Percentage of Violence Against Men
For a long time, domestic violence has been associated and understood exclusively as an issue of women. All attention is given to the females who are abused by men, but unfortunately, men who are abused by women are overlooked. According to a report, more than 40% of the victims of domestic violence are male. This percentage of male victims might seem very high to some people, but this is a fact and this number is continually growing.
Female Abusers
Women who abuse their husbands or boyfriends are no different from their male counterparts who abuse their girlfriends and wives. Men can be kicked, bitten, hit and punched by female abusers. Also, some women have used a weapon like a gun, knife or another object to physically abuse men. Interestingly, men who are abused by women are not weaker or physically smaller than their women partners. The point is that these men usually do not use their greater powers and physical strengths against their abusive women partners.
When we think of domestic violence, we only think about women abused by their husbands, boyfriends or a man they were involved with. Every year, 3.2 million men in the United States are physically abused by women. Most assaults are usually minor in nature like pushing, hitting or slapping, shoving, but some are serious in nature and may end up in murder of the male partner.
Suffering in Silence
Men who are abused by women often suffer in silence and do not report the abuse as they think that nobody will believe them, and it is right that they should feel this way because those men who do try to find some help in this regard are often mocked and ridiculed by others. That is why many cases of men being abused remain unreported. Moreover, many men are so embarrassed that they never admit that they are physically abused by their wives or girlfriends.
The analysis of the number of male victims of domestic violence showed that this number is higher than expected. Data collected from the British Crime Survey and Home Office statistical bulletin states that about 40% of victims of domestic violence between year 2004-05 and 2008-09 were men. In the year 2006-07 men made more than 43% among victims of domestic violence. This number rose to 45.7% in year 2007-08, but dropped to 37.5 % in 2008-09.
The 2008-09 bulletin says that more than 28% women and around 16% men had faced a domestic abuse since the age of 16. These numbers are equal to 2.6 million male victims and 4.5 million female victims of domestic violence in that calendar year.
Second Class Victims
Men are treated as second class victims of domestic violence and many authorities and councils do not take them seriously. It is a fact that male victims remain invisible and are ignored by police authorities and councils as they can hardly take the man’s side. This dilemma is overlooked by the media, in official reports and in Government policies. This is very obvious by the number of refugee places in Wales and England, which is 7500 for females but only 60 places for men.
Well, as the official reports and figures tend to underestimate the real number of male victims of domestic violence, so it is very difficult to bring the attention of authorities to such incidents. This is hampered by the fact that many men are generally reluctant to admit and say that they have been abused by their wives or girlfriends, so they don’t push to get the help they need.
In Australia these are the statistics for violence against the male partner by the female in a relationship:
75 males were killed in domestic homicide incidents between 2008-10. Source: Chan A & Payne J (2013), page 18.
DURING THE PERIOD 2008-2010:
More than 1 in 3 victims of domestic homicide were male (38.7%). Source: Chan A & Payne J (2013), page 18.
More than 1 in 4 victims of intimate partner homicide were male (27.0%). Source: Chan A & Payne J (2013), page 18.
BEFORE THE AGE OF 15:
2 in 5 victims of physical and/or sexual child abuse were male (39.0%). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013), Table 31 EXPERIENCE OF PARTNER VIOLENCE SINCE THE AGE OF 15, Whether experienced physical and/or sexual abuse before the age of 15. 1,067,700 males and 1,668,400 females experienced abuse before the age of 15.
DURING THE YEAR 2013:
1 in 3 victims of current partner violence were male (33.3%). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013), Table 3 EXPERIENCE OF VIOLENCE DURING THE LAST 12 MONTHS, Relationship to perpetrator. 33,100* males and 66,200 females experienced violence from a current partner during the last 12 months.
Almost 1 in 4 victims of previous partner violence were male (22.0%). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013), Table 3 EXPERIENCE OF VIOLENCE DURING THE LAST 12 MONTHS, Relationship to perpetrator. 18,700* males and 66,300 females experienced violence from a previous partner during the last 12 months.
Almost 1 in 3 victims of violence from a boyfriend/girlfriend or date were male (27.9%). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013), Table 3 EXPERIENCE OF VIOLENCE DURING THE LAST 12 MONTHS, Relationship to perpetrator. 26,600* males and 68,700 females experienced violence from a previous partner during the last 12 months.
1 in 2 victims of violence from known persons were male (49.0%). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013), Table 3 EXPERIENCE OF VIOLENCE DURING THE LAST 12 MONTHS, Relationship to perpetrator. 333,200 males and 346,400 females experienced violence from known persons during the last 12 months.
More than 1 in 3 victims of partner emotional abuse were male (37.1%). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013), Table 32 EXPERIENCE OF PARTNER EMOTIONAL ABUSE, Type of partner. 239,900 males and 406,800 females experienced emotional abuse by a partner during the last 12 months.
