1 in 10
Each year, 1 in 10 women in Britain experience rape or other violence.
Update: Consult the Map of Gaps.
Posted on March 6th, 2009 at 1:10pm under Activism, Human rights
| Related posts... • 1:10pm on Friday 6th March • Amnesty’s 1 in 10 statistic • Hamid Karzai: right in theory |
• Permalink • Trackback • Subscribe |
|
|
|
• 17 Comments |
I don’t want to belittle what is obviously a very good cause ‘nall, but is their headline figure really accurate?
On the website they state
“Around half of women in England and Wales experience domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking in their lifetime and many experience some form of sexual harassment.
In total around 3 million women experience an incident of violence each year. Many more have been a victim in the past.”
There are 30 million women in the UK, so around 15 million in will experience rape or violence once or more in their lifetime. The average female lifespan is around 70 years, so it’s more like an average of 214,000 newly assaulted women/year (which is, of course, 214,000 too many).
Obviously there will be some particularly unfortunate women for whom it is an everyday occurence, but that would need to be almost 3 million to get their figure, unless they’re adding in sexual harrasment to bulk it up, but that would be unbelievably crass of them.
“I don’t want to belittle what is obviously a very good cause ‘nall, but is their headline figure really accurate?”
No.
I’m glad John B has chipped in on this as his response to Arron over at Tygerland has caused Arron to, it seems, chuck in the towel on blogging.
I find it odd that people feel the need to have a go at this subject matter when there are plenty more deserving targets out there for their pointless blog-ire.
Also, it seems in bad faith to attack a subject matter that is in desperate need of very real attention.
Unlike most here, I worked and volunteered for a time with the women on the receiving end of domestic violence and abuse, it was an honour and together we grafted a play to highlight the truth of this deeply disturbing matter.
I would urge both John B and Tom P to take some time educating themselves on the subject matter, perhaps volunteering their help and getting a better picture of an issue that is a endemic as Amnesty is making out.
But I still have to say, why attack an issue like this so hard?
Something is not quite right with the pair I feel.
Sorry to comment again but actually the figures are very accurate and it annoys me that some folks are attempting to underplay them, if I take the women closest to me in my life, partner, mother, grandmother, auntys etc, more of them than not have experienced domestic violence.
To deman or belittle this subject matter is a foolish error that has its roots in some disturbing prejudice.
Well, John B has a very recent history of being unable to disagree with other people without calling them idiots, Tories or <a href=liars. He doesn’t seem to have any capacity at all to say that other people are simply wrong, or mistaken, let alone that they may just see things differently.
It’s not to his credit.
David, you can question the figure without belittling the issue. If you said “500,000 children are killed each year in the UK by drunk drivers” I don’t think it’s trivialising the problem of children being killed by drunk drivers – far less pretending it doesn’t exist – to remark that that seems very high, and to question whether you’ve got your figures right. Perhaps you could make john b, tom p and all the other doubters look really silly by posting a link to some evidence? Because the only evidence I’ve seen so far is the BCS, and that gives a figure of one in 40, not one in 10, per year.
David, you can question the figure without belittling the issue.
Of course you can, but not if you use deliberately belittling language (which you do not).
ajay is right; feel free to read the facts from the BCS and his post, and to ignore mine, if my belittling language hurts your precious feelings.
because oddly enough, they’re facts, and will remain true whether said by a nice lovely person or a nasty bad person.
because oddly enough, they’re facts
No, they’re not. Calling somebody a liar is not a fact unless you know they’re lying. It’s possible to err, for instance, and not be lying: it’s possible for somebody to misunderstand, and not be lying. People whose tendency is to mouth off and call other people liars not only act presumptiously and aggressively where neither is in order – they may also draw attention to their own tendency to exaggerate, to over-react and to make statements of dubious statisitical and factual validity.
It’s becoming a habit with you John and in this instance it’s bounced back on you a bit, I think.
