New Law To Tackle Emotionally Bullying Partners

or a boot in the ribs.....

Ah Margaret Mead. A star in her day. But it was just based on Samoa.
I really don't think there is much evidence that "women are dominant" in our culture. Take a look at the government benches in the House of Commons... Or any board meeting of a FTSE 500 company.
and well, words blooming fail me TriciaF. If you're going to ramble in public maybe you should stop to think before you press the Post button.
You have presumably never been tricked into a relationship with a bully. I was. Stand up for yourself and you get a punch in the face is my experience.

More and more men are prepared to admit they have been abused now although I accept it is still far to few.

IMO it hardly matters who does it or to whom - it's wrong.

Sorry - my thoughts were rambling!
Basically, I think it's a shame that this has to be put into a law. We women should stand up for ourselves more, rather than acting the victim.

This is the book, there's a review giving a synopsis:
www.amazon.co.uk/Sex-Temperament-Three-Primitive-Societies/dp/0060934956/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451483882&sr=1-1&keywords=Mead+sex+and+temperament+in+3+primitive+societies
I thought the connection to the new law could be that because of cultural changes women in the West are now dominant, and (compare with the 1950s and before) and are consolidating their position with new laws.

TriciaF of course the law covers both. I'm not sure that your book about different cultures applies here. Was it referring to the rare-ish examples in which polyandry was the norm? Not the same as "dominant" which is a fairly broad concept.

The last but one sentence of Tigger's OP: "what about those men who are subjected to emotional abuse from their wives/partners?"
I accept that it is mainly women who are the victims, but I've come across several couples where the woman seems to be trying to verbally destroy her man.
I hope the new law covers this too. The trouble is, not many men will want to admit in court that they're dominated by a woman which points to the fact that it has been socially acceptable in the past for men to be the dominant partner.
Could be something to do with there being more females than men in the past - I read a book once about different cultures, and in one the men outnumbered the women, and women took over the dominant role. Which is evidently happening in the West now.

I guess these guys may come across as attentive and "romantic" even when they are courting.
It's bullying - but bullying by someone who has power over you. And often combined with physical violence.
Cheers to all of us who have survived being bullied and intimidated by partners and managed to escape.
I think this law might make it easier for women to ask for help. I was approached once by a young UK asian woman. A neighbour, who had married another UK Asian but of a different faith - against her parents' advice. He was a classic controller. Checking her mobile, checking she had arrived in college, going with her to doctors appointments etc etc I was not able to help much because i was just moving out but told her that his jealous controlling behaviour was a form of abuse and that he parents did love her. Someone like that might find it easier to go back to her parents to ask for help when it becomes recognised that behaviour like this is illegal and not normal marital behaviour.

(((Hugs))) nina.

The same rules would apply Ruby - domestic applies to any family member.

What happens if it isn't a partner but another member of the family?

It took someone very close to me over 2 decades to finally break free of this type of bullying, now he no longer has power over her, she is a different person.

Emotional bullying was basically the reason DD left SiL. It started with him sitting in his car outside the school on her prom night checking up on her. He's still doing it now, if she Skypes the DGC he has to be in the room so he can vet everything said. Her new partner is not allowed to be in the room with her during these conversations and more that I won't go into.

When I worked for the Witness Service, I supported quite a few men who were domestic violence victims one of whom was a fairly high ranking officer in the army and another who was a gp. I was always pleased to see that they were brave enough to come to court. That said , most of the victims were women.

Totally agree TriciaF - Narcissists aren't necessarily men.

DD saw this yesterday, and instantly recognised it as one of her ex's tactics. He never gives a straight answer.

As KittyLester wrote, it's not just men on women - men can also be the victims.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder If you've lived with a Narcissist you'll eventually know about it but only on reflection (ironically). Charming chameleons...

Exactly - DD1 sent a definition of narcissism to me and DD3's ex ticked every box!

Yes Bo it fits.

Narcissism immediately springs to mind.

I was that person, too. At the time I thought no-one would ever believe me, but after I got away (a friend saw him hit me over the head with a bottle so told me to move in with her) many friends came forward and said they didn't understand why I had put up with him. People don't like to interfere, and assume you know what you are doing, I think. Ex was ok at first, but more controlling as he aged so it sort of crept up on me, and when I stopped working felt very isolated.

I saw him last January, I had to talk to him for DD's sake, but looking at him I wondered why on earth I had been so scared of him. He was brilliant at twisting everything I said.

Dd3's ex was very emotionally controlling and abusive and we had emails to prove it. It's all very well to say someone should leave an abusive relationship but victims are generally so undermined that they cannot summon up the emotional wherewithal to do so. Dd3 got out but could not be persuaded to do anything about the idiot after as she was still in fear of his vitriol! She could have had him prosecuted for putting someone in fear of violence.

I am sorry for anyone else who has been subject to this would point out that bullying of any sort isn't just perpetrated by males on females.

My DD1 was in such a marriage for 18 years. She didn't realise at the time, but when he decided to leave to live with another woman, she had a lucky escape. Unfortunately he still tries to exert control in the only ways left to him - non-payment of child support, mind games with the children and deliberate obstruction of the divorce process. It has been 3 years now, and DD has regained some of her self esteem, but still suffers panic attacks. She is a lovey person, who would do anything for anybody, which of course he hated and tried to prevent!
Let's hope this new law will highlight to abused women that they should not put up with this treatment.

I've been that wife and my DD married a clone of her father. It took me 25 years and dd about 20, to finally get away! These people are very clever and likeable too ( unless you live with them!)

It is highlighted on The Archers at the moment (if you listen) and you wonder what it will take for anyone, including the wife, to realise it.