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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jul/02/anorexia-and-are-mens-problems-too
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| Anorexia and rape are men’s problems too | Anorexia and rape are men’s problems too |
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| It is simply untrue to say, “about 107,100 cases concerning violence against women and girls were prosecuted over the [past] 12 months”(Report, 25 June). Responsibility for this error, however, lies not with your staff but with the Crown Prosecution Service and its report, misleadingly entitled Violence Against Women and Girls, Crime Report 2014-15. Despite the title, this analysis included more than 13,000 male victims of crimes including rape, sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence. Many will have been gay or transgender, many will have had their children or dependents affected. Designating them as victims of crimes “against women and girls” not only misleads the public about the complex and diverse dynamics of abuse but also serves to conceal and marginalise the experiences of all male survivors of intimate and sexual crimes while perpetuating the myth that “real men” don’t get raped, abused or become victims of domestic violence. | It is simply untrue to say, “about 107,100 cases concerning violence against women and girls were prosecuted over the [past] 12 months”(Report, 25 June). Responsibility for this error, however, lies not with your staff but with the Crown Prosecution Service and its report, misleadingly entitled Violence Against Women and Girls, Crime Report 2014-15. Despite the title, this analysis included more than 13,000 male victims of crimes including rape, sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence. Many will have been gay or transgender, many will have had their children or dependents affected. Designating them as victims of crimes “against women and girls” not only misleads the public about the complex and diverse dynamics of abuse but also serves to conceal and marginalise the experiences of all male survivors of intimate and sexual crimes while perpetuating the myth that “real men” don’t get raped, abused or become victims of domestic violence. |
| Related: Gender is all too relevant in violence statistics | Letters | |
| Victims of intimate violence face significant psychological barriers to reporting these events. Some fear they will not be believed, or even that they may be cast as the perpetrator. Those who find the courage to report their abuse to the authorities often say they are motivated less by the need for justice or revenge but for validation that what happened to them was real and was wrong. Many men tell us that the experience of intimate violation has left them feeling like “less than a man”, making interaction with authorities even more complex and challenging. For those authorities to publicly disregard this and erase the experiences of one in six of all victims is unjust and a cruel betrayal of their bravery. | Victims of intimate violence face significant psychological barriers to reporting these events. Some fear they will not be believed, or even that they may be cast as the perpetrator. Those who find the courage to report their abuse to the authorities often say they are motivated less by the need for justice or revenge but for validation that what happened to them was real and was wrong. Many men tell us that the experience of intimate violation has left them feeling like “less than a man”, making interaction with authorities even more complex and challenging. For those authorities to publicly disregard this and erase the experiences of one in six of all victims is unjust and a cruel betrayal of their bravery. |
| We fully support drives to eliminate intimate and sexual violence and understand that focusing on female victims is central to this. It is also essential that we retain due consideration for male victims of these crimes. We call on the director of public prosecutions, Alison Saunders, and all public bodies to affirm their commitment to addressing and eliminating intimate violence against human beings of any gender and to take care not to compromise the dignity and public understanding of any survivors. | We fully support drives to eliminate intimate and sexual violence and understand that focusing on female victims is central to this. It is also essential that we retain due consideration for male victims of these crimes. We call on the director of public prosecutions, Alison Saunders, and all public bodies to affirm their commitment to addressing and eliminating intimate violence against human beings of any gender and to take care not to compromise the dignity and public understanding of any survivors. |
