December 3, 2009
Husband Abuse
Debating the prevalence or severity of husband abuse is irrelevant. Domestic violence should not be a gender issue: it is a human issue. – Karen Stephenson
What do you think of when you picture a victim of domestic violence? Chances are, you think of a woman; however, men can also be victims of domestic violence. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics Crime Data Brief, men account for about 15% of the victims of reported domestic violence (2003). The term “husband abuse” has recently been applied to cases where a wife abuses her husband either physically or verbally. Although society has become more aware of husband abuse, there are still very few services offered to male victims of domestic violence. There are almost no shelters to house male victims and men are often required to pay for the services that do exist, while female victims receive the same services free of charge. Male victims are less likely to report being abused because of gender stereotypes. We live in a patriarchal society where men are expected to exhibit power over women. Being abused by a woman is often seen as a sign of weakness, increasing the probability of a male victim remaining silent. The following link contains an article about husband abuse: http://physical-abuse.suite101.com/article.cfm/male_victims_of_domestic_violence.
Women have fought hard for the right to equality. Our determination has led to numerous rights and services, but in the case of husband abuse it seems that men are the ones without rights. No form of abuse is ever okay, regardless of the victims gender, age, ethnicity, etc. As Karen Stephenson said, domestic violence is a human issue. As our equals men should be entitled to the same resources that women have access to. I understand the need for protection, but if men are not allowed in women’s safe haven shelters then similar shelters should exist for men as well.
amacvey1 said,
December 7, 2009 at 4:54 PM
I just recently wrote about this topic in on of my previous posts. This is a very hot topic issue because if women are recieving services at shelters for domestic abuse, why can’t men. When it is just as likely to happen to a men as it is able to happen to a women. I think that many statistics are off due to the fact that men are underreporting this issue, so therefore they only account for a small percentage, when in reality there may be a larger portion of men going through domestic abuse. Men should not have to pay for services they recieve just because of the stereotype that they recieve or because of their gender. I even read that when men call in about this issue they are referred to call homeless shelter, which is not a place to go to when you are having domestic abuse problems.
this was a good post, just add some of your personal thoughts about this and it will be great:)
Ethan Scrivner said,
December 10, 2009 at 10:09 PM
interesting issue and definitely not something I’ve read or heard much about. I agree with the quote that starts your post. What are your personal thoughts on the issue?
Exemplar Posts from Class Blogs « Social Issues and Social Change said,
December 21, 2009 at 1:24 PM
[...] surprising to see a post about Husband Abuse on a blog entitled Empowering Women – but that’s the kind of intellectual honesty that [...]