Violence Against Men – A Harsh Reality

The Centers for Disease Control and U.S. Department of Justice, reported in 2010 on a national survey that there were more men than women who were apparently victims of intimate partner physical violence. This comes as a shock when violence over men have more or less been either unacknowledged or totally ignored. Having said that, it is time people realized and actually woke up to the fact that over 40% of severe physical violence has been directed at men.

Also, men it has been noticed have been more likely victim of psychological aggression, which has further led to control over sexual or reproductive health. What is surprising is in spite of increased awareness levels this remains a grey area where such cases have been reported less and less. The reasons for this have of course both been psychological as well as societal. The fear of being laughed at by their peer group and considered less of a man, has always take a toll on the reporting of such cases. Thankfully though a lot of private as well as state endeavors are being made now to see to it that some relief is available to such men and that they come forward to open up their wounds and seek justice for the wrong that has been done to them.

The Shah Peerally firm finds it surprising that such few services are made available to the male victims of intimate partner violence because the firm has seen over the years notable growth in the rates of intimate partner violence against male victims and many of whom have been so badly scarred that they would need plenty of time to recover.

And while the firm takes a keen look at the domestic violence system’s response to male victims. It also seeks to seriously take into consideration the data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey as well as the system´s response to it. WE seriously feel that more research is needed and more men need to come out of their closets and inform the world and the system about what is happening and in that they need support from different kinds of institutions too that would be able to help them through different stages.

We also feel that the general public needs to be more educated and made aware of such a situation so that their response to the same is more humane, as opposed to an unrealistic one. The notion that it is only women who suffer domestic violence and also that domestic violence can be only that of the physical needs to change. Psychological damage done to many such men have been far more worse and as a result the damage sometimes permanent.

Public education about intimate partner violence should not be gender-neutral, but should be specifically addressed to woman and girls as well as boys and men. This will help in the overall development of people’s mind set accepting the fact that violence against men has been happening not any more only in small pockets but on a pretty large scale and the laws as well as the law makers need to be aware of it. There is more need for state programs that ensure that domestic violence services are provided to men across the state.

Survey showed that in 2011 alone an estimated 5,365,000 men and 4,741,000 women were victims of intimate partner physical violence. The reports are shocking and intimidating and reassert the fact that violence on men has alarmingly risen and it is time that people stood up and took notice of it.

The noticeable drop in the intimate partner violence against women and the steady rate of violence against men also raises not only policy questions but those that about the society too. Also the fact that there are many thousands of support programs, NGOs and public-interest media items for women who are victims of domestic violence, and practically no such substantial programs for men only add to the pitiable conditions. It is perhaps truly time to rethink our policies on the same.

If you are a victim of domestic violence, whether you are a women or a men and you are an immigrant, feel free to call our office at 510 742 5887.