Victims of domestic violence often feel a great deal of shame, anxiety and doubt before they are able to reach out for help.
Those feelings may be intensified if the victim of domestic violence happens to be male and the abuser happens to be female. Culturally speaking, domestic violence is often thought of as something that women have to be concerned about — men aren’t easily perceived of as victims in domestic situations by the average individual.
It’s time for that notion to change. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) says that 1 out of every 4 adult males in the United States will, at some point, be the victim of domestic violence. Violence against men by their intimate partners happens, on average, more than 3 million times a year.
Just like female domestic violence victims, men who are abused by their wives or girlfriends often fear retaliation if they try to seek help by going to authorities. Women often fear that their abusers will kick the violence up a few notches. Men, on the other hand, have a more unique fear: They worry they’ll end up arrested instead of actually receiving help.
Many female domestic abusers are aware of that fear and prey on it. A female abuser may threaten to claim that she was only trying to defend herself from assault by the male. Since the male is usually bigger and stronger than the female, he may believe she’ll be successful at portraying herself as the victim.
Male domestic violence victims should know that there is help available. Many police officers have special training that helps them look for signs of real abuse and spot fake allegations of domestic violence. Just the same, men should consider getting an attorney to help them if they’re being abused — more than 80 percent of those who seek a restraining order with the help of an attorney are successful in court, versus the 30 percent who are successful without legal assistance.
Whether you are the victim of domestic violence or falsely accused of abusing a family member, you should contact an attorney for assistance. For more information on how our firm can help you, please visit our page.