Positive Discrimination Versus Meritocracy - The Moral Maze BBC Radio programme.

Download:
positive.discrimination.versus.meritocracy.the.moral.maze.bbc.radio.mp3

False Rape Allegations - Womans Hour BBC Radio programme.

Download:
false.rape.allegations.womans.hour.bbc.radio.2010.mp3


(In most of my blog posts so far, I have tried to avoid giving the reader my opinions. I have simply quoted from the programmes and let them speak for themselves. However, in this programme, I have had to make certain points clear to the reader, so as to prevent the reader from consuming misinformation.)

On with the programme.


'Leyla Ibrahim, a 22 year old woman was sent to prison for 3 years, after she was found to have falsley accused 4 young men of raping her.

One of the the young men in the Ibrahim case is said to of attempted suicide, and all 4 are reported to have been publicly abused.

Earlier this month, a 24 year old student was sent to prison for 18 months after she made a false accusation of rape against a cleaner at her hall of residence.'

In the first part of this programme, we hear from a man that has been falsely accused, taxi driver Clive Barker.

Interviewer to Clive: "What did they say (the police) about why they were there? (his home)"

Clive: "When we got into the living room, my first thoughts were that something had happened to my son or daughter who live by themselves. They said a young female had made an allegation against me of rape, and we are arresting you on allegation of rape of a 17 year old."

Interviewer to Clive: "After 6 weeks the case was dropped. What explaination was given to you?"

Clive: "I recieved a phone call from my solicitor dealing with the case, telling me that the police were taking no further action."

Interviewer to Clive: "What have been the consequences for you and your family?"

Clive: "Heartbreaking. Soul destroying. Its been a total nightmare for the last 3 and a half years. Jumping through hoops to get to the bottom of how I was treated. I just felt totally persecuted, as though I was guilty."

Interviewer to Clive: "How much do you still have to protest your innocence?"

Clive: "Its a never ending question. Obviously recently, its been in the news because I've just lost the compensation claim, through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Award Scheme. I think the old addage 'mud sticks' does prevail."

Interviewer to Clive: "Why do you think this young woman made this complaint about you?"

Clive: "I did learn later, that when I dropped her off at home, she could not gain access to her house. She found herself locked out. She then went to a neighbour who did not let her in. She then went to another neighbour who did take her in. When she was eventually arrested, after being brought in on two separate occasions to give her the opportunity to tell the truth, and declining, she said that she found herself locked out of the house, and wanting to get attention from her boyfriend."

Interviewer: "Leyla Ibrahim was given a 10 month sentence for perverting the course of justice."

The second part of the programme involves a discussion between the interviewer, and Nina Graham, a criminal defense barrister based in Manchester, and Catherin Briddick, a barrister who offers advice on 'The Rights of Women Legal Advice Line'.

Interviewer: 'Given that it's feminist ideology that women dont lie about rape, what did she (Catherin) make of Clive's story.'

Catherin: "What women tell me, and the empirical evidence available in relation to rape in the Criminal Justice System, suggests that the problem here isnt the very small number of false allegations that are made, but the low conviction rate*. The evidence available suggests that false rape reports are no different for false reports of other types of criminal activity."

(*NOTE FROM BLOG OWNER: The low conviction rate is a myth, and is explained in 'The Stern Review' (2010), an independant review, commissioned by the British Home Office, into how rape complaints are handled by the authorities in England and Wales. The conviciton rate for rape in 2008 was 58%, roughly inline with any other type of crime that reaches the courts. The Stern Review will be the subject of a future blog post on this site.)

Interviewer to Nina: "The statistics would suggest that it is as rare as the false reporting of any other crime. What impact do you think that has?"

Nina: "Well, Im not sure it is quite as low as Catherin will lead you to believe. This is provable false allegations we're talking about here. This is not the fact that there are alot of acquittals subsequently as a result of complaints which cannot be proven (as false). But its about 9%* as far as Im aware, in terms of provably false allegations, which mirrors other false allegations in terms of the percentage. Its very difficult because thats quite a high figure. 9% is not a small figure. Its not an insignificant amount. And when compared to the impact that a false allegation on an accused has, it has to be taken very seriously."

(*NOTE FROM BLOG OWNER: few studies have been done on false-rape accusations. Kanin's studies are probably the best known, which show a figure of 41% of all claims officially declared false.)

Interviewer to Nina: "But you could be falsely accused of murder. Isnt that just as shocking as being accused of rape?"

Nina: "Im not sure that it is. Its been the case since 1992 that the Criminal Justice System as a whole repeatedly recognises that there is a particular stigma surrounding rape."

