Female Violence on Men.

You hear much about the violence against women in various forms, and rightly so. Women statistically are more likely to be victims of violence by men than the other way round. However, there is underreported violence against men by women. Most men, because of the macho, silverback culture that males are told and brought up in, are afraid to report violence by their female partner. When men are told to man up, most men are scared of ridicule by other males when they report violence by women. So, consequently, men live in a world where they appease their female abuser.

The above are real reasons why men don't report violence by women, and society rarely talks about it.

Here's the picture, simply and honestly. Many men are told by other men, as discussed above, that "Just man up", "How can a woman hurt you", and "Stop exaggerating". Many men report that they were victims of female violence, but they are mocked. As said previously, this creates a culture of silence. If police or any other agency is turning men away or mocking them when they report real female violence, they are not helping. Indeed, these services are the very people who should help men. It's not all bad, of course; some men do find a sympathetic ear and are taken seriously.

Females can be convicted of violence against men, and it is only right that this comes to pass. There are male support groups out there, too, so if you are the victim of female violence, remember you are not on your own.

Social expectations of masculinity are what poison the pot for many men. Men are taught to be strong, not to show weakness, and not to be controlled by a woman. So many men feel that if they report abuse, it's as if they are admitting failure.

Society has always stereotyped women as harmless. This has led to female violence not being taken seriously because of old assumptions. The line has always been that women are nurturing, and men are dangerous. So when a woman is violent, it gets dismissed as "she snapped" or "he probably deserved it".

Male victims usually and mostly get blamed if they do report abuse. They are asked, "What did you do to make her angry?" Or "Did you provoke her?" Then there's the adage that "men are dangerous" and get asked questions like "You must have been the real aggressor".

By and large, services are geared toward women. Refuges, helplines, and campaigns are mostly built around women because they are the majority of victims. So, men don't see themselves as represented. Men often, and in many cases, do not know where to seek help. Men then feel their domestic situation isn't valid. As mentioned earlier, there are male refuges and helplines, but they are not widely known or even shown.

The media does not help as the narrative is one-directional. The media tends to represent men as violent attackers, with women being helpless victims. This fits a simple story. Stories about male victims complicate things, so they aren't highlighted as much. They also don't get as many clicks. But male victims do exist, and they deserve to be heard.

Violence perpetrated by men on women and women on men should never be accepted - period. Women are the majority of the victims of domestic violence; hence, there is more out there to help them. That is why it is more of an issue.

However, men should never be afraid of reporting violence by women, and despite the hurdles men face when doing this, help is out there. So if you are a male who exists as a person of female abuse, never, never, never, be afraid to report it. Despite the cultural expectations on men and the thing of not taking female violence against men seriously, there are dedicated groups out there that will take you at your word. Then helplines, refuges, charities, police, and social services must do all in their power to aid you.