Victims of Domestic Violence: Domestic Violence Against Men

1651 Words4 Pages

Domestic violence is a very serious problem that affects many men, women, and children in United States and around the world. It is a topic that not a lot of people like to talk about. Although many families experience domestic violence, the people around them don’t know it because it is a very difficult subject to discuss. Although both man and woman can be victims of domestic violence, women are more likely to report their abuse than men are. This is why domestic violence is often thought of as violence against women. No other perspective is considered, and this one sidedness hides the male victims of domestic violence. Domestic violence is any cycle of behavior that is used by one or both partners in an intimate relationship to achieve and maintain power (Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence). Families all over the world deal with domestic violence. In most cases, the husband or boyfriend is the abuser and the wife, girlfriend, or child is the victim. In more cases than people think, the male partner is the victim. Domestic violence against men is rarely mentioned when addressing the subject. This might be because it is two men in a relationship or the man doesn’t want to be thought of as less “manly”. In either case, violence against men is just as serious as violence against women. Women who have been abused by their partner are afraid to tell family members or friends about what they are going through because of fear of retaliation by their abuser. Men who are abused by their partners feel embarrassed to tell people because they don’t want to seem weak or less masculine. Although both man and woman can be victims of domestic violence, women are more likely to report their abuse than men are. This is why domestic viol... ... middle of paper ... ...use because domestic violence is not about sexual orientation, it is about power. Male victims of domestic violence are overshadowed by the presumption that male can only be the abusers, and because of this stereotypes, male victims are forced into hiding for fear of embarrassment. Works Cited Dutton, Donnald G., and Katherine R. White. "Male Victims of Domestic Violence." New Male Studies: An International Journal 2.1. 5-17. 2013. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. Gadd, David, Stephen Farrall, Damian Dallimore, and Nancy Lombard. "Male Victims of Domestic Violence."1-3. 2001. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence. "What Is Domestic Violence." ICADV. 2014. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. Young, Cathy. "Women Receive Disproportionately Lighter Sentences than Men in Domestic Violence Cases." Domestic Violence. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. 2009. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.

Open Document