NCJ Number
159361
Date Published
1996
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Although the media have perpetuated the myth that women are becoming increasingly violent toward men and women actually suffer far more from domestic abuse than do men, women's abuse of men is a legitimate problem that should be addressed seriously and not sensationally by the media.
Abstract
Media focus on violent women has increased in recent years, especially with the Lorena Bobbitt case, and media coverage of the violent female sometimes implies that domestic violence is more commonly perpetrated by women than by men. According to the National Crime Victimization Survey, however, women are victims of family violence three times as often as men. Domestic violence affects a woman every 15 seconds and kills 4 women daily. Nonetheless, females commit violence against males, and the battered man endures the same psychological effects that the battered woman does. In addition, society discourages the male victim from coming forward. When a man does speak up and thus becomes somewhat of an oddity, he faces the prospect of being newsworthy. Also, few services are available to address the battered man's emotional and physical problems. The need to focus on domestic violence irrespective of gender is emphasized.