What is domestic violence against men and how is it different from domestic violence against women?
There are a number of definitions of domestic violence, none of which have been adopted universally to provide clear cut parameters to be used by researchers, governments and authorities.
There is a general trend in Australia however, to define domestic violence in gender-specific terms, describing it as an act against women. Most definitions include physical, mental and emotional abuse that affects the victim’s well-being at home and in public life.
Physical abuse includes the use of abuse such as slapping, punching, kicking and biting; the use of weapons and; sexual abuse. Mental or non-physical abuse includes psychological, emotional, verbal, spiritual and economic oppression. Although the common perception is that men are unlikely to suffer serious physical damage from a woman, statistics and surveys reveal that men are more likely to present for emergency treatment for more severe wounds than women.
At the more subdued end of the spectrum, women will throw objects, punch, push, slap, bite and kick. They are also more likely to use a weapon, in particular knives and baseball bats to physically assault their partner.
Men tend not to recognise emotional and verbal abuse although if pushed will reveal that these are probably some of women’s strongest tactics. Verbal abuse can include cruel and demeaning remarks designed to destroy a man’s confidence in himself. This is a very effective tool. However, it is significant to note that verbal abuse against men in Australia is regarded quite differently than verbal abuse against women.
In 1999, when a NSW magistrate claimed that women provoked domestic violence by “bitching and nagging and emotionally hurting men”, Australia’s governments and feminist lobby were quick to condemn him. However, all government literature designed to educate women on the issue of domestic violence includes verbal abuse.
Men are also unlikely to report psychological abuse however, when pressed they say that it is the most common form of abuse used by women. It includes public humiliation, making jokes at his expense and using threats, such as refusing access to children to maintain control of the relationship.
It is also rare for a man to admit he has been emotionally abused. Men are more likely to report injuries inflicted with a weapon. However, emotional abuse can be one of the most dangerous weapons used by a woman and can include neglect, intimidation and the threat that he will not see his children if he leaves or tells anyone what she does. Deprivation of loving feelings and closeness also constitute emotional abuse.
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