Domestic violence against men is often underreported and comprises only 5-10% of official reports. Males continue to make up the largest group of domestic abusers, but this does not mean they cannot be physically or sexually abused by their partners. Machismo and masculinity can make it difficult for male victims to come forward, and responding police officers may arrest the wrong person.
Statistics on domestic violence against men can be difficult to obtain, as the vast majority of reported domestic violence incidents involve female victims. A survey produced by the American Bar Association suggests that 25% of all women and 7.6% of all men will experience at least one incidence of domestic violence in their lifetime. Other surveys and studies state that domestic violence against men comprises only 5-10% of all official reports of domestic violence received. An estimated 15% of male homosexuals have reported at least one incidence of physical or sexual assault by a same-sex domestic partner. Legally, domestic violence against men can also include physical assaults by unrelated roommates, siblings, and sons living under the same roof.
Even using the most liberal estimates of domestic violence against men, it would be difficult to use the word “prevalent” to describe the situation. For a variety of reasons, males continue to make up the largest group of domestic abusers, particularly against intimate partners. However, this does not mean that males cannot be physically or sexually abused by their partners.
A number of men report episodes of physical abuse committed by an aggressive spouse or girlfriend during a domestic dispute or altercation. Many times a physically stronger male will tolerate the abuse rather than aggravate the incident or cause more serious bodily harm in response. Other male victims are reluctant to defend themselves against a female assailant because they are too shocked or embarrassed to admit they were overpowered by a female.
Domestic violence against men is often underreported because the victim refuses to press charges against her abuser. Some male victims prefer to handle the matter privately without involving outside law enforcement or social service agencies. Once the incident becomes public knowledge, a male victim of domestic violence might be laughed at by other male colleagues or relatives, for example.
In a culture where machismo and masculinity are highly valued, any suggestion that a male is too weak to fend off a female assailant may prove too difficult for a victim to deal with. A spouse or girlfriend may be emotionally or mentally abusive, but the use of physical violence and intimidation during domestic incidents is almost always viewed as a male’s weapon of choice. Women may hurt a man as a result of taking defensive measures, but are rarely seen by law enforcement as instigators or aggressors.
In many domestic violence situations, responding police officers are often required by law to arrest at least one of the combatants. Very often the criterion for determining who is arrested is the presence of physical injuries. In some cases of domestic violence against men, the female abuser may actually suffer more physical injuries than the male victim. Thus, it is possible that a number of men arrested for domestic violence were actually the victims during the actual assault.
Sometimes the officers will determine that the incident involved mutual fighting, but the male will still be removed from the house to restore order in the house. It is entirely plausible that incidents of domestic violence against men may be higher than the raw statistics would suggest, but that would still suggest that only about 20% of all acts of domestic violence were committed against men.
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