New service provides help for men in crisis

Published Date: 29 November 2010

A NEW group providing support services to men in crisis has been formed in Northern Ireland.

Mensaid NI claims men here are being disadvantaged in many areas of health, social welfare, housing and the family courts.

The new group will also offer victim support services to men
who are suffering all forms of abuse in domestic situations.

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Although the province's well-documented domestic violence inflicted on women is the source of much concern, Pete Morris of Mensaid said there are also male victims being damaged who fear losing their children if they can't persevere.

Mr Morris said: "Because society expects men to live up to some kind
of macho image, it is unbelieveably diffcult for men who suffer psychological or physical abuse in
the home to seek help.

"For anyone who's never experienced it it's hard to explain, but when a man reaches the point where he can't take anymore, it's only then that he confronts the reality that the mother of his children holds every ace in the pack."

The group's spokesman said they have "hit the ground running" and have already had face-to-face meetings with various Stormont departments and committees, the housing executive and several family law experts.

"The lengths some fathers have to go to have any contact at all with
their children is beyond belief and that is why many abused men try
to put up with their situation," Mr Morris said.

Parental alienation is the term used for the greatest fear of those fathers who have a strong bond with their children but fnd themselves
facing a family break-up.

Mr Morris said: "We have been contacted by men who face all kinds of diffculties, but parental alienation – the bond between them and their children being broken while they fight for access through the courts – is one of the worst.

Another is the fnancial hardship of the maintenance payments which
are sometimes impossible to meet by the time someone pays for a roof
over their head."

Mensaid is currently seeking funding to establish a drop-in centre and eventually aims to provide a refuge for male victims of domestic abuse.

Further information is available via the website www.mensaidni.co.uk or by contacting 07512462375.

Meeting with CMED Officials

Today, I attended a meeting with John Miller Operations manager CMED, Denise Ferguson Business development Directorate and Gerry Boyle Head of Benefit Secruity Services.

The background to this meeting was to act for men who have contacted us via RFFJ. Brief of meeting below,




Today the attendees at the meeting were myself ( RFFJ ) two men with
horrific cases, Jim Curran and Leslie Ardler.

From CMED was John Miller ( Operations ), Denise Ferguson
( Business Development Directorate ) and Gerry Boyle ( Head of
Benefits Security Services )
We began by introductions and highlighted issues we were there to raise.

Issues

Blackmailing of men
Two separate systems
Loss of correspondence ( Postal system within CMED)
Housing costs within assessments
Arrears collections
Legislation
Advertising

We raised the issue of Blackmailing, where a man was told to drop his
appeal or CMED "would come back ten times harder on him". John Millar
was astounded to hear this and explained that the staff member has
concerned has no remit for such. We had a debate over the term
"blackmail" whereby John said it was a very defamatory term. I put it
to him to answer what this treatment was: Blackmail or intimidation,
regardless of which ever, it constitutes a criminal offence on behalf
of staff member.

Leslie presented himself as the being the person who was
"blackmailed". John listened to him and gave his word that he would
look into this matter and call him personally on Friday.

John explained the CMED, from the initial CSA. The IT system used is
one derived within GB. For N Ireland to implement their own would cost
millions, so this system is used here. He admits that GB got it wrong
and that this system was not the best.

In 2003, it changed to the CORN system. This system is based on
percentages ie first child-non resident pays 15% of salary, 2nd
child-20%, 3 or more children is 25%. Currently, there are 35,500
cases within CMED. 13000 on the live system have been assessed to pay
NO maintenance, 15000 pay full maintenance, with the remaining 7000
not paying. The current outstanding debt is £80 million. This is from
17 years previous to date.

Several changes have been implemented within CMED, of which people are
not aware of. Where a resident parent claims benefits then maintenance
payments from non resident parent are paid to them. This means the
payments do not affect the benefits and not taken into account as an
income.

