Why is the myth of women being the sole victims of domestic violence so distorted?

Question

http://glennsacks.com/blog/?p=836
Men are just as likely to be victims of domestic violence as women are. Where as a man uses strength to over come a woman a woman uses objects and surprise attacks to assault men. Many of you also know that rape statistics can not be accurate because many women do not report it out of fear. Same goes with men victims of domestic violence.
Is the statistical tool of misrepresented facts about domestic violence a means for feminists to further their agenda, or is it based off of their hatred of men?

Answer 1

Yes I know this. I worked in a domestic abuse shelter, my father was abusive, and my sister inlaw was abusive towards me brother and her children ...

A lot of times none of these are reported out of fear and embaressment so I doubt anyone really knows the statistics...

If thats one of the statistics they use I'd say its used to base their hatred of men and to further their agenda.. But it is a big problem I will say that. They just overload on it and seem to get off on it ...

Answer 2

I'd say there are many reasons for this problem. One of them could certainly be the feminists and their agenda. I consider myself to be a very moderate feminist, but I'd be the first one to admit that men are often the targets of much undeserved sexist criticism from the feminists. However, I think you're wrong to blame the feminists entirely for the underreporting.

Some of this is due to media attention. The simple fact is that the media usually choose to report only on violence done to women by men, even though they know that a lot of domestic violence is done by women to men. Wrong or not, the media bias has done a lot to make the American public believe that domestic violence is almost solely a women's issue.

I suspect that another issue is simply that men tend not to report domestic violence as frequently as women do. As you noted, women do underreport cases of violence perpetrated against them, but I get the feeling that the percentage of unreported cases is significantly higher among men.

And there are probably several other factors at work here as well. This is definitely an area that needs to be addressed. Thanks for asking a good question.

Answer 3

Feminist propaganda.

Aim: Demonise and vilify men

For example, the campaign, Violence Against Women: Australia Says No, purports that men are perpetrators of domestic abuse, wife-bashers, while the women are, as expected, the victims. This assertion was not supported by any statistic whatsoever.

The only available statistic on the 'net was the following, which proves it was all a lie:

"The survey of 1643 persons found that men are assaulted more frequently than women in domestic situations,"

http://www.australian-news.com.au/domestic_violence_statistics.htm

Answer 4

Because a woman assaulting a man i'snt reported like a man assaulting a woman,,,...Also most men will not call to report a woman is assaulting them...Its the male steriotype Sissy stigma attached to it.. There are some viciously asaulting women who definitely belong behind bars .Assault is assault period... Call your local domestic violence shelter locally or google domestic violence and learn about it.... Good luck with your research...

Answer 5

Because, men are supposed to be the big, strong gender and be able to defend themselves. Men don't report domestic violence or rape any where near the rate women do because of the shame and ridicule the men would face.

Answer 6

Domestic Violence against men is just as big a problem.

Here is a report by the national crime council of Ireland defined as the definitive research for the country by the relevant government departments (health and justice):
http://www.irlgov.ie/crimecouncil/documents/Abuse_Report_NCC.pdf

It shows:
15% of women and 6% of men suffer severe domestic abuse
29% of women and 26% of men suffer domestic abuse when severe and minor abuse are combined
13% of women and 13% of men suffer physical abuse
29% of women (1 in 3) and only 5% of men (1 in 20) report the crime

So, while the reporting rate for women is low, the rate of reporting for men is significantly lower while the rate of male victims is significant.

There are similar statistics for other countries.
Some research for the United States, United Kingdom and Canada can be seen here: http://www.amen.ie/Papers/15270.htm

Whats interesting is that recent research carried out for the Marriage and Relationship Counselling Service (MRCS) found that women are more likely than men to perpetrate domestic violence. This report, based on a survey of 530 clients of MRCS, found that, where domestic violence occurs, mutual violence accounts for 33% of cases, female perpetrated violence accounts for 41% and male perpetrated violence for 26%.



The false idea that only women are significant victims of domestic violence could be a property of the very low rates of reporting for male victims. This false idea though, is changing.

Answer 7

I personally doubt that men are "just as likely" to be victims of domestic violence. I obviously can't provide any evidence, as the absence of reports is impossible to prove one way or the other. But it just doesn't make much sense. Men are generally stronger and more aggressive.

But there I don't doubt they are attacked a lot more than is reported. I think there are many reasons for this. Men seem more likely to:
Figure it nobody's business but their own.
Be embarrassed.
Be accused and assumed to be the aggressor.
To feel they provoked the woman.
Be able to defend himself & stop the aggressor.
Receive less injury.

It has a lot to do with the male mentality, general physical difference and social mores.

Answer 8

There is a group that address this issue here on yahoo. they focus on abused men. BUT they help both. I never really thought of this i guess i was blind to the fact but being in that group has made me more aware of what men go through if you need them the address is
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/shatteredmen
God Bless

Answer 9

Why? Because it works to further their anti-male agenda.
It is both a tool to further their agenda as well as suitable to their hatred of all things male. Such is the case with all tenets of feminist dogma.
The most glaring is that women are poor, pitiful creatures that need special rights, then claim they want equality... as long as they get what they want without having to actually earn it.

Answer 10

ok, this is not a "feminist agenda" issue -

statistics come from what? Reported cases of abuse. You can't misrepresent facts that aren't there.

For every one man who reports abuse, there are 50 women.

Many women who are vicitms are embarassed or scared to come forward for every 50 women who do, there are 100 more who don't.

Well put that in male perspective - they ARE supposed to be the strong ones, it's a humilation to them to be under a woman's control & power, and drains them of self esteem and will power just as it would a woman in the same situation...so they don't come forward.

On top of the fact that it is generalizations like this, that keep men from coming forward, thinking they can't get help, when in fact, there are abuse shelters for men popping up all over the country now.