Why Is Domestic Violence Against Men Tolerated?

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In America we have support groups, hotlines, awareness campaigns/weeks/months for so many issues that plague us. But one thing is so rarely talked about most people forget it even exists: domestic violence against men.

I noticed him flinching first. When he would say something jokingly to me, and I turned at him to roll my eyes or give him that “look” he would immediately flinch away from me. A few times I mentioned jokingly, “What do you think I’m going to hit you?” He would kind of laugh it off and I never really though much about it.

The other night while we were lying in bed, he told me about how his ex would punch him (hard) when he made a smart-ass/joking comment or that she would throw something at him (no, not a pillow). I didn’t show it, but I immediately became enraged. His excuse for her was “I deserved it” or “I knew she wouldn’t like it, but I said it anyway.” Let’s just think about this for a minute.

If a man hit me because I made a smart-ass comment, everyone would flip a shit. But because it was a male being hit, apparently it’s not a big deal.

If what a woman does to a man would be unacceptable for a man to do to a woman (for example punching her, throwing something at her face), there is abuse occurring. Just because the genders are reversed does NOT mean one party should be subjected to more abuse and it is “OK.” A person’s size does NOT matter. A person’s gender does NOT matter. Abuse is ABUSE and American needs to start realizing that there is a lot more of it going on than people realize.