Half these males experienced anxiety or fear due to the emotional abuse (46.1%). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013), Table 33 EXPERIENCE OF PARTNER EMOTIONAL ABUSE(a) SINCE THE AGE OF 15, Whether experienced anxiety or fear due to emotional abuse. 591,300 males experienced anxiety or fear due to partner emotional abuse from female current partners, male previous partners or female previous partners, since the age of 15. 1,283,700 males in total had experienced partner emotional abuse from female current partners, male previous partners or female previous partners, since the age of 15.
1 in 3 victims of stalking were male (34.2%). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013), Table 34 EXPERIENCE OF STALKING, Sex of perpetrator. 184,100 males and 353,800 females experienced stalking during the last 12 months.
Almost 1 in 3 victims of sexual assault were male (29.6%). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013), Table 1 EXPERIENCE OF VIOLENCE, Type of violence. 37,000* males and 87,800 females experienced sexual assault during the last 12 months.
Almost 1 in 3 victims of sexual harassment were male (30.0%). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013), Table 35 EXPERIENCE OF SELECTED TYPES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT. 554,800 males and 1,297,000 females experienced selected types of sexual harassment during the last 12 months.
Almost 10% of all males experienced violence. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013), Table 1 EXPERIENCE OF VIOLENCE, Type of violence. 737,100 males and 467,300 females experienced violence during the last 12 months.
Since the previous ABS Personal Safety Survey (2005) there has been a large increase in the number of males reporting current partner and dating violence since the age of 15 (a 175% rise in current partner violence and a 140% rise in boyfriend/girlfriend or date violence). Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013), Table 4 EXPERIENCE OF VIOLENCE SINCE THE AGE OF 15, Relationship to perpetrator. 119,600 males in 2012 experienced violence from a current partner and 313,700 males experienced violence from a boyfriend/girlfriend or date since the age of 15. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2005), Table 2 EXPERIENCE OF HARASSMENT, STALKING OR VIOLENCE, Since the age of 15. 68,100 males in 2005 experienced violence from a current partner since the age of 15.. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2011), Table 5: Men’s and Women’s experience of violence by type of perpetrator since the age of 15 and in the last 12 months. 224,100 males in 2005 experienced violence from a boyfriend/girlfriend or date since the age of 15.
The vast majority of partner and dating violence committed against men is perpetrated by females (94%). Only 6% occurs in relationships with a male perpetrator. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013), Table 6 EXPERIENCE OF VIOLENCE SINCE THE AGE OF 15, Relationship to perpetrator by sex of perpetrator. 26,500* males experienced violence from a male partner and 427,900 males experienced violence from a female partner since the age of 15. 18,700** males experienced violence from a boyfriend or male date and 295,100 males experienced violence from a girlfriend or female date since the age of 15.
MALE VICTIMS OF FAMILY VIOLENCE ARE:
2 to 3 times more likely than women to have never told anybody about experiencing current and/or previous partner violence. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013), Table 23 EXPERIENCE OF PARTNER VIOLENCE(a) SINCE THE AGE OF 15, Whether ever told anyone about partner violence. 54.1% of males and 25.6% of females have never told anyone about violence by their current partner since the age of 15. 20.9% of males and 6.7% of females have never told anyone about violence by their previous partner since the age of 15.
Twice as likely as women to have never sought advice or support about experiencing current and/or previous partner violence. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013), Table 24 EXPERIENCE OF PARTNER VIOLENCE(a) SINCE THE AGE OF 15, Advice and support seeking behaviours. 70.3% of males and 39.0% of females have never sought advice or support about violence by their current partner since the age of 15. 47.6% of males and 23.9% of females have never sought advice or support about violence by their current partner since the age of 15.
Up to 40% more likely than women to have not contacted police about experiencing current and/or previous partner violence. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013), Table 25 EXPERIENCE OF CURRENT PARTNER VIOLENCE(a) SINCE THE AGE OF 15, Police involvement. 94.7% of males and 80.2% of females did not contact police about violence by their current partner since the age of 15. 94.7% of males and 80.2% of females did not contact police about violence by their current partner since the age of 15. Table 26 EXPERIENCE OF PREVIOUS PARTNER VIOLENCE(a) SINCE THE AGE OF 15, Police involvement. 80.0% of males and 57.6% of females did not contact police about violence by their current partner since the age of 15.
Half as likely as women to have had a restraining order issued against the perpetrator of previous partner violence. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013), Table 26 EXPERIENCE OF PREVIOUS PARTNER VIOLENCE(a) SINCE THE AGE OF 15, Police involvement. 22.6%* of males and 50.4% of females had a restraining order issued against their previous partner since the age of 15.
* Estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution.
** Estimate has a relative standard error greater than 50% and is considered too unreliable for general use
References:
http://www.americanbar.org/groups/domestic_violence/resources/statistics.html
http://sciencenordic.com/beaten-their-wives
http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/domviol/men.htm
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2010/sep/05/men-victims-domestic-violence
http://www.oneinthree.com.au/infographic