Interviewer to Catherin: "Catherine would you accept that there is a particular stigma surrounding rape?"

Catherin: "No, I dont think so. If we single out rape and say false allegations are worse than other things, what we're actually doing is reinforcing a culture of scepticism, which dictates that women lie about rape. The significant problem here is the fact that (rapes) arnt being robustly investigated in some cases, and that those women arnt being properly supported*."

(*NOTE FROM BLOG OWNER: Catherin trys to change the debate to rape itself, which is not what is being discussed here. This programme is about false-rape allegations.)

Interviewer to Nina: "Nina, its no longer the case that a judge is responsible for a 'corroboration warning', which, used to be there, where he or she had to warn a jury that women and children do tend to lie about these matters. But might there be a case that a culture of scepticism still hangs around this crime?"

Nina: "No, I dont think thats correct actually, and I dont understand why Catherin explains it as she does. What the criminal justice sytem says, is that your presumed innocent untill proven guilty. Your entitled to a trial by your peers, and these matters are put before the courts in a very fair and proper way. I agree with Catherin absolutely that its the robust investigation of these offences that really needs to be persued here. I do understand that women are reticent to report rape for any number of reasons, and one of which may well be the fact they dont feel that they will be believed. But the recent discussions about wether publication of accused's details before their charge should be withheld, does nothing to increase that, or to give a signal out that they are not to be believed. Its simply a protective mechanism to those who are falsley accused in the very early stages of an investigation."

Interviewer to Catherin: "Catherin I know you believe the media exaggerates these stories, why do you think they are exaggerated?"

Catherin: "I dont know the answer to that, I think it comes down to what real rape is..."

(NOTE FROM BLOG OWNER: Again Catherin starts to talk specifically about the issue of rape, and what she thinks should be done to improve support for women that have been raped, which is not what is being discussed here. False-rape allegations are the subject of this programme, but time and again, Catherin shifts the debate away from false allegations, to that of rape. This is a common tactic used by feminists in false-rape debates.)

Interviewer to Catherin: "But what about support for someone like Clive?"

Catherin: "Defendants are give significant support."

Interviewer to Nina: "Theres enough support for men already, for men who are accused?"

Nina: "I dont understand why Catherin says the things she does. They are not provided with any form of counselling to assist them with this process, and Im not quite sure what she refers to."

Interviewer to Nina: "Obviously the anonymity question is the hot topic at the moment. What rights would you like to see a defendant have?"

Nina: "I think the anonymity of the accused pre-charge is certainly something that should be properly explored. I've been looking back over my experience, which is extensive, and also talking to a colleague, who between us, have 50 years of experience in working in these types of cases, and neither of us could think of a single case that we had ever dealt with, where publication of the identity of someone like Clive, who's given his account, had actually led to further complainants coming forward pre-charge."

Interviewer to Catherin: "Clive wasnt charged, should he have remained anonymous?"

Catherin: "I would say Clive shouldnt have remained anonymous."

(NOTE FROM BLOG OWNER: So basically, Catherin doesnt want even basic protections for men and boys against malicious false-rape allegations.)


UPDATE - On the 12th of November, 2010, the British government ditched a key pledge to grant men charged with rape anonymity untill conviction. Even the most basic protection, anonymity between arrest and charge (as in Clives case, above) has been abandoned.

A British newspaper source said that Justice Secretary Ken Clarke had taken 'the path of least resistence', after an outcry from feminist labour MP's, and feminist campaign groups.

Biology Of Dads - BBC TV programme.

Watch or download:
biology.of.dads.s1e01.bbc.tv.avi


(Theres far too much good stuff for me to summarize it all. One of the best programme's on the blog so far.)


'Many fathers want to be more involved in their childrens upbringing, thats great, this is the twenty-first century after all.

But new research suggests that the role of the father in bringing up their kids is far more important than we thought.

Im going to travel around Britain, and meet some of the countries best child psychologists, and conduct a series of fascintating experiments.

I'll discover how the bond between father and child forms well before birth, and how a mans hormones change when he has a child.

I'll find out how a fathers unique style of play helps his child develop, and become independant.

In the next hour, Im going to investigate the special role a dad plays at every stage in his childs life.'

'93% of fathers are now present at the births of their children. And when they're present, this has a fascinating impact because of a hormone called 'Oxytocin', also known as 'the love hormone'.

Sebastian and partner lyndsy, are about to give birth to their first child. Oxytocin is triggered by skin to skin contact, and creates a strong bond between a couple. Its what binds them together in love making. But its also the hormone which controls a womans contractions.

