Domestic violence usually defined as physical abuse directed by one member of the family against another.# Studies show that the prime targets of such abuse are children. Violence by husbands against wives is the second most common type.
But there is an overwhelming number of male victims of domestic abuse - their problem is viewed as of little consequence or they are seen to be blamed for it. The wife-battering term seems to have no alternatives the other way round.
By 1985 the incident rates for minor violence were equal for men and women. In severe violence more men were victimised then women.#
According to studies, a woman is assaulted by a domestic partner every 18 seconds, a man every 15 seconds.
These figures for abused women - woman every 18 seconds - are the most quoted numbers regarding domestic violence for support and attention for this problem. Almost always the same or bigger numbers for male victims are usually ignored.
Most domestic violence is mutual and most would not happen if there was no history of violence in the origin family.
By their own admission in sociological surveys women hit first at about the same rate as men do. About half of all incidents is one sided, the rest is mutual combat. More importantly, sons of violent parents have a rate of wife beating 1000% higher than those of non-violent parents. Daughters of violent parents have husband beating rate 600% higher. Only around 10% of violent couples have a non-violent family history.
It can be argued that a man slapping or shoving a woman is much more likely to inflict injury than a woman slapping a man. As much of the domestic violence falls into category of general violence there should be more injuries for women. However, some studies suggest that men suffered severe injuries more often then women in domestic violent encounters. 74% of men reported some injury, while women reported 57%.
Accurate data about domestic violence injuries is actually hard to find.
The rule seems to be that the more unbelievable the statement about the number of female victims of domestic violence, the more likely that some source is to ignore the existence of male victims.
Every 12 seconds another woman is beaten. Thats nearly 900,000 victims a year - President Clinton stated across the ocean. That figure was not right - in fact, 12 seconds did not equal that number of victims, but 900,000 was closer to the number of male victims each year, according to the survey funded by the very act he was signing into law. That law was the reauthorisation of the Violence Against Women Act. The resulting survey found 1.5 million female victims each year, and 835,000 male victims.
When it comes to inflicting injury, its just a question of style. Women probably suffer more total injuries (from mild to serious) because they are struck with ready instrument - hand, which causes more damage when coming from man than woman. But when it comes to serious injuries where weapons and objects are used the injury rate is about the same for men.
It is also usually believed that only men beat their spouses and then they beat their children. The reality is different: mothers kill their own children more often then fathers do and the rate of physical child abuse is equal. If stepfathers are excluded, men are less likely to physically abuse their children.
Another argument for ignoring nature of domestic violence is claim that because of financial reasons women find it more difficult to leave abusive relationship. In fact low-income women are more likely to leave abusive relationship then wealthy women.
If there are children involved men are less likely to leave abusive relationship than women. Men know that it is harder for them to get the custody of children.
Still , there are many apologists for women who are violent in home. They usually rely on patriarchy as an excuse. In other words, it is historical suppression of women by men and societal and economic acceptance of this that leads to domestic violence.
According to all the above, no program to stop domestic violence will be effective unless true nature of such violence is understood.
Domestic violence is a human problem not a gender problem, but the way this problem is treated is gender orientated.
