This is a collection of media commentaries on the Johnny Depp – Amber Heard case. It pulls together media pieces that are informed by knowledge of domestic and sexual violence, their typical dynamics and impacts, or that offer commentary on the wider significance and implications of the case. Suggestions for further commentaries are welcome.
Hobbes' piece below is a particularly thorough account of the history and context for the Depp-Heard trial.
Jess Hill and Michael Salter recently have released a commentary paper, “Rethinking Primary Prevention”, available on Jess Hill’s substack here. The following are some comments on this paper.
Most allegations of domestic and sexual violence are made in good faith. False allegations are rare. Robust studies of reports made to police find that the prevalence of false allegations of sexual assault is between 2% and 10%.
The new book Engaging Boys and Men in Sexual Assault Prevention: Theory, Research and Practice explores sexual assault prevention programs for boys and men. The book presents leading-edge research on efforts to engage men and boys in the prevention of sexual violence. Written and edited by key scholars in the field, it is an essential volume for researchers, advocates, and educators.
I find it hard to process the videos of captured young male Russian soldiers calling their mums, crying, explaining they are alive, that they thought they were going to a training camp or would be welcomed as liberators and instead being sent to their death in Ukraine. These men have conducted atrocities and I do not seek to justify their actions.
Unpacking the Man Box is based on a survey of 1,000 young Australian men aged 18 to 30. The report builds on the findings of The Men’s Project’s 2018 report The Man Box.
The initial Man Box report found that young Australian men who believe in outdated masculine stereotypes were themselves at higher risk of using violence, online bullying and sexual harassment, engaging in risky drinking and reporting poorer levels of mental health.
Low support for gender equality (GE) predicts attitudes supporting violence against women (VAW). However, little is known about the influence of attitudes towards different manifestations of GE. This study extends knowledge by assessing the relative strength of attitudes to GE across seven theoretically derived dimensions, and their association with attitudes towards VAW. 17,542 Australians participated in the 2017 National Community Attitudes Towards Violence Against Women Survey.
#1. Start by putting your own house in order. Take responsibility for violent behaviour and attitudes and build respectful relations with the women and girls in your life. See pp. 11-13 of this report
Over the last 12 years my view of the world and myself in it has radically changed, due to the many conversations with and between radical feminists I have been privileged to be part of. From my first exposure to the reality of women’s lives and the male violence they encounter and fear on a daily basis, to attending feminist conferences, it has been an eye opening, embarrassing and life-changing journey.
The complex reality for men beginning a Men's Behaviour Change Program (MBCP) can be, among other things, a mix of ignorance, inexperience and resentment. I’ve been working in programs for male perpetrators of domestic violence for more than ten years and one thing I notice among these men is a level of ignorance with regard to understanding the work required to change. In my experience, one of the biggest obstacles to men ending their abuse of women and children is their inability to understand the damage they are causing and have caused.
