Viviane Lerner

Violence against women affects women of all income and education levels and is a basic violation of their human rights, asserts Viviane Lerner in the following viewpoint. She argues that government and church doctrines have encouraged violence against women since ancient times as a means of controlling their behavior. Men have been trained to use aggression and violence to resolve conflicts, Lerner contends, and until the world learns the art of nonviolent conflict resolution, men will continue to use gender violence to oppress women. Lerner is a French translator and freelance writer in Hawaii.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What is the most common reason men give to explain why they killed their female partners, according to the National Victim Center"
2. What problems face an abused woman who decides to leave her batterer...