Non resident parent has their assessment based on a period of time,
usually 3 months salary. We highlighted cases where people have
commissioned based incomes and these vary throughout the year, thus
meaning an assessment within their busiest time makes a high
maintenance payment, which continues for the year. When these people
have reduced commission at quiet times, it is hear that they suffer
financially as assessment does not change, and same payments are
required.

This will be fixed with a new system which is coming in in 2011. This
system will see the current two systems put onto one, with the
earliest people on the old system being transferred onto it first.
This system is based through HMRC, which means assessments will be
done through their data, which in turn should help people with
commissioned based pay.

Initially, two systems were meant to be amalgamated, but the GB
Government went against it.

I highlighted cases where arrears are collected, which cause severe
hardship. These arrears are from men who are WILLING to pay, but seek
fairness in doing so. An example is :

Earn £800
Rent £400
CMED take £400

Leaving zero balance living costs.

I explained that this needs addresses as men are losing their homes. I
proposed a set rate scale for arrears: £800 per month take home the
CMED collect 20%, for every further £500 then payments increase 5%.
This would ensure CMED collect SOME arrears yet still allow person to
cover rent, living costs. This proposal was listened to as was how men
are losing homes through CMED. The current legislation governing CMED
does NOT allow for housing costs to be taken into account within an
assessment. We highlighted our intention to challenge this
legislation.

Leading on from this was the staff attitude to men " not my problem",
"don't care" etc when men highlight the difficulties they are going to
face with required payment requests. John Miller has said he will
speak with staff, and after I proposed more customer care focused
training, Denise pointed out that there is a training programme about
to be implemented.

Ref Lost correspondence. I asked John how their postal system works.
He explained that when post arrives at CMED office, it is logged on a
system as being their, thereafter handed out to relevant department. I
asked for a system to be put in place whereby the department receiving
items ALSO signs for receiving such. This would ensure a paper trail
of all correspondence and, we feel, would rule a lot of the " didn't
receive" comments.

There are 4 business departments within CMED, with each having a part
within each case. There is no "one case officer" who oversees each
case before payment requests go out. I asked if this could be adapted
into their system.

Another issue raised, was the lack of understanding of CMED and how to
work with CMED by men after a break up. We highlighted how a lot of
men have paid in person to ex partner, but then ex partner then denies
such , causing CMED to chase father for thousands in arrears. I
brought up the possibility of the CMED being prosecuted under Article
14 ( Discrimination ) of the Human Rights Act, as they have been
accepting the word of an ex partner over the word of a father. I will
explain this.

Father pays for some time, in person to mother of child. For whatever
reason, mother then tells CMED that she received nothing in person.
CMED accept this and pursue father. Father tells CMED he did pay, but
they ignore him. Thus taking females word. I advised that ALL
allegations of previous person to person payments have to be
investigated fully by CMED. It is not up to the father to prove
himself, it is up to CMED to use all resources to verify what he says.
They must STOP accepting the word of a mother over a father as this
clearly breaches afore said HR ACt.

There is a department within CMED, known as the CMISS or Child
Maintenance Information and Support Service. This service is set up
alongside the Family Court Mediation service, whereby if two parties
can come to an agreement, CMISS will write up a contract like document
which both will sign, and CMED will not become involved. The agreement
can be as simple as one parent getting uniforms, paying for trips etc.
As long as both are happy, then CMED will not be involved.

This is an excellent system, and will rule out past issues of personal
payments being denied. I am fully supportive of this system and have
asked for literature to display. I also asked Denise to have
literature placed in Family Courts as this is where most CMED cases
emanate.

Denise mentioned several groups wre involved in consultation, but men
wre not supported. She found it hard to find mens groups, and hard to
contact men's groups. We have gave our commitment to fill this gap and
work with CMED and CMISS. New advertising of their service will be
forthcoming in the New Year as well as presentations to Law Society,
Solicitors, etc. They also want to present this service to midwifes,
nurses etc so the vast majority of the community can be advised
throughout all services.

