g beaten. Despite the abuse, a woman may still love her partner and, consequently, will lie to protect him. Many victims possess low self-esteem caused by repeated abuse, both physical and emotional, and believe that they don’t deserve help. Finally, the pure fact of being embarrassed or ashamed may be sufficient reason for the victim to stay.The term domestic violence against men causes many Americans to react with disbelief. Abused husbands are a frequent topic for jokes. Family abuse is directly linked to status in the family and socialization. There are many serious effects of society’s reluctance to consider the potential for domestic abuse by female. In our society, a large number of girls are told to slap a boy if he gets “fresh”. Movies and television programs display scenes of women punching and slapping men with complete impunity, while the viewer usually reacts with support for the women’s character. While a slap is usually a harmless act, it is important to consider that a slap is still a violent act.A common question exists when examining domestic abuse against men: if men are usually bigger and stronger than women, then why don’t they try to protect themselves: It is important to look at this issue from a child development standpoint. At the same time that girls are being taught that it is acceptable to slap a boy, boys are being told to never hit a girl.The number of cases and the severity and pattern of the violence used against the victims are the major factors differentiating men’s violence against women from the violence of women against men. The civil protection order and the criminal court process are effective tools for protecting almost all heterosexual male victims because women rarely attempt “separation violence,” the violence that results as the victim attempts to leave the abuser (Pence & Paymar, 1995).Why do men stay? Although they may not be v...