Studies have found, that women who's partners were present and supportive during labour, were less distressed, with shorter delivery times. Sebastians presence is a real plus, he really helps increase the mothers Oxytocin, and that makes the contractions less painful. His presence may well be making the process much easier.

But like any new dad, as soon as the baby is born, he is checking to see what it looks like.

A mother always knows that the child is hers, where as a father cannot be absolutely sure.

Research suggests, that when a new father first looks at his baby, he instinctively searches for signs that his genes have been passed on to the next generation, and that the baby is his. In a study, fathers were placed in a brain scan, and shown a picture of a child they'd never seen before. The researchers were amazed to see that the decision making area of their brain was immediately activated.

Mothers on the other hand, showed no such response.

These images seem to suggest that fathers were actually scanning their offsprings faces for indications of paternity.

I want to find out what effect the key male hormone, testosterone, has on the relationship.

Men produce this hormone in much higher quantities than women, and its strongly associated with aggression.

Across the animal kingdom, high testosterone precipitates violent and competitive behaviour in males, especially in the mating season. But surely, this type of testosterone fuelled behaviour isnt a good idea when there are small babies about. What happens to mens naturally aggressive behaviour when they become dads?

Nick Neve is an evolutionary psychologist, and an expert on how testosterone controls mens behaviour.

Interviewer to Nick: "So Nick, testosterone gets a pretty bad press, can you give me your take on it?"

Nick: "(when men become fathers) they stop producing large amounts of testosterone. There bodies become less masculine, and slightly more feminine. Testosterone levels drop down dramatically and they seem to be better dads."

After birth, fathers testosterone levels will plummet by as much as a third. The difference in behaviour between the new dad and the single man is there to protect the baby. After hundreds of thousands of years, evolution has created men to be aggressive, but it has also given them the ability to switch on a paternal instinct at exactly the right moment.

Each time the father is exposed to his child, he bonds more and more. His testosterone may have risen since the birth, but his instincts are still to nuture and protect the child. After all, the child carries his DNA, and by protecting it, he's ensuring his genes live on after him.

Even though men need to be careful of their own strength, research has shown that their masculine physicality actually has a very important role to play in bringing up kids.

To investigate exactly how an ultra-masculine father can be good for a childs early development, Im heading off to the University of Lancaster. Im here to meet one of the UK's leading experts on fatherhood, psychologist professor Charlie Lewis.

In a lab fitted with cameras, he's going to demonstrate that the physical way dads play, can help their children learn.

Professor Lewis has asked Joe, and his fifteen month old son Jamie, to play together. Its not long before they start some rough-and-tumble play.

Professor Lewis: "The dad is trying to introduce him (the boy) to sudden bursts of activity, which is potentially dangerous, like if your falling over toward your father, theres an element of danger every time you do it."

Interviewer to Lewis: " So that sort of rough-housing that we saw there, wheres that going to take the childs development?"

Professor Lewis to interviewer: "Its allowing him (the boy) to exert power, but also to realize the limits of danger. So you cant smash into your father and continue the play and get away with it. So he's learning limits. This kind of play teaches a child when to respect boundaries, but also to explore beyond them. Dads do see it as their prerogative to extent the limits of the security of the child, so they're always just pushing the child more, where mums are a little bit more hesitant."

Interviewer to Lewis: " They (dads) have the strength and power to hold the child away, and throw them around if they want to (in a fun way), and children learn to expect it dont they?"

Professor Lewis: "They do. They seek their dads out to do it. They really find it one of the high spots of the day."

But A fathers influence extends even further.

Their particular style of play can spur language development. The reason is that dads tend to use less baby-talk, and more adult language.

Joe to his son, Jamie (as Jamie dismantles some lego blocks): "Your probably right, that was a bad design."

Professor Lewis to interviewer: "You've heard the father say "its a bad design", theres something peculiar about fathers language, because they use words that the childs not used to.  

Mums, by contrast, are constantly adapting their vocabularly to the child."

Interviewer: "Using different words that a child has no understanding of, does help spur their language on?"

Proffessor Lewis: " Exactly. We know this from countless studies now, that this is a function many dads serve."

Research has show that fathers have greater impact than mothers on their childrens language development between the ages of 2 and 3, and the longer the vocabulary a father uses, the higher their child scores on language tests a year later.

Dads not only use longer words, but they encourage more complex use of language, such as wit or sarcasm. Infact, dads playfulness leads many toddlers to see him as the more fun parent.

Interviewer: "Now mum's come to join them. What happens when dad leaves."

Joe to his son, Jamie: "Bye-bye!"

Interviewer: "Oh look, he's going to follow dad."

Professor Lewis to interviewer: "Some people say that when involved in play, kids will, particularly at the toddler stage, walk around the mum to get the fathers attention. And many mums report feeling really quite cut up about that."