I highlighted to John, that we wre planning to protest outside CMED in
Belfast, due the conduct of their staff to men, and publicly name
staff concerned. I also explained the context of our banner we had
printed for this, but advised him that we refrained to give CMED to
take our issues on board seriously. The two people with me have been
told by John that he will look at their cases, which for me was a
great effort on his part, and a relief to the guys in question, as one
is the one who was blackmailed into dropping an appeal and now faces
losing his home.

Gerry Boyle kept trying to pass issues to the SSA Policy Department,
but after several attempts, he finally realised where we were coming
from in relation to frauds. His retort was to say any person who has
claimed benefit when they shouldn't, will be asked for payments back.
This is in reference to people continuing to claim Child Benefit after
losing child. Other benefits fall in line with Child Benefit. I asked
Gerry for his department to push forward with us for Court Issued
Benefits Order, whereby a new resident parent can get this Order and
present to benefits office. Thus cutting out waiting times on
investigations, investigating entitlement etc. He again wishes to pass
this to policy department, which we will gladly put to them

All in all, this was a very good meeting. I am happy with responses,
and I will take Johns word on his commitments. Meeting Denise was an
excellent opportunity as we can advise men on a lot of changes to
system, and the proposed system for 2011. We will also, when John
forwards the legislation to me, challenge the legislation governing
CMED to get them to include housing costs in assessments.

We now have a contact, highly placed within CMED, whom we can
highlight any cases of ill treatment to. We also have a contact within
the Business side of CMED whom will keep us informed of new changes.

Abused Men In Scotland - Time for a change

Abused Men In Scotland - Time for a change

New charity set up to assist male victims of domestic abuse.

Dewar Research - PUBLICATIONS

Dewar Research - PUBLICATIONS

REFERENCES EXAMINING ASSAULTS BY WOMEN ON THEIR SPOUSES OR MALE PARTNERS: AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

REFERENCES EXAMINING ASSAULTS BY WOMEN ON THEIR SPOUSES OR MALE PARTNERS: AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Human Rights & Professional Standards Committee to focus on high crime rates of domestic abuse

OCTOBER 7, 2010 · POSTED IN CRIME, MY WORK AS AN MLA, POLICING, POLITICS

Basil McCrea hosting Women's Aid 30th Birthday at Stormont earlier this year

Ulster Unionist Policing Board member and Chair of the Board’s Human Rights and Professional Standards Committee Basil McCrea MLA has voiced his concern in relation to new figures which highlight the level of crimes committed with a domestic abuse motivation.

Commenting on the issue Basil said: “According to recently published PSNI statistics over 9% of all crimes recorded in Northern Ireland are crimes with a domestic abuse motivation. This is hugely worrying.

Of particular concern is the fact that 24.3% of murders, manslaughters and attempted murders, 36.4% of threats or conspiracies to murder and 86.1% of orders breached are in respect of crimes with a domestic abuse motivation.”

Basil will today chair the Human Rights and Professional Standards Committee meeting at Da Vinci’s Hotel, Londonderry, which is specifically concentrating on issues of domestic abuse following up on the Board’s Domestic Abuse Thematic which was published last year.

Speaking ahead of the meeting Basil said; “Issues surrounding domestic violence are extremely important and it is imperative and we strive to stamp our violence within the home and elsewhere. At this time I would like to commend Women’s Aid and all other groups involved in the fight against domestic abuse for all the hard work that they do. Together we can work together to highlight the issue and help those living with it on a daily basis.”

Domestic Violence 101: Understand the Truth, Stop the Abuse: False Allegations - National Family Rights | Examiner.com

http://www.examiner.com/family-rights-in-national/domestic-violence-101-understand-the-truth-stop-the-abuse-false-allegations

Emailing: fd9b31ef-279d-4b1e-b365-b1daebd1a70e.pdf

DUP and SF have failed to bring any legislation to Assembly since June.

DUP and SF have failed to bring any legislation to Assembly since June.

