Men suffer from an (un)healthy percentage of domestic violence.  This is only now becoming known. Is it because women are all of a sudden attacking their men? I suppose anything’s possible, but I don’t think that’s it. The Group Health Cooperative Center for Health Studies decided to take an inventive approach - they surveyed men. The results might shock you (thank you, gaynorberry)…

Public release date: 19-May-2008
Contact: Rebecca Hughes
hughes.r@ghc.org
206-287-2055
Group Health Cooperative Center for Health Studies

Men experience domestic violence, with health impact

Group Health study debunks five myths about abuse of men

SEATTLE—Domestic violence can happen to men, not only to women, according to Group Health research in the June American Journal of Preventive Medicine. “Domestic violence in men is under-studied and often hidden—much as it was in women 10 years ago,” said study leader Robert J. Reid, MD, PhD, an associate investigator at the Group Health Center for Health Studies. “We want abused men to know they’re not alone.” His findings confirm some common beliefs but also debunk five myths about abuse in men:

Myth 1: Few men experience domestic violence. Many do. In-depth phone interviews with over 400 randomly sampled adult male Group Health patients surprised Dr. Reid and his colleagues: 5% had experienced domestic violence in the past year, 10% in the past five years, and 29% over their lifetimes. The researchers defined domestic violence to include nonphysical abuse—threats, chronic disparaging remarks, or controlling behavior—as well as physical abuse: slapping, hitting, kicking, or forced sex.

Myth 2: Abuse of men has no serious effects. The researchers found domestic violence is associated with serious, long-term effects on men’s mental health. Women are more likely than men to experience more severe physical abuse, said Dr. Reid. “But even nonphysical abuse——can do lasting damage.” Depressive symptoms were nearly three times as common in older men who had experienced abuse than in those who hadn’t, with much more severe depression in the men who had been abused physically.

Myth 3: Abused men don’t stay, because they’re free to leave. In fact, men may stay for years with their abusive partners. “We know that many women may have trouble leaving abusive relationships, especially if they’re caring for young children and not working outside the home,” said Dr. Reid. “We were surprised to find that most men in abusive relationships also stay, through multiple episodes, for years.”

Myth 4: Domestic violence affects only poor people. The study actually showed it to be an equal-opportunity scourge. “As we found in our previous research with women experiencing domestic violence, this is a common problem affecting people in all walks of life,” said Dr. Reid. “Our patients at Group Health have health insurance and easy access to health care, and their employment rate and average income, education level, and age are higher than those of the rest of the U.S. population.”

Myth 5: Ignoring it will make it go away. Not so. “We doctors hardly ever ask our male patients about being abused—and they seldom tell us,” said Dr. Reid. “Many abused men feel ashamed because of societal expectations for men to be tough and in control.” Younger men were twice as likely as men age 55 or older to report recent abuse. “That may be because older men are even more reluctant to talk about it,” he added.

This study extends Group Health’s research on domestic violence, a.k.a. intimate partner violence. The team’s previous publications have documented the prevalence, persistence, and health effects of domestic violence on women. In the current study, they asked men the same questions that they had asked of women. “Our team is concerned about abuse of people: of women as well as men,” Dr. Reid added. “We do not want to downplay the seriousness of domestic violence as experienced by women.”

Dr. Reid said more research is needed to determine the best ways for doctors to ask men if they have experienced domestic violence—and how best to help them into couples counseling, leaving their partners, or getting protection orders. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is toll-free 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).

###

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Group Health Center for Health Studies funded this work, co-authored by Melissa Anderson, MS, Paul Fishman, PhD, David Carrell, PhD, and Robert Thompson, MD of the Group Health Center for Health Studies; Amy Bonomi, PhD, MPH, now an Ohio State University associate professor of human development & family science in Columbus; and Group Health Center for Health Studies affiliate scientific investigator Frederick Rivara, MD, MPH, of Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center and the University of Washington.

Group Health Center for Health Studies

Founded in 1947, Group Health is a Seattle-based, consumer-governed, nonprofit health care system that coordinates care and coverage. For 25 years, the Group Health Center for Health Studies has conducted research on preventing, diagnosing, and treating major health problems. Government and private research grants provide its main funding.