Professor Lewis: "...the boy is still not playing. He's at the door. He's saying 'I want dad. Your not good enough to play with these construction toys. You dont use the word 'design' to me."

'Whats really interesting, is that single fathers parent in different ways to single mums.

This is Neville, he looks after his daughter, Alicia. Alicia's mother left just after she was born 6 years ago.

A study of single fathers has shown, that men like Neville, are just as capable of raising children as single mums, but in a different way.

In contrast to single mums, single fathers place more emphasis on teaching their children to be independant, by making the learning of life lessons fun.

Although they like to play, single dads find it more important than single mums to set up a controlled routine in the home. The kids of single dads are more likely to eat breakfast and dinner at a regular time. This routine establishes a stronger sense of security, producing children who are more independant and mature. And its not just the children of single fathers who find learning fun. All children with fathers who are involved in the early years turn up for school with more confidence, show more patience, and are better able to maintain interest in their work.

And studies have shown that this effect is so powerful, it leads to kids who are twice as likley to achieve high grades at school. They are also less likely to show delinquent behaviour, or to end up with a criminal record.'

Women Behaving Badly - A Point Of View BBC Radio Programme.

Download:
women.behaving.badly.a.point.of.view.bbc.radio.mp3

Presented by Lisa Jardine.

'A ship carrying humanitarian aid manned entirely by women is ready to leave Lebanon, on the first leg of its journey to Gaza, in an attempt to break the Israeli blockade.

Named 'The Mariam', the Arabic version of 'Mary', it has a multi-faith passenger list, including doctors, lawyers, and a group of american nuns.

History is full of unexpected precendence where human behaviour is concerned. Although the Mariam initiative has been dubbed a publicity stunt, the historian of 16th and 17th century europe, encounters groups of ordinary working women acting in a disorderly manner suprisingly often.

Women turn up telling off priests, berating the local fiscal authorities, leading grain and bread riots, and participating in tax revolts. Some particularly colourful instances have become legendary.

It was the distinguished social and cultural historian Natalie Zemon Davis, now in her 80's, who's ground breaking work on unruly women first brought them to general scholarly attention.

She argued, one of the reasons women regularly led manifestations of resistance against authority, was the license traditionally accorded to them as the weaker sex, to misbehave.

Given over to the sway of her lower passions, she was supposed not to be responsible for her actions, and could not held accountable for her disruption.

At the same time, it was socially acceptable for her (women) to speak 'out of turn', to rail and scold against anyone who threatend the safety or wellbeing of her family.

Her incapacity to control herself, or act rationally, once her protective passions were aroused, was embodied in varing degree's in the european legal system.

According to English law of the period, it was her husband who was responsible for her conduct. Even if indicted, she might be acquitted, or recieve a lesser sentence for the same crime (had it been a man).

Reading the colourful accounts in the archives, its often tempting to assume that all womens riots were admirable, and to convince ourselves we should give them our post-hoc support. But it is clear that some recorded incidents are unprovoked assaults on unfortunate office holders simply trying to do their job.

When in July 1649, Alice Harper, subjected her local tax inspector to voluble verbal abuse, the charge he layed against her in court was one of being 'cursed, and shrewd, and a common scold.' Charges which if substantiated, could lead to her being made to stand in the corner of the church during sunday service  wearing a white sheet.

'We who's names are underwritten', he testified, 'do certify that Alice Harper of Steeple-Ashton is a most troublesome and perverse woman. She being a common scold, having from time to time abused with her tongue the best men and women in Steeple-Ashton. And now upon our knowledge, she hath abused John Marks and his wife, he being a tithing man, of the the aforesaid town, for executing his office. Most viperous with her tongue, and giving them such bad and gross language as no tongue can well express.'

Whether for good or ill however, in the course of the 17th and 18th century's, the license accorded to rioting women had a curious consequence. Men began to dress as women, and call themselves by ficticious womens names when leading public disturbances.

In 1629, 'Alice Clarke' headed a crowd of mostly male weavers dressed as women, in a grain riot near Malden in Essex.

In 1641 in Wiltshire, bands of men rioted and levelled fences in protest against Charles the first's enclosure of their forests, led by men dressed as women calling themselves 'Lady Skimmington'.

In the early 18th century, labourers in Surrey rioted in womens clothes, and men disgused as women tore down the hated toll-booths and turnpike gates on the Gloucestershire border.

Most notoriously, the so-called 'Rebecca Riots' in Wales in the 1830's and 1840's against taxes and tolls, by farmers and agricultural workers were led by gangs of noisy men in womens clothes.

