Why are men less likely to report domestic violence than women?

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Why are men less likely to report domestic violence than women?

This assignment will look at aspects on domestic violence which arises against men. This literature review will focus on why men are less likely to report domestic violence than women, the norms of society and the cultural aspects of domestic violence against men will also be explored in this assignment. I will be using secondary research within the report carried out by R.W Connell, Pandora (2009) and other various studies.

The governments definition of domestic violence is  an incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse which includes psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional,  which takes place between adults who are or have been intimate partners, or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality (Mankind initiative).  Any individual can be affected by domestic violence and anyone can be the abuser, domestic violence does not only occur in women it also occurs in men too. David Thomas (1993) states that “Men too are victims and women too are perpetrators; neither sex has a monopoly of vice or virtue."

Domestic abuse has been traditionally seen as violence carried out by domineering men against defenceless women.  However research carried out over the last 40 years shows that men and women self-report domestic violence at similar rates (Kevan 2011). Men can be victims of domestic abuse. The effects of domestic abuse can be just as serious for men as they are for women. Studies which have been carried out by Professor John Archer from the University of Central Lancashire around domestic violence indicate that women are as likely to use domestic violence as men, however they are twice as likely than men to be the victims of domestic violence and subsequently be injured or killed by an intimate partner, between a quarter to half of all domestic violence victims are men (Kevan 2011). If these statistics are correct then it brings up the question as to why women’s domestic violence towards men has been unreported for so long.

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In previous years domestic violence was defined by men's attitudes towards women, which influenced them to feel they had the right to control their partners, therefore using violence if necessary. As a result of this domestic violence there on was perceived by the public to be violence against women. Kevan (2011) identifies that men are more likely to portray aggression and they make up the majority of perpetrators in public places. This argument has often been used by  , however they have not taken into consideration that the violence used by men in public places such as football matches ...

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