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Males Can Be Victims of Domestic Violence Too

Usually when we hear about domestic violence in the news, a woman is the victim, but according to new research we found on the Website DailyFinance.com, domestic violence strikes just as many men as women. When a man is being abused, the results are more likely to be deadly! Why?

For starters, psychologists say there’s a general public perception that women are more vulnerable than men, so they can’t possibly be abusers. That may explain why a recent survey found that half of all people believe there are times when it’s okay for a wife to slap her husband. Yet it’s hard to find anyone who believes the opposite is true. That kind of thinking makes men reluctant to report abuse, because they might be perceived as “weak” or “unmanly.” Consider what happened to Tiger Woods, when the news first broke about his extra-marital affairs. “Saturday Night Live” ran a skit showing an actor being beaten by his wife with a golf club, for comedic purposes. No one would ever find it funny for a man to beat a woman. You may also remember what happened to actor Phil Hartman, after he was shot and killed by his own wife back in 1998. Psychologists say when that story first broke, a common reaction for most people was to wonder what he did wrong, to drive his wife that crazy?

One problem this new study revealed is that male victims of domestic abuse have very few places to turn for help. In fact: Of the estimated 1,500 shelters in North America providing housing and food for victims of domestic abuse, only one provides services exclusively to men. Calling the police doesn’t always help either. That's because when a man calls the police to report domestic violence, statistics show that police are three times more likely to arrest him - even if he’s the victim!

So what can you do if you’re a victim? Right now, the Domestic Abuse Helpline for Men and Women provides the only national toll-free hot line that specializes in helping male victims of domestic abuse. You can reach them online, at DAHMW.org, or call them toll free, at 1-888-7-HELPLINE. If you’re in Canada, you can try SafeCanada.CA.

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