There is ofcourse some irony in the fact that the limited condoning by the authorities of all this disruptive behaviour by women, or men dressed as women, depended on an assumption of absolute inequality between men and women.

Female bad behaviour was occasionally tolerated on the grounds that women were less rational, less able to control their emotions, and hence, less responsible for their actions.

In our own era, this was probably among the assumptions that allowed the encampment of women anti-nuclear protesters at RAF Greenham Common, a British base near Newbury, where US Cruise missles were located during the cold war, to continue for more than a decade.

The women only peace camp was set up in the early 80's, and organised a series of peaceful demonstrations against which, the police felt largely powerless to act.

Today though, I have to concede that on the whole, they tell us more about the limitations on womens lives, than what they could actually achieve.

As for their contemporary counterpart, the women sailing on the Mariam, I have little doubt that their intention is to show the world that their attempt to help the beleaguered residents of Gaza is soley humanitarian.

They presumably anticipate a less hostile response from the crews of the Israeli ships sent to intercept them en-route, than that meated out to their male counterparts.

Perhaps we should consider, wether we might only have arrived at real equality, when women are no longer accorded their traditional license, occasionally, to misbehave with impunity.

British Feminist Kat Banyard - Hardtalk BBC TV programme.

Watch or download:
british.feminist.kat.banyard.hardtalk.bbc.tv.avi


(The following is a discussion between a feminist, and a black female journalist.

There is more than I have space to summarize here, but I do recommend watching this programme to see the feminist make some rather ridiculous claims, which she is not allowed to get away with.

I also found it quite amusing when they get into the subject of women and race.)


'Is it still a mans world?

So many decades after the feminist and womens lib movement, one young British activist believes equality is still just an illusion in the west.

My guest today on Hardtalk is Kat Banyard. Described as Britains most influencial young feminist.

How far is womens inequality tied up with sexual politics?'

Interviewer to Banyard: "Why do you believe it's still a mans world?"

Banyard: "Well, there's not a single country on earth, where women have the same access to economic resources and political power that men do."

Interviewer to Banyard: "What are the main threats to womens equality, in your view?"

Banyard: "Well, we're still fighting old battles. So, violence against women*, rape*, domestic violence*. We're still trying to translate legal pledges such as the right to equal pay*, which is not felt in this country. But we also face new challenges. I think theres non so great, and so harmful, as the global sex industry."

Interviewer to Banyard: " Lets just take the United Kingdom where you've based most of your research. There are 30 million women in the UK, less than a quarter of 1 percent work in the sex industry. How does that fact translate to women in society at large?"

Banyard: "Because the sex industry doesnt exist in a vacuum. So the attitudes, the beliefs that drive so many men to think its acceptable to buy women in prostitution. To buy women that perform in strip clubs, are beliefs that are coming from the society that we all live in."

Interviewer to Banyard: "But Im still not clear how the dehumanization of women through pornography and the sex industry has an impact on the pay gap between men and women, that you talk about here in Britain. What is that link?"

Banyard: "Well, essentially, its the belief that women are 'lesser'. Of 'lesser' value.

Interviewer to Banyard: "Who has that belief?"

Banyard: "Well, its embedded in our society."

Interviewer to Banyard: "Getting back to this idea that its only a tiny minority of women in Britain that work in the sex industry. Its also a tiny minority of men who use these (strip) clubs, and even if they do, does that mean they go on to beat up their women folk when they're at home?"

Banyard: "First of all, the sex industry comes in many different forms, but perhaps the most prolific example is pornography, which is essentially filmed prostitution. Now, you cannot say that its only a small minority of men that are using pornography. Infact, you would have a hard time finding a young man today who would not use pornography."

Interviewer to Banyard: "And they're not nice guys? Can nice guys not use pornography? is that what your saying? All men that use pornography are horrible, sexist men, who are going to beat up women, and dehumanize them, and degrade them? They cant treat them (women) in a respectful manner? All men? Is that what your saying?"

Banyard: "Addressing this issue is difficult, and its uncomfortable for many people, and for many men that use pornography, or who have done in the past."

Interviewer: "But Im asking you about the link?"

Banyard: " Well, what we know from men themselves, is that they say it affects the way they think about women, and the way they treat women. Infact theres extensive scientific research into the effects of watching pornography. When I started out researching my book, there was so much controversy around pornography and the effects it has.."

Interviewer to Banyard: "But you've not demonstrated those effects to me. You've not told me, how the simple act of watching pornography, be it in a club, or on film, or in a book, actually translates into that man treating his partner, or the women in his life in a way that lacks respect."

