NCJ Number
198327
Journal
Aggression and Violent Behavior Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: January/February 2003 Pages: 23-60
Date Published
January 2003
Length
38 pages
Annotation
This article discusses “battered husband syndrome” focusing on the realities of violence by female partners against their intimate male partners.
Abstract
Discussing social representations and stereotypical images of males and females, this article focuses on violence by female partners against their intimate male partners. After arguing that assaults and aggression between intimates in marital, cohabitating, or dating relationships is well established in the academic, political, legal, and popular culture circles, the author argues that battered intimate literature discriminates against male victims in favor of addressing female victims. Arguing that examples of “battered husbands” are recorded as early as the 1500’s, this article presents a brief history of “battered husband syndrome.” After arguing that since the 1970’s any discussion of assaults against male victims by female intimates relies upon the evidence of conflict tactics studies, the author contends that the discrimination against the reporting of male victims of intimate assault is related to crime surveys, self-defense arguments, reporting biases, issues of physical strength and size, and patriarchal contexts. Despite controversies surrounding the findings of studies using the conflict tactics scale, the author argues that there is ample evidence that assaults against males occurs by their female partners. The author maintains that when evidence of male assault is considered against the context of social representations of maleness and stereotypical images of males and females, the “battered husband syndrome” is shown to be an unfortunate reality comparable to battered wife syndrome. References