Should women be able to check partners' records?

[moonferret]

I've just noticed this article in the Mail.
Do you feel that it's reasonable, or should men have the same "equal" rights? Or are criminal records (where they exist) supposed to be confidential as I do?
No marks for the first person referring to it as the Daily Fail rather than offering anything constructive!

edam

"They were very hostile to the people who work in this area who were trying to tell them what the impact of their policies will be. "

Why would they be hostile? I think it's because they know and they don't like someone drawing attention to it.
If they were just ignorant, why would they have to be hostile to new information? It doesn't make sense.
If someone brings you information that would help you do your job better, there's no reason at all to be hostile to it.

Unless, of course, that person is trying to tell you about battered women, and you don't want to know, and don't give a fuck, and think all women probably deserve it anyway

Wish there was a law for mental abuse, my friend has had to walk away
from her home and take her 2 kids to get away from this control freak , who shouts and screams if not happy , anyone know if there is such a law?

Verbal/mental abuse is still classed as abuse and would be reasonable grounds for divorce, if they're married. She could try calling the police if he is particularly threatening and aggressive. Failing that, next time she walks out to get away from the shouting, she could take herself and the children to a women's refuge and get their advice.

I do not see how you can be a feminist and want there to be laws that discriminate between men and women. The law must be gender blind.

Ridiculous!!!

Both Men and Women should have the right to "Check out" a partner for DV or violence.

Tarty, it's been said many times on this thread that of course the law would allow men to look up their partners' records too - male or female. The title was written by someone posting informally, not the official charged with drafting the legislation.

Wecanfixit, there is a law protecting partners from mental abuse! It's the Family Law Act. Please ask your friend to see a local solicitor about getting a non-molestation, occupation or exclusion order against the control freak. Legal Aid is still available in this area. Where children are involved the court does a balancing exercise to see which is the more harmful option for the family and on the picture you have painted, she would have a legal remedy. I've read this thread with interest as a family lawyer. Many of my domestic violence clients have discovered only years into the relationship about the former partners whom the abuser hurt. I like the idea of the early mutual exchange of std and crb check details, which if someone failed to engage in would be a signal. It's similar to the concept of financial prenups that ringfence the gold-digger. I agree this sort of routine will not attract those currently most in need, BUT if you had a proper PSCHE course around GCSE level at school on the subject of this arrangement being available and why, on the national curriculum, you could get young people debating the issue and raising community consciousness to the point where they asked themselves and the other person the relevant questions and faced the relevant issues at the right time, before the relationship commences, even if they did not do the formal checks. DV unfortunately often goes hand-in-hand with relationships that have started very intensely and romantically, and these are the ones where love is blindest. The move into DV then is very gradual and insidious. To learn a more rational approach to relationships requires educational input about the psychology of relationships, not legal sledgehammers.

I entirely agree that PHSE should cover treating people in intimate relationships (or any relationship) with respect. The work that's been done on attitudes to domestic violence - and rape - amongst teenagers is frightening. Far too many don't seem to think it's wrong ? it's to be expected, or it's the victim's fault.

Schools take racism very seriously but often don't seem to realise misogyny or homophobia or prejudice against people with disabilities is just as wrong. There's a hierarchy of 'offence' that says 'racism is bad' but other forms of discrimination don't seem to even register.

(And before the 'what about the menz' brigade jump in, if you taught teenagers that domestic violence is both wrong and against the law, that would protect male potential victims just as much as female.)