Banyard: "Ofcourse its not a direct link in every single case. Pornography supports attitudes which perpetuates violence against women."

Banyard: "What we havent talked about, is the impact that being in the sex industry has on those women involved. What we know of women who are in prostitution, 68% of them have post-traumatic stress disorder. Now thats on a level of the effects seen in victims of state sponsored torture."

Interviewer: "Looking at other factors, for instance race. There are lots of black women who would say to you "If I had to fight against gender discrimination, or racism, racism wins each time. Professor of Economics Cecilla Conrad, associate editor of the 'Feminist Economics Institute' said "If I were to quantify it, I think race has been a bigger barrier than my gender."

Banyard: "Feminism is not about separating gender out and saying.."

Interviewer to Banyard: "But you do. You talk about sexism, much more, and you ignore the other things, you tend to look at it in isolation."

Banyard: "Well no. Whats been a really important development over the past 30 years, is a growing scholarship and activism thats based around the multiple identities, and the double-discrimination that black women in particular face because of the racism that they experience, and the sexism. And I think a very good example of that is in pornography. So, often you will see, not only highly sexist images (of black women), but its sexualized racism."

Banyard: "So often in pornography, black women will be portrayed as even more deserving of violence and abuse."

Interviewer to Banyard: "But you accept that racism may be more incidious for some women, and most black women say it is actually the bigger obstacle."

Banyard: "But thats not to say that their lives are not indelibly wrapped with the lives of every other woman across the planet, by virtue of the fact that, plain and simple, they are women."

Interviewer: "Across the planet..."

Interviewer to Banyard: "Do you feel that there are any gender differences between men and women that may explain why women perhaps dont thrive so well in the work place?"

Banyard: "Well unfortunatley, thats still a very prevalent belief. That somehow, boys inherently like blue, and girls like pink."

Interviewer to Banyard: "So you say there are no gender differences?"

Banyard: "There is no scientific evidence for inherent differences between men and women, that manifest themselves in their (womens) abilities and aspirations. Its just an excuse, and it perpetuates inequality."

Who Needs Fathers s1e02 - Missing Dad BBC TV programme.

Download:
who.needs.fathers.s1e02.missing.dad.bbc.tv.avi


Within 3 years of divorce, nearly 50% of fathers have lost all contact with their children.

There's plenty of research to show the impact not having a dad around can have on young people.

This is a film about young men whose lives have been affected by growing up without a father.

Its about their search to fill the gap.


Matt Sadler is 29, and lives in Lancaster with his girlfriend Trish. Matt has no idea where his father is, and hasnt seen him since he was 18 months old.

Matt started life in Greenwich, south-east London. When he was 7, he moved to Germany with his mum, and his new stepdad, who later left aswell.

Four weeks ago, Matt decided to look for his father.

John Sadler (Matt's dad) has lived in Greenwich all his life.

John: "I really wasnt allowed to speak to him properly. I couldnt say "Hello Matthew", she (the mother) would just say "Come on, Matthew", and that was it.

In an attempt to escape and move on with his life, John applied for a job in South Africa, but he was not prepared to give up all claim on his son, so he turned down the job abroad. But when Matts mum and new step-father moved to Germany a few years later, all hope of any further contact was broken.

Matt contacts John, and goes to London to see his dad.


The Sunlight Center in Gillingham, Kent, serves a community with high unemployment and a large number of families with no father.

The Sunlight Trust is run by Peter Holbrook.

"What happens in an area like this, is that you often have quite large families, with mums struggling to bring up the children, and dad being absent for whatever reason.

I think the implications of not having a dad when your growing up is so wide-ranging. It affects every part of who you end up being. It affects your health, your educational attainment, your likelyhood of misusing alcohol or drugs. Your much more susceptible to external influences, gang culture, and crime. Your likely to become a young parent yourself. Virtually every single element of your life can be affected by not having a dad. So we're battling against a whole range of different challenges."

Peter was a mentor to Shaun, who came to the Sunlight center as a troubled teenager after his parents split up when he was 8.

Shaun is now a youth worker there, helping other teenagers with similar problems.

Who Needs Fathers s1e01 - For The Sake of the Kids - BBC TV programme.

Download:
who.needs.fathers.s1e01.for.the.sake.of.the.kids.bbc.tv.avi


(The title of this video isnt quite accurate. Its actually about a father who is doing his best to see his children, while his ex-wife is being difficult and denying proper access).

One in three British children have parents that are separated. All too often, children become the weapons in their parents war.

Alex Bronchard is the father of 4 boys. "They're a blessing to my life these little boys. They make it all worth while."

Alex got together with Juliette in 1999. They bought a house in Warwickshire, but by June 2005, the relationship had broken down.