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Check out this post: http://paulabradshaw.wordpress.com/2010/09/26/fatherhood/

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Nearly 40% of Special Treatment Orders contained errors

Nearly 40% of Special Treatment Orders contained errors

How Female Suffrage Destroyed Western Civilization

by RAMZPAUL on SEPTEMBER 15, 2010

By ramzpaul

A few weeks ago Google paid homage to the ratification of the 19^thAmendment to the Constitution. The following tag was on their home page complete with a little pink checkbox that represented a woman making her choice at the ballot box.

“Celebrating 90 years since the ratification of the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing women the right to vote”

As a globalist corporation, Google does not “celebrate” various anniversaries based on the whims of some individual webmaster. Such decisions on what to commemorate on Google’s main page are carefully determined based on cynical political calculations. Either the occasion must be non-controversial (e.g., Celebrating the 71^st Anniversary of the Wizard of Oz) or politically correct.

A Short History of Cultural Marxism

“Political correctness” is simply the modern slang term for what is properly known as Cultural Marxism. Cultural Marxism was developed in 1920s Germany at Frankfurt University. Unlike Revolutionary Marxism which advocated violent revolution to establish a new society (such as the Soviet Union, China, North Korea, etc.) Cultural Marxism advocated destroying Western Civilization through cultural subversion. One of the key concepts spawned from the Frankfurt school was called Critical Theory. The Critical Theory ideology that was developed in the 1930s was responsible for many of the “politically correct” memes we hear today, such that sex (gender) is a social construct.

The architects of Cultural Marxism were expelled from Germany in the 1930s once the National Socialists (Nazis) gained power. These refugees found new homes primarily in America and England. When World War 2 ended, the Cultural Marxist ideology soon metastasized quickly across American and English universities.

So while it is popular to imagine that all these radical cultural changes (such as feminism) started with the hippies and beatniks in the 1960s, the roots actually extend back to 1920s Germany and 19^th century Marxism.

Over the past 50 years, Cultural Marxism has been wildly successful in the West and it is now the de facto ideology for the establishment. As was the case in the Soviet Union, everyone knows what thoughts are politically acceptable and what thoughts are heretical. Global corporations such as Google are savvy enough to “celebrate” the proper political ideas.

For example, while Google is proud to celebrate the 19^th Amendment with a cute pink checkbox, I doubt Google would celebrate the 2^nd Amendment with an illustration of a White Man holding a rifle. And all of us who were raised under Cultural Marxism instinctively know why this is the case.

The 19^th Amendment

The right for women to vote now seems as American as All-You-Can-Eat buffets and Wal-Mart. Try suggesting to a typical God fearing, flag waving, Republican and Tea Party conservative that giving the vote to women was a bad idea, and watch him recoil in horror like a vampire looking at a cross. To even think of such a notion is anathema and un-American. After all, our brave troops are fighting the evil Muslims in the Middle-East to protect our right to vote!

And yet, for most of America’s history the vast majority of men (and women) were opposed to women’s suffrage. So were George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln all secret women haters with small penises? Or might they have had another reason to oppose female suffrage?

The 19^th Century Argument Against Suffrage

Most of the arguments against female suffrage have now gone down the memory hole. School children are now taught that suffrage was inevitable and the people who opposed suffrage in the prior generations were simply backwards and ignorant. Because it is obviously axiomatic that female suffrage is a good thing. To even debate the subject would be crazy! As such, historical writings against suffrage are ignored and buried.

However, extracted from the depths of time is an essay written by a woman who was opposed to suffrage. This essay detailed the logical reasons why female suffrage would harm America.

Thoughts on Female Suffrage

By Madeline Dahlgren, 1871

http://sceti.library.upenn.edu/sceti/printedbooksNew/index.cfm?TextID=19950_O_16&PagePosition=1

“We acknowledge no inferiority to men. We claim to have no less ability to perform the duty God has imposed upon us, than they [men] have to perform those imposed upon them. We believe that God has wisely and well adapted each sex to the proper performance of the duties of each. We believe our trusts to be as important and sacred as any that exist.

It is our fathers, brothers, husbands and sons who represent us at the ballot-box. Our fathers and husbands love us. Our sons are what we make them. We are content that they represent us in the corn-field, the battle-field and the ballot-box, and we them in the school-room, at the fireside, and at the cradle; believing our representation, even at the ballot-box, to be thus more full and impartial that it could possibly be were all women allowed to vote.”

