Transitioning Times

Domestic violence is not gender specific. There is often a preconceived notion that abuse only happens to women. However, statistics show that 1 in 7 men has been the victim of   severe  physical violence by an intimate partner in his lifetime . Of course, domestic violence is not limited to physical violence. Other forms of domestic violence against men include verbal abuse, belittling, possessiveness, jealousy, controlling and/or manipulative behaviors, and isolation. There are many reasons men won’t disclose violence in their relationship or leave an abusive partner. Due to gender roles imposed by society, men who experience domestic violence feel ashamed because they believe they are not fitting into the quintessential role of “protector” and “provider”.  Abuse to men is often minimized because society has created a culture that believes a man should be able to protect himself. Men also may not disclose because they fear losing custody of their children or they a...

     When society hears of sexual violence, the assumption is typically that a man has assaulted a woman. This is happening, at rates that are far too high, but so is sexual violence against men. Imagine how hard it is for a woman to report being sexually assaulted or raped? Now, think how difficult it is for men to report the same type of sexual violence.      Texas Association Against Sexual Assault states, “In the United States, 10% of all victims are male.”   “ About  3% of American men  — or  1 in 33  — have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. From 1995-2010, 9% of rape and sexual assault victims were male.   2.78 million men in the U.S. have been victims of sexual assault or rape.”   (RAINN.org)      These men are fathers, brothers, friends, partners, sons, and grandfathers who are looked at as being masculine, aggressive, and self-confident, but men can also be sensitiv...