Male batterers use stress, anger as excuses, says expert
Scheherazode Burton
Issue date: 10/7/09 Section: News
Men who batter women do not do it by accident, according to an expert who spoke at the University of Detroit Mercy Sept. 29.
Batterers are aware of what they are doing but they don't want anyone else to know that they are abusive, said David Garvin, chairman of the Batterer Intervention Services Coalition of Michigan.
Garvin spoke to a crowd of jurors, friends, students and faculty members last Thursday, hoping to give them a new outlook on domestic violence.
Women who are in abusive relationships often tell themselves that their situation will get better with time, said Garvin. What they may not realize, he added, is that battering has a purpose - to bring an outcome. Male batterers use violence to get what they want from women, he said.
"Batterers deserve full credit for what they've done," he said.
Many male batterers use the excuse of concurrent events to lash out against wives and girlfriends, said Garvin. But stress, anger, intoxication and poor communication don't cause domestic violence; they are merely excuses, he said.
"Anger does not cause domestic violence," he said. "That's a cliché."
He cited the case of Tara Grant, who was killed and dismembered by her husband.
"When people heard about how Stephen Grant, the husband of Tara Grant, murdered her, they automatically assumed that he was insane," said Garvin.
"These people aren't crazy. They use pattern behavior to plot out their actions."
Garvin said batterers do not have problems managing their anger; they just use their anger to manage women.
"When describing God, what words come to mind?" he asked the audience.
"All-knowing, omnipotent, loving and father," said Garvin, repeating the audience.
The male battered seems to think he is God, he said.
Garvin encourage any women who need help with domestic violence issues to contact the coalition through its website, www.biscmi.org.
Batterers are aware of what they are doing but they don't want anyone else to know that they are abusive, said David Garvin, chairman of the Batterer Intervention Services Coalition of Michigan.
Garvin spoke to a crowd of jurors, friends, students and faculty members last Thursday, hoping to give them a new outlook on domestic violence.
Women who are in abusive relationships often tell themselves that their situation will get better with time, said Garvin. What they may not realize, he added, is that battering has a purpose - to bring an outcome. Male batterers use violence to get what they want from women, he said.
"Batterers deserve full credit for what they've done," he said.
Many male batterers use the excuse of concurrent events to lash out against wives and girlfriends, said Garvin. But stress, anger, intoxication and poor communication don't cause domestic violence; they are merely excuses, he said.
"Anger does not cause domestic violence," he said. "That's a cliché."
He cited the case of Tara Grant, who was killed and dismembered by her husband.
"When people heard about how Stephen Grant, the husband of Tara Grant, murdered her, they automatically assumed that he was insane," said Garvin.
"These people aren't crazy. They use pattern behavior to plot out their actions."
Garvin said batterers do not have problems managing their anger; they just use their anger to manage women.
"When describing God, what words come to mind?" he asked the audience.
"All-knowing, omnipotent, loving and father," said Garvin, repeating the audience.
The male battered seems to think he is God, he said.
Garvin encourage any women who need help with domestic violence issues to contact the coalition through its website, www.biscmi.org.
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