The myth
Fathers may abuse their children, so courts should not make a presumption of contact.
Campaigns which promote this myth
There are campaigns in several countries for the removal of the presumption that, after separation, the child / children should be able to keep contact with both parents.
These campaigns are based on cherry-picked evidence. Cases are so rare that no statistics are offered. The campaign simply highlights individual, historic cases where a father, having been given contact with his children, has gone on to abuse or murder them.
How this myth promotes an anti-male narrative
It implies that fathers are dangerous and not to be trusted with their own children. It is used in family courts to deny a child contact with its father. It is simply based on an accusation or suggestion of danger based on his gender.
It additionally,implies that mothers are ‘safe’: that they are much less likely to murder their children or cause them abuse.
Dispelling the myth
There is a lot of evidence that shows the positive benefits for the child when the father is a significant part of the child life. There is no evidence which suggests that fathers are more dangerous to their children than a mother.
Disinformation
In the UK, Women’s Aid run the campaign: ‘Child First’ which aims to remove the presumption that both parents should have contact with their child after separation. Women’s Aid support this with a document Nineteen Child Homicides which cherry-picks cases where the father is the killer. They simply ignore the many cases where the mother kills their child.
The figures
A compilation of figures for child homicides 2009-15 shows that, of over 300 deaths, the largest proportion (over 80) were killed by their mother and over 50 by their father. This demonstrates that children are not at greater risk from their father than their mother.