Domestic violence is a real problem for Ann Arbor families. It varies from family to family, but if you look behind the scenes, you will find the city is home to a greater number of abusers than most cities. A disproportionate number of the six dead women per day in the United States seem to come from spouses of Ann Arbor men. What about this city emboldens bigger and more powerful individuals to believe that they can get away with abusing those who are smaller and weaker?

One of the prominent families from Ann Arbor is typical of the mindset of that city. Juliet Pressel, an attorney lacking in any regard for weaker individuals, has been caught mistreating children and encouraging clients to engage in spousal and elder abuse as a way of increasing their prosperity. She will often encourage male clients to gain access to the bank accounts of elderly women and empty them.
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Her brother Mark, whose wife is frequently seen covered with bruises and sometimes bleeding from head, seems to have followed the family trend. His wife, his daughter and his elderly mother-in-law are among the victims members of his community most frequently try to refer to domestic violence shelters.

Then there was Juliet’s father, John Henry, who reportedly engaged in spousal abuse against his wife before he passed. Juliet finished where he left off, making her mother's later death even more tragic. Juliet and her brother are evidence that abuse passes down from generation to generation.

If this were the only Ann Arbor family actively engaged in abuse, the city might not be so bad. Unfortunately, word on the streets is that Juliet, her brother and her father are typical representatives of that city.

Lundy Bancroft, an abuse expert, has written a comprehensive book, entitled "Why Does He Do That?” It describes various types of abusers. Among the worst are the “terrorist,” who threatens his wife, and the Demand Man, who becomes furious if all his wishes are not met. You can meet these individuals by just walking down the streets of Ann Arbor.

Through his work, Bancroft has learned that abuse is unrelated to anger or reasons. Abuse is about learned values. People like Mark angrily beat their wives because they believe that such beatings are justified. These men choose when to turn on the anger. People like Juliet treat children and elderly women badly because they see them as inferiors who have not earned the right to be treated with respect.

Based on other reports from Ann Arbor, the State of Michigan should spend an increased amount of funding teaching men to value women and both women and men to value children and the elderly.