Please visit the virtual newsroom on our Web site, www.ghc.org under “Newsroom.”

This is only one study, and the sample was hardly representative of the American male demographic, and on its own isn’t really all that significant. With heartfelt thanks to Marc A., commenting on Glenn Sacks’ blog, here are some links to follow up:

We link and discuss a number of them here at http://www.ncfmla.org/dv_data.html

The infamous “Fiebert Bibliography” is constantly updated and is at http://www.csulb.edu/~mfiebert/assault.htm

Here are a few examples:

A recent 32-nation study by the University of New Hampshire found women are as violent and controlling as men in relationships worldwide. http://www.unh.edu/news/cj_nr/2006/may/em_060519male.cfm?type=n
http://pubpages.unh.edu/~mas2/ID41E2.pdf

The University of Florida recently found women are more likely than men to “stalk, attack and abuse” their partners.
http://news.ufl.edu/2006/07/13/women-attackers/

The University of Washington recently found similar results. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070625111433.htm

Last year Harvard Medical School announced a study showing half of heterosexual domestic violence is reciprocal and that women initiate most of the reciprocal violence and 70% of the non-reciprocal violence. “Violence was more frequent when both partners were involved, and so was injury — to either partner. In these relationships, men were more likely than women to inflict injury (29% versus 19%). When the violence was one-sided, both women and men said that women were the perpetrators about 70% of the time. Men were more likely to be injured in reciprocally violent relationships (25%) than were women when the violence was one-sided (20%).”
http://www.patienteducationcenter.org/aspx/HealthELibrary/HealthETopic.aspx?cid=M0907d

A recent study in the Journal of Family Violence found many male callers to a national hotline experienced high rates of severe forms of violence from very controlling female partners. http://www.springerlink.com/content/a7q0032j88817218/fulltext.pdf

A University of Pennsylvania emergency room report found 13% of men reported being assaulted by a female partner in the previous 12 months, of which 50% were choked, kicked, bitten, punched, or had an object thrown at them, 37% involved a weapon, and 14% required medical attention, at http://www.aemj.org/cgi/content/abstract/6/8/786

University of Pennsylvania Professor Richard Gelles states: ‘Contrary to the claim that women only hit in self-defense, we found that women were as likely to initiate the violence as were men,’ in his article reprinted at http://www.ncfmla.org/gelles.html

This data is recognized by the American Psychological Association.
http://www.apa.org/monitor/oct06/pc.html

This Canadian government report also recognizes the above data.
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ncfv-cnivf/familyviolence/pdfs/Intimate_Partner.pdf

According to the Centers for Disease Control, every year there are 4.8 million incidents of intimate partner assaults and rapes against women and 2.9 against men, with 25% of the deaths being men. http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/ipv_factsheet.pdf

Archer, J., ‘Sex differences in aggression between heterosexual partners: A meta-analytic review,’ Aggression and Violent Behavior (7) 2002, 313-351, http://www.mediaradar.org/docs/Dutton_Corvo-Transforming-flawed-policy.p
http://www.maennerbuero-trier.de/Archer_2002.pdf

Dutton, D., & Corvo, K., ‘Transforming a flawed policy: A call to revive psychology and science in domestic violence research and practice,’ (11) 2006, 457-483, http://www.nfvlrc.org/docs/DuttonCorvo.policypaper.pdf

Dutton & Nicholls is “The gender paradigm in domestic violence research and theory: Part 1—The conflict of theory and data”, which is on our website at http://www.mediaradar.org/docs/Dutton_GenderParadigmInDV-Pt1.pdf

Straud & Scott, “Gender Symmetry in Partner Violence: The Evidence, the Denial, and the Implications for Primary Prevention and Treatment” http://pubpages.unh.edu/~mas2/V70%20version%20N3.pdf

Are the numbers significant yet???

