It is wildly well know that domestic violence or intimate partner violence is primarily a women’s plight in the sense that women are usually the ones in the relationship to be abused. That is completely accurate, 1 in 3 women have experience abuse of some from an intimate partner; and although it is known, many people still do not realize that men in intimate partner relationships are also victims of domestic violence. In fact, 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of abuse by an intimate partner within their lifetime (Smith). Men can be physically, emotionally and even sexually abused by an intimate partner and are often less likely to speak up about the offense than women are. For the sake of this paper, heterosexual relationships will be discussed to break the stereotypical “men are the abusers” idea and promote the fact that women can abuse and be extremely violent as well.
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The common misconception is that if being attacked by a woman a man can easily stop her from hitting him without using much physical force to hurt her. This may not always be the case for some men who experience physical violence. Physical violence is defined as the intentional use of physical force with the potential for causing death, disability, injury, or harm. Physical violence can include, but is not limited to scratching, pushing, shoving, throwing, grabbing, biting, choking, shaking, slapping, punching, burning, use of a weapon, and use of restraints or one's body, size, or strength against another person (Saltzman). 1 in 7 men have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime; physical offenses included being stabbed, having their teeth knocked out, being punched, and sustaining injuries to the genitals (Barber & Smith). …show more content…
Physical violence has the most evidence because most attacks are done out of rage and on places on the body that are visible and not hidden. Many women use weapons to attack their partners or stage attacks when the man is unsuspecting to give them the upper hand. An anonymous testimony from a man states that his partner would regularly scream at him and once while drunk, attacked him with a knife, cutting his head and requiring getting stitches (Hidden Hurt). Another man, Thomas, tells his survival story of being a victim of intimate partner abuse saying, “Once when I was brushing my teeth she ambushed me. I was retreating backwards and fell into the empty bath. She grabbed a large piece of pottery and smashed it into my chest. Every time I tried to get up she'd push me down again. Eventually I got out of the bath. I think she let me get out, because as soon as I did she pushed me to the floor and started kicking me in the ribs. The result of that assault was a fractured sternum and two cracked ribs” (Thomas). Thomas also stated that before the ambush, his abuser had been with another man, who she had stabbed in the arm causing a scar that went from the man’s wrist to bicep. Yes this is an extreme example of one woman who clearly showed aggressive and violent tendencies, but the point is that women can be physically abusing as well. Prior to the contrary belief that men cannot be sexually assaulted or raped, they can. 1 in 71 men have
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The common misconception is that if being attacked by a woman a man can easily stop her from hitting him without using much physical force to hurt her. This may not always be the case for some men who experience physical violence. Physical violence is defined as the intentional use of physical force with the potential for causing death, disability, injury, or harm. Physical violence can include, but is not limited to scratching, pushing, shoving, throwing, grabbing, biting, choking, shaking, slapping, punching, burning, use of a weapon, and use of restraints or one's body, size, or strength against another person (Saltzman). 1 in 7 men have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime; physical offenses included being stabbed, having their teeth knocked out, being punched, and sustaining injuries to the genitals (Barber & Smith). …show more content…
Physical violence has the most evidence because most attacks are done out of rage and on places on the body that are visible and not hidden. Many women use weapons to attack their partners or stage attacks when the man is unsuspecting to give them the upper hand. An anonymous testimony from a man states that his partner would regularly scream at him and once while drunk, attacked him with a knife, cutting his head and requiring getting stitches (Hidden Hurt). Another man, Thomas, tells his survival story of being a victim of intimate partner abuse saying, “Once when I was brushing my teeth she ambushed me. I was retreating backwards and fell into the empty bath. She grabbed a large piece of pottery and smashed it into my chest. Every time I tried to get up she'd push me down again. Eventually I got out of the bath. I think she let me get out, because as soon as I did she pushed me to the floor and started kicking me in the ribs. The result of that assault was a fractured sternum and two cracked ribs” (Thomas). Thomas also stated that before the ambush, his abuser had been with another man, who she had stabbed in the arm causing a scar that went from the man’s wrist to bicep. Yes this is an extreme example of one woman who clearly showed aggressive and violent tendencies, but the point is that women can be physically abusing as well. Prior to the contrary belief that men cannot be sexually assaulted or raped, they can. 1 in 71 men have