Why Is Domestic Violence Against Men Treated Less Serious Than Domestic Violence Against Women?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/domestic-violence-as-a-man-its-very-difficult-to-say-ive-been-beaten-up-8572143.html

/// One in three victims of domestic abuse in Britain is male but refuge beds for men are critically scarce. There are 78 spaces which can be used by men in refuges around Britain, of which only 33 are dedicated rooms for males: the rest can be taken by victims of either gender. This compares with around 4,000 spaces for women. In Northern Ireland and Scotland there are no male refuges at all. ///

/// More married men (2.3 per cent) suffered from partner abuse last year than married women, according to the latest British Crime Survey. Yet help is still much harder to find for men. ///

Historically some women have been treated abominably by some men, but it would seem that there is now a growing problem of male abuse inflicted by females, so why are such cases not treated equally?

[sp1814]

'Historically'

Good grief.

[Old_Geezer]

They should be treated equally but we live in a sexist society, and it is almost always situations where the female is worse off that gets the attention; because society assumes it is always the vulnerable female who needs protection and the powerful male who is the perpetrator. That a male who is in need of protection isn't simply gentle, but somehow weak/effeminate and therefore their problem is their own fault.

[woofgang]

I think they are treated equally under the law. It's the problem of public perception.

[emmie]

historically crikey where have you been, and some women, suggest you revise that a lot. And abuse by the way is also between men to men, let's not forget that. men don't necessarily do something about it because how it's perceived, but i agree on one point they should be always treated equally.

[emmie]

perhaps something to ponder,

http://www.womensaid.org.uk/domestic_violence_topic.asp?section=0001000100220036

[Kromovaracun]

I agree with you, AOG. A close relative of mine, unfortunately, was one such case.

I remember getting into an argument recently with someone who was organising a protest about violence against women worldwide. When I asked her why men weren't included in her consideration (i.e.why she was willing to protest, say, c.70% of domestic violence, but not all of it).

She responded with a furious tirade about how men are 'expecting' women to do their protesting for them and how men should 'get up off their backside' and protest on behalf of their chunk of domestic violence statistics while women could get on with theirs. I found this so repugnant I've been a little skeptical of protests and organisations that focus exclusively on the problems plaguing womankind ever since.

[Kromovaracun]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/sep/05/men-victims-domestic-violence

[emmie]

whilst i would agree that in this it should be equal, but i take great exception to the historically bit, as though domestic abuse has stopped. My mother was a victim and i have been, so it's hardly gone.
Women and men are victims and more should be done to support both.
Men don't necessarily come forward because of being thought weak, it's stupid i know, but they should, and the women involved be sent to prison where it warrants.

[Kromovaracun]

I don't know, maybe it's semantics, but I don't think the word 'historically' necessarily implies a sense of closure. "Historically, the monarch has always opened Parliament" doesn't necessarily mean the monarch has stopped doing it.

[emmie]

i wasn't the only one who thought so, and i do agree that men who seek help for domestic abuse should get it.

[Hopkirk]

Why good grief, SP?

[sp1814]

Hopkirk

I thought the same thing as em10, but now I've seen kromovaracun's post, I think I may have misinterpreted the meaning.

[anotheoldgit]

em10

/// whilst i would agree that in this it should be equal, but i take great exception to the historically bit, as though domestic abuse has stopped.///

Now who has said that? Please read the bottom paragraph properly.

Historically means in the past, could be even yesterday, I have not in any way suggested that Male violence on Women has come to an end, only that it is now more common than in the past, that Men are also being abused by Women, and this situation should also be addressed, but apparently it isn't.