when you think of domestic violence (DV), what comes to mind? most folks think of a diminutive woman having her eyes blackened by her hulking brute of a husband. that's what it's like in the movies. that's what the ads on t.v. would have us believe.
however, the times they are a-changing. rather, more men are speaking out about domestic violence -- as the victims.
i am NOT saying that DV against women should be trivialized or overlooked. i've just been becoming more and more aware of just how many MEN are victims -- and they don't have nearly the resources for help that are available virtually everywhere for women.
also, men have a harder time being taken seriously. IF a guy works up the nerve to seek help, call the cops, etc., often times HE is the one who ends up going to jail!
i'll be posting some stats and such as we go, but for now, did you know that:
- the percentage of battered women is only SLIGHTLY higher than that of battered men?
- while more women are abused, more male victims of abuse end up being admitted to hospitals -- suggesting that a greater proportion of men received more serious injuries
- the majority of abusive wives do NOT act violently in self-defense, but rather initiate the violence
- one study, Behind, Closed Doors: Violence in the American Family, revealed that of couples reporting domestic abuse, 49% of spouses admitted they were BOTH violent. When questioned about the specifics of the incidents in the previous year, 27% of men claimed they were the sole perpetrators of that violence, compared to 24% of women.
just thought i'd toss this out for discussion.
