Domestic abuse has a long and complex history, dating back to the ancient times of the reign of Romulus in Rome. Perhaps, the history of domestic violence is what has caused the majority of society to hear the term domestic abuse and immediately picture a man physically assaulting a female intimate partner. The truth is, this is not always the case. In fact, it, arguably, is not even accurate for a majority of cases. As the world has evolved, so has the breadth of the definition of domestic abuse. A fairly large proportion of society understands that domestic abuse can be physical, mental, emotional, verbal, or sexual. What society seems to forget is that domestic abuse does not have defined gender roles. The victim could quite possibly
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These male victims are being shamed. The National Domestic Violence Hotline states on their website that “[a]ccording to the CDC, one in seven men age 18+ in the U.S. has been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in his lifetime. One in 10 men has experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner” (Brollings). According to a September 2010 article from The Guardian newspaper website, approximately two in every five domestic violence victims are male (Campbell). People are unaware of these facts because most men are not reporting these assaults and if they do, they are being ignored or ridiculed. Sites on domestic assault of men hypothesize many different reasons as to why male victims are so unlikely to report this abuse. Some of these reasons relate back to the history of domestic abuse which caused the majority of people to develop the false assumption that domestic abuse is a male abusing his female counterpart. Many of them also relate to a man’s self-image. Men are still being taught to suppress their emotions and never let anyone including themselves view them as victims …show more content…
The world of professional sports has become entwined in the controversial web as well. The star goalie for the United States soccer team, Hope Solo was arrested for two counts of domestic assault. Journalist Terrence McCoy’s September 2014 article in the Washington Post explains the allegations against Solo as originally detailed by the Seattle Times. Allegedly, a drunken and angry Hope Solo entered the home of her sister and seventeen year-old nephew. Solo, who continued drinking upon arrival entered a dispute with her nephew which eventually resulted in her punching the young teen in the face and throwing him on the ground. Solo’s sister attempted to break up the fight in an effort to protect her son and she quickly became Solo’s next victim. To end the soccer star’s violent rampage, Solo’s nephew broke a wooden broom over her head and he later told police that he grabbed an old gun that did not work. He later revealed that Solo had just reunited with the family after multiple similar previous outbursts, stating that she “always does this.” Solo was arrested and eventually pleaded not guilty (McCoy). What is significant about the Hope Solo case is not the details of the allegations but the reactions of the different communities of the professional athletics industry. While the case against Solo was unfolding, the U.S. soccer team
These male victims are being shamed. The National Domestic Violence Hotline states on their website that “[a]ccording to the CDC, one in seven men age 18+ in the U.S. has been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in his lifetime. One in 10 men has experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner” (Brollings). According to a September 2010 article from The Guardian newspaper website, approximately two in every five domestic violence victims are male (Campbell). People are unaware of these facts because most men are not reporting these assaults and if they do, they are being ignored or ridiculed. Sites on domestic assault of men hypothesize many different reasons as to why male victims are so unlikely to report this abuse. Some of these reasons relate back to the history of domestic abuse which caused the majority of people to develop the false assumption that domestic abuse is a male abusing his female counterpart. Many of them also relate to a man’s self-image. Men are still being taught to suppress their emotions and never let anyone including themselves view them as victims …show more content…
The world of professional sports has become entwined in the controversial web as well. The star goalie for the United States soccer team, Hope Solo was arrested for two counts of domestic assault. Journalist Terrence McCoy’s September 2014 article in the Washington Post explains the allegations against Solo as originally detailed by the Seattle Times. Allegedly, a drunken and angry Hope Solo entered the home of her sister and seventeen year-old nephew. Solo, who continued drinking upon arrival entered a dispute with her nephew which eventually resulted in her punching the young teen in the face and throwing him on the ground. Solo’s sister attempted to break up the fight in an effort to protect her son and she quickly became Solo’s next victim. To end the soccer star’s violent rampage, Solo’s nephew broke a wooden broom over her head and he later told police that he grabbed an old gun that did not work. He later revealed that Solo had just reunited with the family after multiple similar previous outbursts, stating that she “always does this.” Solo was arrested and eventually pleaded not guilty (McCoy). What is significant about the Hope Solo case is not the details of the allegations but the reactions of the different communities of the professional athletics industry. While the case against Solo was unfolding, the U.S. soccer team