Notice that it was assumed that men and women have different biological natures and, as such, God has given men and women different responsibilities. The notion that sex is just a social construct would have been considered to be absurd. Also notice the frequent references to religion. Prior to the Cultural Marxist revolution (Cultural Marxism abhors Christianity) Christian ideals were appealed to in an unapologetic manner.

The basic argument against female suffrage was that women were represented by their husbands, fathers and sons at the ballot-box. The essay further argues that as mothers raised their sons (this was before mothers warehoused their children in daycare to pursue their corporate careers) women actually fundamentally shaped the character of men, and hence, the direction of America. As such, women had a powerful voice and they were represented.

Later in the essay, Dahlgren predicted that female suffrage would create competition between men and women which would create an antagonism. Instead of a family standing in unity, suffrage would divide the house. Such division would create discord into the family and weaken the marriage tie. Dahlgren predicted that divorce would become common if women were given the vote.

Dahlgren writes:

“We hold that the new status will prove to be the worst kind of communism. The relations between the sexes, so carefully guarded by religion and by parents, by law and by society, will become common and therefore corrupt. The family, the foundation of the State, will disappear. The mothers, sisters and daughters of our glorious past will exist no more and the female gender will vanish into epicene. “

As a contemporary of Marx, Dahlgren correctly identified that the push for female suffrage was Marxist in origin. Fifty years later the Cultural Marxists implicitly agreed with Dahlgren that the best way to destroy Western Civilization (aka Christendom) was to undermine the family. And the seeds that were planted in the 19^th amendment paved the way for the spawning of what would be known as feminism.

The people opposed to female suffrage proved to be right beyond their wildest predictions. As Google was celebrating the 19^th amendment, a British newspaper detailed the boasting of a 26 year old woman who claims to have had sex with 5,000 different men. If Madeline Dahlgren were alive today, I am sure she would have understood the connection between female suffrage in the West and the decline of civilization.

Single mothers, rampant divorce, abortion and falling birth rates are part of the cancer that is destroying what is left of Western Civilization. But very few people (even conservatives) fail to realize that the inception of this cancer can be found in the passage of the 19^th amendment.

Tagged as: 19th amendment, cultural marxism, women's suffrage

BBC FINALLY ADMIT THERE ARE WOMEN BATTERERS

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Counsellors struggle to treat male victims of domestic violence

Some trained counsellors feel unprepared to treat male victims of domestic violence due to their own assumptions about domestic abuse.

This is one of the findings of Kevin Hogan* and John Hegarty from the University of Keele who discussed the findings on Saturday 10th July at The British Psychological Society’s Division of Counselling Psychology’s annual conference at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.

In 2008 6.4% of men in England and Wales between the ages of 20 and 24 reported having been the victim of domestic abuse and Home Office figures suggest the problem is evenly spread between the sexes. (Ref http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs/hors191.pdf)

Despite this and decades of pioneering work with female victims of domestic abuse that has provided clear, usable information to therapists the subject of male victimisation has been systematically rejected and bypassed as politically incorrect. This has left many counsellors unsure about how to effectively treat victims and concerned they aren’t getting the best support.

Kevin explained: "Male counsellor’s stereotype who can be a victim and women counsellors fare no better, since such male clients naturally fear being with women. This leaves the abused male with a tough job to do, educating his counsellor as well as helping himself."

A small-scale study was designed to understand better how counsellors respond to working with male victims of domestic violence. They interviewed six therapists (three women and three male) and found that some of them had to reassess their own view of male and female roles in society.

Kevin said: "All of the counsellors spoke about experiencing an element of surprise as a result of a lack of awareness of male victimisation and assumptions around domestic abuse. They described how they had to suppress their surprise so as not to make the client feel uncomfortable.

All counsellors said they need more awareness training so that they can offer the best support to these vulnerable men."