| Ally Fogg Writer and journalistMichael May Director, Survivors UKDuncan Craig CEO, Survivors ManchesterJane Powell CEO, Calm, the Campaign Against Living MiserablyMark Brooks Chair, the Mankind InitiativeNick Smithers National development officer, Abused Men in ScotlandBob Balfour Founder, Survivors West YorkshireProfessor Damien Ridge Professor of health studies, University of WestminsterDr John Barry UCL medical schoolDr Nicola Graham-Kevan Reader in psychology, University of Central LancashireDr Mike Hartill Senior lecturer in sociology of sport, Edge Hill UniversityDr Ben Hine Lecturer in psychology, University of West LondonDr Melanie Lang Senior lecturer in child protection in sport, Edge Hill UniversityDr Michelle Lowe Lecturer in criminological and forensic psychology, University of BoltonDr Luke Sullivan Clinical psychologist and director of Men’s Minds MatterAnthony Murphy Lecturer in psychology, University of West LondonDan Bell Features editor, insideMan magazineMartin Daubney Journalist, broadcaster and committee member, Being A Man FestivalBrian Dempsey Lecturer, School of Law, University of DundeeRichard Duncker Founder, Men Do ComplainAlex Feis-Bryce Director of services, National Ugly MugsJustin Gaffney CEO, MSH Health & WellbeingGlen Poole UK coordinator, International Men’s DayShane Ryan CEO, Working With MenMartin Seager Consultant clinical psychologistMark Sparrow JournalistSimone Spray CEO, 42nd StreetGijsbert Stoet Reader in psychology, University of GlasgowMartyn Terry Sullivan CEO, Mankind CounsellingTina Threadgold Trustee, UKNSWP | Ally Fogg Writer and journalistMichael May Director, Survivors UKDuncan Craig CEO, Survivors ManchesterJane Powell CEO, Calm, the Campaign Against Living MiserablyMark Brooks Chair, the Mankind InitiativeNick Smithers National development officer, Abused Men in ScotlandBob Balfour Founder, Survivors West YorkshireProfessor Damien Ridge Professor of health studies, University of WestminsterDr John Barry UCL medical schoolDr Nicola Graham-Kevan Reader in psychology, University of Central LancashireDr Mike Hartill Senior lecturer in sociology of sport, Edge Hill UniversityDr Ben Hine Lecturer in psychology, University of West LondonDr Melanie Lang Senior lecturer in child protection in sport, Edge Hill UniversityDr Michelle Lowe Lecturer in criminological and forensic psychology, University of BoltonDr Luke Sullivan Clinical psychologist and director of Men’s Minds MatterAnthony Murphy Lecturer in psychology, University of West LondonDan Bell Features editor, insideMan magazineMartin Daubney Journalist, broadcaster and committee member, Being A Man FestivalBrian Dempsey Lecturer, School of Law, University of DundeeRichard Duncker Founder, Men Do ComplainAlex Feis-Bryce Director of services, National Ugly MugsJustin Gaffney CEO, MSH Health & WellbeingGlen Poole UK coordinator, International Men’s DayShane Ryan CEO, Working With MenMartin Seager Consultant clinical psychologistMark Sparrow JournalistSimone Spray CEO, 42nd StreetGijsbert Stoet Reader in psychology, University of GlasgowMartyn Terry Sullivan CEO, Mankind CounsellingTina Threadgold Trustee, UKNSWP |
| Eating disorders are equal opportunity illnesses, developing regardless of age, ethnicity, social class or gender | Eating disorders are equal opportunity illnesses, developing regardless of age, ethnicity, social class or gender |
| • Having suffered from an eating disorder since 1998, I have been hugely encouraged by the Guardian’s recent coverage (Eating disorders patients’ lives at risk due to long waits for NHS treatment, 15 June; NHS trial ‘transforms lives’ of young anorexia and bulimia sufferers, 22 June). As a man with anorexia nervosa, however, I was disappointed to see no reference whatsoever to the fact that these are illnesses that affect both sexes equally, if not in numerical terms, certainly in the degree of pain they cause to the sufferers and those close to them. | • Having suffered from an eating disorder since 1998, I have been hugely encouraged by the Guardian’s recent coverage (Eating disorders patients’ lives at risk due to long waits for NHS treatment, 15 June; NHS trial ‘transforms lives’ of young anorexia and bulimia sufferers, 22 June). As a man with anorexia nervosa, however, I was disappointed to see no reference whatsoever to the fact that these are illnesses that affect both sexes equally, if not in numerical terms, certainly in the degree of pain they cause to the sufferers and those close to them. |
| I do not deny that those diagnosed are often girls and young women, but by failing to acknowledge the growing incidence among men and boys, your correspondents are doing little to combat the myths about this supposedly “female illness” that do so much to prevent men from coming forward and getting help. Another article (Are more men getting eating disorders?, 18 January) reported a 27% rise in diagnoses in men since 2000. Eating disorders are equal opportunity illnesses, developing regardless of age, ethnicity, social class or gender, and while any coverage helps to break through the silence that these pernicious illnesses thrive on, the pain they bring in their wake is similarly indiscriminate.John Evans Author of Becoming John: Anorexia’s Not Just for Girls | I do not deny that those diagnosed are often girls and young women, but by failing to acknowledge the growing incidence among men and boys, your correspondents are doing little to combat the myths about this supposedly “female illness” that do so much to prevent men from coming forward and getting help. Another article (Are more men getting eating disorders?, 18 January) reported a 27% rise in diagnoses in men since 2000. Eating disorders are equal opportunity illnesses, developing regardless of age, ethnicity, social class or gender, and while any coverage helps to break through the silence that these pernicious illnesses thrive on, the pain they bring in their wake is similarly indiscriminate.John Evans Author of Becoming John: Anorexia’s Not Just for Girls |