10 Responses to “*NEWSFLASH* Domestic Violence Happens To Men!”

1. Hawaiian Libertarian Says:
   

   “Domestic Violence” is just Newspeak for Male committing violence against a female or a child in the place where they reside.

   Therefore, a women is incapable of committing it, because by definition, only men are able to.

   This is the EXACT type of “equality” the feminists have fought for.

   May 21st, 2008 at 7:03 pm
2. Anonymous age 66 Says:
   

   By coincidence, just a few minutes ago I saw a news video on Breitbart.tv about a Nevada Assembly Woman, Francis Allen, who was arrested for stabbing her relatively new husband in the arm. Her campaign touted her integrity; trust; and leadership.

   Oh, but wait a minute. It’s okay. He allegedly embarrassed her in front of friends.

   Still, it would seem having your arrest for a violent attack on your husband bandied around internationally would be much more embarrassing than anything stupid he might have said in front of her friends.

   Yes, we are seeing more women arrested for DV recently. I wonder why. There are certainly not more violent women.

   May 21st, 2008 at 7:12 pm
3. Sezyboy Says:
   

   3 years go I tried to present a possible explanation to the lack of men reporting DV in a gender sociology class. Needless to say I was ignored and scorned. Universities are so indoctrinated with some feminist’s BS that faculty and students are not seeking the truth anymore when it concerns possibly new gender roles and balance between them.

   May 28th, 2008 at 9:59 am
4. Marx Says:
   

   I’ve engaged in an email exchange with the NUS (National Union of Students) head of women’s department asking why they use misinformation in their poster campaigns. For example, I pointed out that the poster claims women earn 17% less than men but fails to note any reasons for such a disparity thus implying men are earning more money for identical work. After responding to explain that they got the figure from a study, I explained the study likely does not differentiate between someone working 40hours and someone else working 50hours. There has been no reply since, despite frequent requests for further discussion and explanation of why they are attempting to trick thousands of students into a lie based on missing information. The only response I got since was “Give me strength”. I guess i’m upsetting her.

   June 2nd, 2008 at 3:17 am
5. MB Says:
   

   Individual Rights all over again… I love it!

   June 6th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
6. winecat Says:
   

   NEWSFLASH – DUH????

   Brilliant article – Of course men suffer domestic abuse. Anyone who doesn’t believe it is an idiot. BUT – yes here comes the usual question What does feminism have to do with male domestic abuse?

   Just have few questions?

   myth 1 – how do you force a man to have sex? Just asking.

   myth 2 – 5 – well duh! Anyone who is abused is going to struggle with how they deal with the physiological effects, whether they should report and/or leave and what the consequences are especially if the have children. “what if my wife/spouse/domestic partner takes it out on the kids”

   I agree with Dr. Reid’s opinion. Abuse is abuse is abuse. It needs to be stopped, men need to travse the path that women have and stop being afraid. They need to get help.

   And do any of those listed reports surprise you? We’ve finally gotten to an era where women feel as if they can fight back.

   Yet what again links any of this data or any of these studies to feminism?

   June 10th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
7. bachelor tom Says:
   

   “Yet what again links any of this data or any of these studies to feminism?”

   The fact that feminist voices receive more attention and credibility in the mass media than MRAs or traditionalists. The average person on the street believes feminist propaganda, and the media reinforce it. Well done.

   June 12th, 2008 at 7:45 am
8. Sylvia Says:
   

   I\’ve heard of people talking such a discussion around in the city although.

   July 4th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
9. thedude Says:
   

   myth 1 – how do you force a man to have sex? Just asking.

   You threaten to leave them, blackmail them, or even put a knife to the throat. Fear response is very similar to sexual arousal

   Women engage in the full range of sexually aggressive behaviors attributed
   to men.

   Even ask Gene Simmons from KISS, who at the age of 13 was raped by a 20 year old drunk woman (although he won’t admit he was raped, like most victims do). Even Cassanova was fondled at age 11 by a female.

   Those early incidents may explain the womanizing in both men.

   August 8th, 2008 at 3:35 am
10. Alex Says:
    

    I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you down the road!

    August 12th, 2008 at 4:20 pm

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