Alex: "There was a sense of relief that it was all over, that I no longer needed to be with her. Then after a short period of time it suddenly strikes you, yes, but she's now going to do everything possible to stop you from seeing your children."

Since then, Alex has spent ten's of thousands of pounds in legal fee's to ensure he see's his children regularly.

When we started filming, he was about to take the boys camping for nine days in France. Alex is preparing the documents for the mothers inspection.

Alex: "I've got all the details of the trip. The tickets, the holiday camp reservations, the date of departure, the date of arrival. Its all there."

Alex told Juliette that he'd pick up the boys today, so they can leave tomorrow. Two hours later, Alex returns from Juliette's - alone.

Alex: "I wish a judge could just come out of his court and really see whats going on."

Unless Alex leaves by 10am tomorrow morning, they'll miss the ferry. The only way he might be able to force Juliette to hand over the children is to get the police involved. Alex decides to phone the police that evening, who finally go and talk to Juliette at midnight (and give her the documents prepared by Alex).

The next morning, Alex turns to his friend Annie Johnston for advice. She's been his main support over the years of legal wrangling with Juliette. Annie is a family friend, and a retired magistrate from the family court. They both go to see Juliette, but the mother still refuses to hand over the kids.

Alex: "She just couldnt care less. She's just there, being cocky and clever. I bawled out "boys!" and she shut the window."

Annie: "I would say she's blatently disregarding the significance of a contact order. I think its a dreadful problem, but an ongoing problem for lots of fathers, and the unfortunate thing is, so many children lose contact with their fathers after a period of years, forever, because the fathers simply give up. They cannot continue fighting."

Alex made an urgent application to the court, and was told a judge would see him immediately.

Alex: "I came out with an order telling her to let me go on holiday with my kids. I went to the mother, picked the kids up and went on holiday."

The programmes interviewer goes to speak to Juliette, for her side of the story..

Juliette: "He would not give me confimation of where those children were going, so I wouldnt release the passports. The police knocked on the door at 12 o'clock midnight, and they had the papers with them. So they gave me the papers.

Interviewer to Juliette: "but didnt he come back in the morning and try again, once you'd got those documents (from the police)?"

Juliette: "no..no."


It took another 13 months in court, but they now have an agreement.

Alex gets one third of the year with his children.

Infanticide - Womans Hour BBC Radio programme.

Download:
infanticide.womans.hour.bbc.radio.2010.mp3


'Its an act which seems to go against nature, which is why cases of women killing their own children always cause such a stir.'

Interviews with Fiona Brookman a forensic scientologist, and Anne Carpenter a criminologist at the University of Glamorgan.

Interviewer to Brookman: "Not every case where a woman kills her child is murder. There are other legal catagories arnt there?"

Brookman: "Yes thats correct. The broad term for taking a life illegally is 'unlawful homicide', and within that are the catagories of 'murder', 'manslaughter', and 'infanticide'."

Interviewer to Brookman: "What about babies killed in their very first day of existence?"

Brookman: "That is almost exclusively commited by the natural mother. Very often pregnancy is denied, is unknown untill its almost happening, and its quite often very young immature women who cant accept the pregnancy, and then either abandon or sometimes smother, or even drown the infant very quickly. What we dont know, is how many of those infants might have been stillborn."

Interviewer to Brookman: " And some of them may have been?"

Brookman: "Absolutely."

Interviewer to Brookman: "I know that in the past you have written about what you call 'The Dark Figure of Infanticide'. What did you mean by that?"

Brookman: "Its a term used by criminologists to describe any crime that doesnt come to the notice of the police. Either because the public dont report them, or because the police make decisions not to record them. And in the case of infanticide its particularly salient. One of the reasons for that, is that we dont know if theres been a life some of the time. The only person that will know that a life has been taken is the mother in many of those cases. But even with older children between naught and one year, its very difficult to determine wether that child has died of natural causes, accidental, or has been the subject of foul play, and one of the major difficulties there, is around the issue of 'Sudden Infant Death Syndrome' (SIDS), often called 'Cot Death'. Simply, the medical professions dont know why that infant has died, and very often, its indistinguishable from cases where a carer may have smothered the infant."

Interviewer to Brookman: "Are you really suggesting that some of those cases of cot death were nothing of the sort?"

Brookman: "There is research that would suggest that. Some estimates suggest 15% of SIDS may infact be homicides, some peoples estimates have gone as high as 40%.

Anne Carpenter: "Perhaps often theres a huge control element over the fact a woman has the power to give birth and to give life."

Interviewer to Carpenter: "So you believe that is essentially what is going through the mind of a woman who has these babies and who keeps their bodies close to her, in some cases for years?"

