November 29, 2023 – Erin Pizzey founded the first domestic violence shelter in the world, in Chiswick, London in 1971. When Pizzey asked the women in her shelter about their violence, she discovered that most of them were equally or even more violent than their husbands. Pizzey concluded that women are as capable of partner abuse as men – a view that has been subsequently confirmed by hundreds of research studies (1).
Pizzey later set up additional shelters, inspiring MP Jack Ashley to state, “The work of Mrs. Pizzey was pioneering work of the first order. It was she who first identified the problem, who first recognised the seriousness of the situation and who first did something practical by establishing the Chiswick aid centre.” (2)
In her book, Prone to Violence (2), Pizzey asserted that domestic violence was caused by severe childhood trauma. But feminists who believed the cause of domestic violence was “patriarchy” were distraught. During Pizzey’s promotional tours, feminists began to stage protests, which soon escalated to outright harassment, bomb threats, and death threats (3).
The 14-minute documentary, “MEN TOO – Male Victims of Domestic Violence,” will be aired on Thursday, November 30 beginning at 11:00am EST. The documentary was produced by Dogs on the Run of South Africa. The premiere is hosted by the Domestic Abuse and Violence International Alliance, with sponsorship by Canadian Equal Parenting.
Also featured in the film are gripping first-hand accounts by men who were abused by their female partners. The film has enjoyed critical acclaim, as well.
The Domestic Abuse and Violence International Alliance – DAVIA — consists of 112 member organizations from 33 countries in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, and North America. DAVIA seeks to ensure that domestic violence and abuse polices are science-based, family-affirming, and gender-inclusive.
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