Domestic Violence against Men

Introduction

The term domestic violence against men causes a lot of Americans to respond with distrust. Abused husbands are a recurrent theme for jokes. Family abuse is honestly connected to position in the family as well as socialization. There are plentiful somber effects of society's unwillingness to believe the possible for domestic abuse by female. In our society, a large number of girls are told to slap a boy if he gets "fresh". Movies and television programs display scenes of women punching and slapping men with complete impunity, while the viewer usually reacts with support for the women's character (Gadd, et al, 25-29). While a slap is usually a harmless act, it is important to consider that a slap is still a violent act.

Discussion

A common question exists when examining domestic abuse against men: if men are usually bigger and stronger than women, then why don't they try to protect themselves: It is important to look at this issue from a child development standpoint. At the same time that girls are being taught that it is acceptable to slap a boy, boys are being told to never hit a girl (Graham-Kevan, 1247-1270).

The number of cases and the severity and pattern of the violence used against the victims are the major factors differentiating men's violence against women from the violence of women against men. The civil protection order and the criminal court process are effective tools for protecting almost all heterosexual male victims because women rarely attempt "separation violence," the violence that results as the victim attempts to leave the abuser (Johnson, 43-52).

Why do men stay? Although they may not be victimized if they leave their spouse, there are many reasons why abused men stay in their violent homes. Abused men, like abused women, fear that if they leave their spouse, the abuse that they have encountered may be directed against their children. Additionally, many men are hesitant to leave since women get physical custody of children in a large majority of divorce cases. They may also fear that the courts will limit children visitation and access (Dasgupta, 12-19).

Deciding to leave an abusive relationship is just one part of the problem for an abused male. Another part is choosing where to go since very few shelters exist for them to find refuge. A variety of programs exist to help abusive men control their violence more effectively, however, finding comparable programs that exists for violent women is an extreme challenge (Dekeseredy, and Schwartz, 31-39). Resources and facilities that deal with combating domestic violence are scarce due to the limited funding of social services. Therefore, it has been suggested that some women's groups are fearful that the small amount of funds that exist for assisting abused women may be further lessened if the American public recognizes that men are also abuse victims. Recognizing men's victimization does not mean that we must deny that women are victims (Dobash, & Lewis, 21-29). In fact, groups and agencies that assist abused women could also extend their ...