A couple days ago, I received a lengthy comment from a man on this blog. He pointed out that he was a victim of abuse years and years ago. Even my first thought was that it must have been mental abuse. However, by the time I got to the end of his comment, it was clear to me it was physical and mental. After all, abuse is abuse, no matter the form it is in. I am going to quote him - he said "my story is less accepted because I am a man." And unfortunately, he is right. It should not be that way, but domestic violence is looked at as a woman's issue many times more than as a man's issue. Women are typically looked at as the weaker sex; men are supposed to be the protectors. But in reality, we are all equal when it comes to the affects domestic violence can have on both sexes. However, men are often reluctant to report abuse by women because they feel embarrassed, or they fear they won't be believed, or worse, that police will assume that since they're male they are the perpetrator of the violence and not the victim.
Men who suffer domestic violence can only receive help if they break the silence. Not reporting domestic violence because of the stigma attached is the main reason that men currently receive few services, and one of the reasons that studies on the issue are so few. Anyone can be a victim of domestic violence. There is NO “typical victim.” Victims of domestic violence come from all walks of life, varying age groups, all backgrounds, all communities, all education levels, all economic levels, all cultures, all ethnicities, all religions, all abilities, and all lifestyles.
There is no excuse for domestic violence against any man or woman. So we will keep up the fight against domestic violence. And one day, hopefully, we will see it end...
