When Domestic Violence is Aimed at Men
When many people think about domestic violence (DV), they picture a battered wife whose drunken husband got out of control. But that is absolutely not the only way DV occurs. In fact, there are plenty of situations when men, not women, are the victims of violent attacks. But when a man gets a black eye or a broken bone, he may fear revealing that the injuries are the result of being hurt by his wife. That can make it really difficult to get the help they need. It’s a tough issue, because men do suffer in violent homes believing that family violence is an inescapable fact of life. Nothing could be further from the truth.
How Often are Men the Victims?
According to The Center for Disease Control, between one and two of every ten male survey respondents report having experienced serious violence at the hands of an intimate during their lives. Hundreds of additional studies confirm that women are just as likely to be the aggressor as men in abusive relationships. In fact, men filed roughly 40 percent of serious violence reports involving former or current partners. The majority of the abusers were female partners. The violence included an array of behaviors, including being pushed around, slapped and punched, kicked and even choked. Sometimes the violence included having objects thrown at victims, sometimes they are hit with household items. Horrendous violence could include burning, or the use of deadly weapons. All of it is brutal; none of it is acceptable.
Men are not Believed
We sometimes hear victims of abuse say that they report the violence, only to suffer skepticism from friends and family, as well as from authorities who should be responding with help. This is never truer than when DV reports come from men. And even when they are believed, they often experience derision. How could a man let himself be beat up by his wife or intimate partner? Men who report abuse are often viewed as weaklings who might actually deserve what they get. We know that the response to men being the subject of DV is often very different to the response of women being the victims. In fact, when mock juries are presented with scenarios of domestic violence they are more likely to assign blame to men than to women, even when scenarios depict men as the victims.
In real life, studies show that when police are called to the scene of a domestic dispute, they are more likely to arrest both individuals when dealing with same-sex couples, but to arrest men when dealing with heterosexual couples. And protective orders are more likely to be granted to women who seek them.
The Legal Help You Need
Whether you need help with a restraining order, a divorce, or both, the dedicated Boca Raton domestic violence attorneys at WiseLieberman can help. We will listen to your story and help you move forward. Call for a confidential consultation in our Boca Raton office today.