* The study was undertaken as part of Kevin’s post-graduate dissertation.

Editors Note - The findings have significant implications for the counselling profession as a result of recently introduced European equality laws, which now require that services do not discriminate on the grounds of gender.

Ref: PR1786

The Masculine Heart: GoodTherapy - Treating Male Victims of Domestic Violence

The Masculine Heart: GoodTherapy - Treating Male Victims of Domestic Violence

Women's refuge closed by 'politically correct' council as it does not cater for abused men | Mail Online

Women's refuge closed by 'politically correct' council as it does not cater for abused men | Mail Online

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Concerned A4 to DL - Powered by Google Docs

PartnerabuseinEnglandWalesScotlandJan10.pdf - Google Docs

PartnerabuseinEnglandWalesScotlandJan10.pdf - Google Docs

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RADARreport-UN-Hides_Truth-of-DV.pdf - Google Docs

THE DEFINITION - Powered by Google Docs

THE DEFINITION - Powered by Google Docs

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Equality

Below is a search result for accomodation for male victims of domestic violence.

Search results:

Accommodation type: Any second stage, Any specialist, Domestic violence, Single parents; Accept or target:People with children; Area: Belfast, Derry, North Eastern, South Eastern, Southern, Western; Accept: Any agency, Self referral; Gender: Men only

Sorry, there are no results that match your search criteria shown above. Click on Edit search criteria under Quick links to change or broaden your selection. Check that any text you have typed in is spelt correctly.

Search results:

Accommodation type: Any second stage, Any specialist, Domestic violence, Single parents; Accept or target:People with children; Area: Belfast, Derry, North Eastern, South Eastern, Southern, Western; Accept: Any agency, Self referral; Gender: Will accept men

Sort by: NameName (reverse)Type

Your search returned 3 records.

Name	Type
FHA&SS - Shepherds View Young Parents Project Tel 028 7134 4309 Area(s): Derry	Medium support
SATH Tel 028 7138 3098 Area(s): Strabane	Medium support
SL-eight Project Tel 028 8225 9000 Area(s): Omagh	Medium support

Equality??

Below is a search result for accomodation for female victims of domestic violence.

Search results:

Accommodation type: Any second stage, Any specialist, Domestic violence; Accept or target: People with children; Area: Belfast, Derry, North Eastern, South Eastern, Southern, Western; Accept: Any agency, Self referral;Gender: Women only

Sort by: NameName (reverse)Type

Your search returned 13 records.

Name	Type
Belfast and Lisburn Women's Aid Tel 028 9066 6049 Area(s): Belfast, Lisburn	Domestic violence
Causeway Women's Aid Tel 028 7035 8999 Area(s): Coleraine	Domestic violence
Cithrah Foundation - Selah Accommodation Service Tel 028 9336 3188 Area(s): Carrickfergus	Domestic violence
Cookstown and Dungannon Women's Aid Tel 028 8676 9300 Area(s): Cookstown, Dungannon	Domestic violence
Craigavon and Banbridge Women's Aid Tel 028 3836 2777 or 028 3834 3256 Area(s): Banbridge, Craigavon	Domestic violence
Fermanagh Women's Aid Tel 028 6632 8898 Area(s): Fermanagh	Domestic violence
Foyle Women's Aid Tel 028 7134 4499 Area(s): Derry	Domestic violence
Life House - Belfast Tel 01926 421587 Area(s): Belfast	Single parents
Newry. Mourne, S. Down and S. Armagh Women's Aid Tel 028 3025 0765 Area(s): Newry & Mourne	Domestic violence
North Down and Ards Women's Aid Tel 028 9127 3196 Area(s): Ards, North Down	Domestic violence
Omagh Women's Aid Tel 028 8224 1414 Area(s): Omagh	Domestic violence
Sydenham House Tel 028 9065 6444 Area(s): Belfast	Domestic violence
Women's Aid ABCLN Tel 028 2563 2136 Area(s): Antrim, Ballymena, Carrickfergus, Larne, Newtownabbey	Domestic violence