Who the fuck do you think you are, Daniel Hoffman-Gill? You fucking cunty shithead.
How fucking dare you imply that I in someway equivocate regarding domestic violence or harm to women.
You can stick your smug sanctimonious cuntiness right up your arse.
My sister-in-law was abused and raped by a bigamist she thought she was married to (but technically wasn’t) for over a dedcade and had 5 children by him, a number of them conceived during rapes. While she was pregnant with these kids he would anally rape her. I am fully aware of the horrors of domestic abuse, thanks very much, far more than I want to be.
I followed Justin’s link and read their own website, which led me to question the figures ‘cos they don’t seem to add up. Try reading my comment again, this time without your smug-cunt-specs on and see where I’m attacking this issue hard or appearing somehow ‘not quite right’. Then, when you’ve realised that you were bang out of order, say sorry for casting such aspersions.
Hi Tom,
We can all get out our compare the atrocities badge and you lose the argument by the use of language.
Also, speaking of use of language, what you said made it clear that your agenda was not a good one and I stand by that.
I didn’t read your comment and make it up, I simply took what you said and made my feelings clear on that.
As for reading all the evidence, it’s an area I work in and have more than enough knowledge on the matter, for what it is worth, I consider the evidence accurate if not underplaying the extent of violence towards women, indeed in my time in youuth work, around 75% of the young women I worked with were ‘victims’.
Take care duck.
My agenda is not a good one?! You hateful turd.
I’m a long-time member of amnesty and always will be, but if they start misusing figures then they’re going to do all of their future campaigns a disservice by denting the public’s trust in them. That you can’t see this speaks badly of your intellectual faculties (such as they are).
As for a ‘compare the atrocities badge’, you started the ‘ooh I’ve seen it at first hand’ game, I merely pointed out that you’re not the only one with such claims to understanding. That you can’t see this speaks badly of your intellectual faculties (such as they are).
If you’ve been involved in youth work, then you’re probably more than likely going to come up against sample bias when looking at the bigger picture for all manner of social ills, from abuse to deprivation, so your 75% figure is obviously massively skewed and of no relevance at all (unless you worked with about 14% of the youth of Britain). Again, an indictment of your intellect.
Implying that somebody is pro-violence to women, because they would like organisations they support not to misuse statistics, even for a good end, is the gambit of a moronic tosspot, which is a cloak you seem to wear well.
I tell you what chap, when you’re ready to talk like a grown up, email me, until then, keep your trap shut.
Take care.
DHG: I would urge both John B and Tom P to take some time educating themselves on the subject matter
Which bit of this do you feel is not (unintentionally) patronizing to Tom P? I don’t know how I’d have reacted in his shoes, but the vehemence of his response is understandable.
ibid: But I still have to say, why attack an issue like this so hard? Something is not quite right with the pair I feel.
Great. Imputation of ulterior motives/bias to those taking a contrary stand. Which is fair enough, but if done unfairly should surely be acknowledged.
and later: I tell you what chap, when you’re ready to talk like a grown up, email me, until then, keep your trap shut.
Hmm. Substitute the word “lass” for “chap” and see how your put-down flies then.
‘Hellblazer’
I disagree, I read the comment and responded honestly.
As for language, tell you what, how about you do a blow by blow of cunty?
Cheers.
Cor, you really stuck it to me, didn’t you.
I shan’t be emailing you now or ever, because I have no wish to converse directly with the sort of man who bandies about the snide little accusations that you do.
Sod off back to your little failing acting career and leave the discussion about numbers to the boys with big enough brains to comprehend them and with intellects robust enough to hold 2 thoughts in their heads at once (such as ‘wife-beating is bad’ and ‘manipulating statistics is also (but less) bad’)
Odious Patronising twerp
Tom p:
Not intended to stick it to you, just tired of arguing in circles when nothing will move or change via this.
Just to correct you, my acting career is not failing.
Thanks for your silly words sweetheart.
Bye.