Sir, - The measurement of violence against women is a highly complex subject which has begun to be explored by studies in which health boards, women's aid refuges and university researchers have played a part. These studies reveal that the overwhelming majority of personal injuries and violence leading to hospital treatment, requests for court barring orders and refuge accommodation, are initiated by women seeking a remedy from violence perpetuated by males.
Your correspondent Sean Still ("Violent Men and Women," February 21st) expresses doubt about what he calls feminist dogma, that interpersonal violence is primarily perpetrated by men. Mr Still is being somewhat disingenuous to argue that men experience more violence from women than vice versa, when he relies on the UK MORI poll to which he refers in his letter. The MORI research study in Britain was entitled Aggression in Personal Heterosexual Relationships and was carried out for the BBC Here and Now television programme in 1994.
The findings of this research on various types of aggression in interpersonal relationships do not permit conclusions in relation to women "being beaten" by male partners or "violent abuse" by women. The MORI study asked men and women questions about 12 different types of behaviour they might have experienced. Among these behaviours, five were classified as constituting physical aggression.
These included slapping, pushing, kicking, having objects thrown or smashed or being struck with sharp or pointed objects. Those men and women interviewed who had experience of these incidents were regarded by the study as having experienced physical aggression.
The findings showed that 18 per cent of men and 13 per cent of women reported that they had experienced physical aggression. The findings do not show, as Mr Still states, that "18 per cent of men claimed violent abuse". Nor do the findings show that "11 per cent of women claimed to have been beaten by their male partners", as advanced by Mr Still's letter. It is not helpful to the study of violence in intimate or interpersonal relationships to exaggerate, to underplay or over-interpret the findings of studies, such as that of MORI. Indeed MORI itself is at pains to caution prudence in the interpretation of the data.
It states: "It is entirely possible, in a sensitive survey of this kind, that there is a degree of underreporting among some respondents. It is also possible that certain kinds of respondents may be more inclined to under-report". This latter view is quite consistent with the experience of Irish-based research, which has found considerable under-reporting, of aggression and violence against women.
Dr Harry Ferguson of University College, Cork, has made an appeal for more men to take a stand against aggressive and violent behaviour against women. His is an interesting contribution to the development of a society with zero tolerance of violence. - Yours, etc.
Whitethorn Road, Clonskeagh, Dublin 14.