Quote: Shocking figures have revealed that the number of women who have
been charged with domestic violence-related assault has soared by 159 per
cent over the past eight years.

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http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/828309/husband-beating-on-the-rise

NineMSN
22 June 2009

'Husband-beating' on the rise

It's been revealed that women are becoming more violent towards their partners.

Figures from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics show the number of women
charged with domestic violence-related assault has increased dramatically.

The figures show 2,336 women faced court on charges of domestic violence in
2007, mainly for bashing their husbands, compared with just 818 in 1999.

News Ltd says men's groups say they're happy that police are finally taking
men seriously, but it's still hard for husbands to admit they've been
attacked by their wives.

Research shows women tend to use guns, knives, boiling liquids and irons to
attack their partners.

The increase in violence, which is often fuelled by alcohol, has sparked
calls for refuges for men.

Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch says there's no definitive explanation
for the increasing number of women being prosecuted for domestic violence
offences.

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http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,25667548-5005941,00.html

The Daily Telegraph
22 June 2009

More cases of women being violent to partners before courts
By Janet Fife Yeomans

Women are becoming more violent towards their partners.

Shocking figures have revealed that the number of women who have been
charged with domestic violence-related assault has soared by 159 per cent
over the past eight years.

The figures, from the New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics, show 2336
women faced court on charges of domestic violence in 2007, mainly for
bashing their husbands, compared with just 818 in 1999.

Men's groups said yesterday they were happy that police were finally taking
men seriously but it remained tough for husbands to admit they had been
attacked by their wives.

Research shows women tend to use guns, knives, boiling liquids and irons to
attack their partners.

The increase in violence, which is often fuelled by alcohol, has sparked
calls for refuges for men.

"Australia is probably worse than anywhere else in the world for this
problem," Michael Woods, of the Men's Health Information and Resource
Centre at the University of Western Sydney, said.

"We're really behind the eight ball in trying to stop domestic violence
against men because we don't understand it."

Mr Woods said Britain and Holland had shelters for men but there was
nothing similar in Australia.

The figures show that although the number of women prosecuted for general
assault remained stable between 1999 and 2007, there was an increase of 11
per cent a year in the number of women prosecuted for domestic violence.

During the same period, domestic violence charges against men rose by 2.3
per cent a year.

Reg Price, who runs the Men's Rights Agency, said domestic violence against
men occurred in families of all incomes and status, as did violence against
women.

Mr Price said police were beginning to recognise it was a reality and had
stopped telling men they were "big boys" and to go away.

He said men had told him they were afraid to retaliate for fear of having
an apprehended violence order imposed on them and being unable to see their
children.

Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch said there was no definitive
explanation for the increasing number of women being prosecuted for
domestic violence offences.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25667548-5006784,00.html