I just discovered that October is Domestic Violence Month, so I want to take this opportunity to mention a problem that isn't very widely recognized: in 40%-50% of domestic violence cases, men are the victims of violence committed by women. A great deal of attention is given (justifiably) to violence that men perpetrate against women, but the fact of the matter is that men are almost as likely to to be victims of domestic violence as women are.
I have some sources here to back up this claim, and they have interesting statistics (that mostly agree with each other). The most comprehensive data appears to come from a study performed by Straus & Gelles, which concludes that some degree of violence occurs at a rate of 113 man-against-woman incidents per 1000 couples per year, and 121 woman-against-man incidents per 1000 couples per year. As well, men and women are both about equally likely to strike the first blow. Overall, men and women were victims of violence at about the same rates, but the violence against men was 50% more likely to be "severe" -- a level that includes being attacked with an object (as opposed to fists), being "beat up", being threatened with a gun or knife, and being attacked with a gun or knife.
Two other sites with similar themes but slightly different numbers: Oregon Counseling, and the Equal Justice Foundation. The later claims that:
1. Women are three times more likely than men to use weapons in spousal violence.Update:
2. Women initiate most incidents of spousal violence.
3. Women commit most child abuse and most elder abuse.
4. Women hit their male children more frequently and more severely than they hit their female children.
5. Women commit most child murders and 64% of their victims are male children.
6. When women murder adults the majority of their victims are men .
7. Women commit 52% of spousal killings and are convicted of 41% of spousal murders.
8. Eighty two percent of the general population had their first experience of violence at the hands of women.
FoxNews cites a study which claims that female sex offenses are much more common than people realize, but that men who are victimized rarely report it. Perhaps they're ashamed, or perhaps they don't think it's a big deal, even though the behavior they are subjected to qualifies as a sex offense.
Do your statistics include sexual abuse? (Women commit most child abuse).
This is interesting and in some ways shocking to the point of being nearly unbelievable. That being said, I know someone whose wife (now former wife) broke his finger.
hln
I just gave the studies a brief survey, so I'm not sure about details like that. I would imagine that men commit more sexual abuse, but I don't know if that was looked at specifically, or if only domestic "violence" was covered.
I always wonder where they get these statistics, considering the vast majority of battered women never leave their husbands or tell anyone.
Very interesting article. Can I have the statistics for crimes committed against women now, please? Thanx!
Nuwina: Go look 'em up. Most of these statistics are binary, in the sense that if "Women commit 52% of spousal killings" then men commit 48% of spousal killings (and presumably the victims are of the opposite gender, since they're the "spouse").