Originally Posted by White Rabbit

The vast majority of violence in the USA has male victims. Females make up a relative minority of victims of violence.

Originally Posted by TreeHugger

White Rabbit, that's just not true. Please check out these statistics:

American Bar Association - Commission on Domestic Violence: Key Statistics

Bureau of Justice Statistics Intimate Partner Violence in the U.S.: Victim Characteristics

Originally Posted by xjoe3x

But, who reports the violence more?
My guess is that woman would report it more than men.

Originally Posted by TreeHugger

You're probably right on that point. That needs to change. The more men that come out on this issue, the better. However, that doesn't change the fact that more women are attacked/assaulted/abused by a domestic partner than men are.


I disagree on your last sentence. At some point I feel the police should be able to step in and force a restraining order on one (or both) members of a relationship if one (or both) is a danger to the other.

Those involved in BDSM relationships aren't going to be calling the cops. It's consensual. There's a huge difference between consensual sexual practices and abuse.

Originally Posted by TreeHugger

White Rabbit, that's just not true. Please check out these statistics:

American Bar Association - Commission on Domestic Violence: Key Statistics

Bureau of Justice Statistics Intimate Partner Violence in the U.S.: Victim Characteristics

Originally Posted by Zephyr

Domestic violence is bad, obviously, but I don't know how we can know when it happens without putting cameras in people's homes.

Originally Posted by Viv

Is there a reason why men take everything so personally? How does this cycle work, what is in the male's head when he's going through that?

Originally Posted by White Rabbit

I'd take crusades against violence more seriously if they didn't pick and choose their victims so arbitrarily.

The vast majority of violence in the USA has male victims. Females make up a relative minority of victims of violence.

This is not in any way meant to denigrate the issue of domestic violence.

My point is a complex one, not unrelated to the sexualization of children. If society celebrates violence (as it does, just turn on the tv or go to a movie) then it logically follows that one will encounter problems with violence in society. Whining about one particular and specific type of violence in society is thus arbitrary - especially when all the conditions for creating the violence are unaffected.

Same goes for sexualization of children. Everyone whines about 'sexual abuse' of children, yet few acknowledge that the sexuality of children is packaged and sold on tv and movies and advertising products every single day of the week. One can't reduce one without addressing the other.

Originally Posted by Viv

Females are less likely to report domestic abuse. They go to great lengths to conceal it through shame.

Regarding crusades against particular aspects of violent crime, I would support all such campaigns. Improvement must start somewhere, possibly expanding to encompass other regimes and using the initial experience and knowledge as a basis for further effective action.

It is possible to address one without the other. I agree it is preferrable in a perfect world to action globally all root causes, but realistically this may not be an option. The alternative is to do nothing but that is unacceptable to society.