Carpenter: "Yes, absolutely. Women that have had children know what a powerful act that is, and if we think about it psychologically, theres something very powerful in being able to be pregnant, to be able to give birth to a child, and then be able to take it away. Its a very controlling element. Its almost a sort of sadistic element potentially within that, and thats extended in this desire to have the children near to them."

"I think society has a real problem understanding that women commit these offences, but I think we're often in danger of thinking that there are lots of rational reasons behind women doing it. There are some women who sadly commit horrific acts because they simply lack empathy. I think we have a real problem because we have a notion of women being warm and cuddly, and we make soup, and we care for them (children), but there are a number of women who arnt like that, sadly."

Kids Dont Count - Dispatches Channel 4 TV programme.

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kids.dont.count.s1e01.dispatches.channel.4.avi


"Something is going horribly wrong with the teaching of maths in this country.

One fifth of children are leaving primary school at 11 without basic numeracy.

With the help of Richard Dunn, Dispatches commissioned a test to find out wether our primary maths teachers know the basics.

The results are now in, and Richard is shocked."


90% of primary school teachers in the UK are female.

Mens Matters - ExpressFM Radio Programme

Mp3 here:
Mens Matters - ExpressFM Radio Programme

ExpressFM Portsmouth here:
ExpressFM


The following documentary has been produced by Manwomanmyth, and has been adapted for radio by James Williams of ExpressFM radio in Portsmouth.

"In the 1960's in London, a silent revolution began in the western world, there was no gunfire, or bodies in the streets of Englands capital. A few bombs were set off, but no one died. There were marches, and shrill voices in the street, but most people just smiled at the marchers indulgently, and walked on.

They had no idea then, just how destructive, brutal, deceiving, and world changing those who organised those marches could be.

Even today, many people on both sides of the Atlantic are still ignorant of the revolution happening all around them.

Many feel a vague sense of unease, but they cannot articulate why. Like a scattered jigsaw, the picture is not clear. There are good reason for this ignorance in the people. The people do not know, because many of their leaders do not know either.

As the revolution progressed through the decades since the sixties, the proponents of it began to infiltrate every important area of our collective societies. Social services, the church, education at every level, the broadcasting media, magazines, and newspapers, political institutions and parties, medical services, the police, and the armed services.

As the revolution progressed, detractors were ridiculed, shouted down, and threatend. Publishing houses daring to publish books by authors who were trying to expose what was going on were forced out of business. Researchers were threatend with the loss of funding and their jobs. Other researchers were told their familys would be hurt if they continued their work.

When this revolution began, communism was the single biggest threat the western world faced. From those 1960's roots, the feminist movement spearheaded by middle-class women, emerged all over America, and quickly spread to Britain. It asked not unreasonably, for equal rights for women, in education, services, medical provision, and in the work force. No one could ever oppose such aims, and the rights of women began to make huge leaps forward.

However those within the communist movement realized this was the political platform they had been waiting for, and by the beginning of the 1970's a new breed of radical feminist was born. These radical communists, inspired men and women, were not talking about equal rights, they wanted revolution."


(Manwomanmyth has no connection to the ExpressFM radio station.)

Female Sexual Abuse of Children - Breaking the Silence BBC Radio Programme.

Download:
female.sexual.abuse.of.children.breaking.the.silence.bbc.radio.mp3


'That a woman who is trusted to nurture and love the young children in her care, could hurt and sexually abuse them instead, is one of the most upsetting crimes. It challenges every normal expectation we have of mothers and female carers.

Superintendant Graham Hill, is the head of the behavioural analysis unit at CEOP, 'The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Agency'.

"A recent study in America said that 20% of all crimes globally, committed against children, were committed by females."

"I think theres not a police force in the country that isnt currently dealing with a set of female child sex offenders. I think what we're trying to say is, thats just the tip of the iceberg."

Interviews with Diana Cant, a psychotherapist that works with the abused, Michelle Elliott director of Kidscape, and Susannah Faithfull of the Aurora Health Foundation.

If Women Ruled The World BBC TV programme.

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"For the first time in history women are poised to be on an equal footing with men. In some area's they will overtake them. But as the balance of power shifts there are losers. Under-qualified academically, socially, and even biologically, men are under threat, and they're becoming angry."

This BBC docu-drama shows the effect this has on one particular family, where the mother is a CEO of an international investment company, who puts her career ahead of the family.

Her two daughters look at their mothers life and decide they dont want that for themselves. Her ex-husband who is estranged from the family, becomes involved in the mens movement, and hacks the airwaves in an attempt to get his message across.