The reason why it's so important to understand the truth about domestic violence goes far beyond simply helping abused men. A wide array of injustices to men and fathers--from fathers losing their children in family court to innocent men being booted out of their homes on sham restraining orders--has its roots in the public’s inability to understand that domestic violence is a two-way street.

Glenn discussed DV Awareness Month and the anti-male myths guiding current DV policies with domestic violence experts Phil Cook and Jan Brown on His Side with Glenn Sacks on Sunday, October 5. Cook is the author of Abused Men: The Hidden Side of Domestic Violence. Brown is the founder and executive director of the Domestic Abuse Helpline for Men.

Glenn criticized former Texas Governor Ann Richards for her anti-male domestic violence "joke" at a recent Gray Davis campaign rally. Richards said "I know you all are worried about the economy in California but I want to assure you that it's a problem all over the country. In fact in Texas the price of gas has gone up so high that women who want to run over their husbands are car-pooling," a reference to the Clara Harris murder.

Cook emphasized positive changes within the DV industry, saying that the majority of DV service providers are now either ready to consider ways to deal with the problem of female abusers or are eager to find a venue within which to do it.

Glenn and his guests discussed the work of author and addiction expert Doug Thorburn and the fact that substance abuse plays a role in 80% of all domestic violence incidents. Cook noted that studies show that current "batterers classes" are very ineffective and that in many cases programs to help batterers with their substance abuse problems would be far more effective.

Jan noted that the current, highly politicized "women as victims" atmosphere harms not only abused men but also female abusers who are trying to confront their abusive behavior. She noted that her helpline gets many calls from female batterers who are looking for services but are frustrated because the current system insists on seeing them only as victims and never as perpetrators who need help in order to change.

Glenn discussed the recent appearance of female abuser Tawny Kitaen on the Howard Stern Show and how her sham claims of victimhood provide an excellent example of how women manipulate the public, and by extension the courts and the politicians, on domestic violence.

To learn more about domestic violence, see Glenn's columns "Plaintiff in Suit Against LA DV Shelters is Right to Demand Services for Abused Men" (Los Angeles Daily News, 6/12/03), "Let's not 'Learn' the Same Lessons From Blake That We Learned From OJ" (Cybercast News Service, 4/30/02), and "Baseball Player's Domestic Violence Arrest Demonstrates How Men are Presumed Guilty in Domestic Disputes" (Los Angeles Daily Journal, San Francisco Daily Journal, 8/8/02).

To learn more about the Tawny Kitaen/Chuck Finley case, see Glenn's column "Kitaen Plays the 'Woman's Trump Card' Against Finley in Custody Battle" (Cybercast News Service, 5/28/02).

To reach the Domestic Abuse Helpline for Men , call them toll free nationwide at 1-877-643-1120, access code 0757. To learn more about America’s best domestic violence organization--Stop Abuse for Everyone (SAFE), go to www.safe4all.org.