Simple Truth
| Published date | 01 September 1991 |
| Author | Charlotte Mitra |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455059103800326 |
| Date | 01 September 1991 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Slater, the time served ‘o1d guard’ and
Simple Truth
the ’bright young things’ have both
Reading the ’Personal Account’ in the
been denied CQSW practice teaching
March Journal, one is bound to ask
experience, despite obvious and in-
whether
Jane and
John are real people
herent developmental/career im-
or whether they are stereotypes.
plications.
John’s upbringing and experience
Roger Henry
have, without doubt, largely shaped his
Probation Officer, St Austell
understanding of what it means to be
a man. He knows that in our society
Calculating Risk
a man’s needs are paramount and that
it is a
woman’s duty to satisfy them or,
Terry Nixon and Ann Pearson’s article
as he
puts it, women should do ’what
on
helping unconvicted sex offenders
they are told’. But John doesn’t regard
on
bail (Plrobationjoumal, June, 1991)
women
simply as creatures for men to
raises an issue.
command, they are men’s possessions
They assert that the main criterion
and as such their owners have exclusive
for acceptance at a hostel is that the
rights of use. If a woman doesn’t volun-
alleged abuser is not considered to be
tarily keep away from ’bad company,
a predatory risk. But they do not say
~
man
has the right to punish her and,
how they came to that conclusion in
by beating her into submission, he
each case. That the offences
establishes his control and his
appear to
sense of
be family centred with the bailee hav-
pride in his masculinity.
ing little or no criminal history means
John now claims that ’we com-
nothing in itself. In their sample Abel
municate together very well’. What has
been communicated
et al (1988) found that over 23% of
only too well is
the
their intra-family offenders also offend-
message that it is Jane’s responsibili-
ed outside the family. Their data in-
ty to prevent her own victimisation.
She
dicates that, irrespective of the
may have forgiven her husband’s
past beatings but she cannot banish the
category of specific paraphilia,
fear that
me...
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