Corporation and the Mary Kay Ash Foundation.

Analyst David Usher has questioned why Avon and Mary Kay Ash are using profits from sales of beauty products to support ideologically-slanted VDAY activities. Usher criticizes the companies for supporting an event that is based on .unscientific feminist reports that intentionally leave half of the population outside the statistical sample..

FOX News columnist Wendy McElroy recently documented the extreme actions that feminist groups have taken against persons who present both sides of the domestic violence issue. These tactics include harassing phone calls, bomb scares, and death threats: http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,197550,00.html

.If we put across this idea that the abuse of men is as great as the abuse of women, then it could seriously affect our funding,. notes woman.s shelter director Sandra Horley.

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.