This is a great idea overall and is needed. But going into it with the attitude that Domestic Violence Victims are "damaged" and need to be fixed is not going to make a program that is any better than all the others out there. Victims have already been told far too much that there is something wrong with them, they do not need to believe this new court was made by people with that attitude. They will not trust the system anymore than they do now and therefore you will actually get fewer calls to the cops, because they will be afraid that they will end up getting victimized again by the system that is put into place to fix their "damage".

Are there any silhouettes of men?

Because numerous studies show that women are just as likely to use violence as men are but the men are much less likely to report it.

And the cops are 100% less likely to arrest the woman anyway.

I reported my husband four times to police: two for child abuse (the pediatrician verified it) and two for spouse abuse. Each time he would appear in a nice suit, say I exagerated and would walk free. Each time, his behavior to me escalated. He even tried to kill me on three occassions. I finally filed for divorce. It's taken 7 1/2 years of legal wrangling but we will be divorced January 1, 2008.

I've worked for over eleven years with single heads of households (mostly women) and our situations are very similar. If someone had followed up or had presented my husband with a threat of jail or anger management/counseling, I do think we would be married and that the abuse would have stopped if he had to account for his behavior.

Please push this program along. Lives are at stake.

To just curious: You need to definitely do your homework again. Especially in this state. I Just went to court yesterday, where my ex boyfriend plead guilty, finally to abuse & threats against my life, dogs, & property. This has been going on for many months. I have been married 4 different times. Each one beat me, killed my pets, & tried to kill me, before killing himself the last time. I am a very successful, beautiful woman with a great career and have raised my 25 yr. old daughter by myself. Something has got to change to make these men be held accountable besides a slap on the wrist & anger management. It's not working,& they are laughing. My new passion is to try to prevent this from happening to other women, especially young girls, so they wont end up suicidal with their spirit broken, and having substance and eating disorders and afraid. I know, been there, way too many times. PLEASE LET'S CHANGE THIS DURING THE MO. OF OCT. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE MONTH, WE CAN DO BETTER AS HUMAN BEINGS !!!!!!!

To stop DV they need to stop addressing half the problem under the wrong premise, i.e. men=batterers, women=victims. (Duluth Model). If you admit, guilty. If you say "it's all untrue", guilty (denying is a way of power and control from men), if you say "I only held her for her to stop hitting me", guilty (minimizing is another way of power and control from men), if you say "she was the one throwing dishes at me", guilty (blaming the victim is yet another way of power and control from men). Check it out, duluth model and the famous "power wheel". This is what is used to train judges, prosecutors...And, besides, a woman cries victim, gets help from a center with social workers, for them, a bad look is abuse(if it came from a man), then they go to court to testify...the women allegations and the "symptoms". etc., etc...