Domestic Violence Against Men in Texas
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Men are much more likely to keep their domestic violence hidden, with only 20% of male abuse victims ever coming forward to report being victimized to the authorities or a physician. This is due to humiliation or fear of being ridiculed, mocked, or having no one believe them. There have been reports of victims coming forward and claiming that the organizations that were supposed to help them, actually treated them with skepticism.
According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, nearly one-third of women and 10% of men have been stalked or experienced domestic or sexual abuse by an intimate partner. These people also stated that these events had a significant impact on their lives.
However, knowing how accurate these statistics are is difficult because some victims will not report them for a variety of reasons. Many experts believe that violence against men is as common, if not more so than violence against women.
No matter how common it is, most people agree that it happens to some men. Reporting domestic violence is difficult for anyone, but particularly for men. We’ll give you some pointers in the paragraphs that follow.
1. Do Not Retaliate
People have been socialized to believe that men are almost always the violent ones in abusive relationships. There are many male perpetrators, but there are also many male victims.
But it goes much deeper than statistics. For some reason, there is a widespread misconception that depicting men as victims undermines the credibility of victimized women, so it is rarely seen in the media.
However, this issue already exists for men, and it has done significant damage to their credibility. Worse, abusers frequently try to claim they were the victim. This is a common tactic used by many abusers of all genders.
In any case, retaliating may harm your credibility, especially in cases of female-on-male violence, where the assumption is that you are to blame. As a result, unless absolutely necessary, avoid physical defense.
2. Document Everything
One of the most significant challenges that both men and women face when reporting domestic violence is a lack of evidence. If you can’t prove what happened, everything becomes hearsay.
The good news is that you have numerous options for gathering evidence. There are records that cannot be accessed or altered, even if they cannot be hidden.
For example, if the police have ever been called, a record of it exists. There’s a record if you’ve ever been to the hospital for injuries caused by your partner. These records accumulate, making it more difficult for your abuser to lie about it.
3. Speak with a Domestic Violence Service.
The gender stereotypes created by society, in which men are constantly the villain and women are frequently the victims, must be challenged. Particularly with the stories and facts that have emerged in recent decades. More training and education for healthcare practitioners, enforcement agencies, and the judicial system are required. IPV is a serious problem for both men and women.
A domestic violence shelter or hotline can assist in a variety of ways. For starters, it will provide additional evidence that you were abused.
The biggest advantage, however, is that these services deal with abuse on a daily basis. They will most likely be able to assist you and may offer advice on how to proceed.
Reporting Domestic Violence: The Obstacles Men Face and Solutions
Many people find it difficult to report domestic violence, but men may find it especially difficult. It is, however, not impossible. Domestic abuse and violence can be harmful to both your mental and physical well-being. The first step in attempting to defend yourself and putting an end to the abuse is to speak up. Speak with a trusted friend, family member, or another individual, or call a domestic violence hotline.
We’ve given you some suggestions in this article, but there are a few more things you can try. You may want to conduct additional research to ensure that you are fully prepared.
If you need more legal advice, contact us. We can advise you on what not to do when hiring a domestic violence attorney.