FACULDADE DE CIEENCIAS POLITICAS

Curso de Licenciatura em Direito

Domestic violence against men in my community

Eusebia Egulamudine- Código: 71232068

May, 2023

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 FACULDADE DE CIEENCIAS POLITICAS

Curso de Licenciatura em Direito

Eusebia Egulamudine- Código: 71232068

Assignment submitted to the Faculty of

Rights, for evaluative purpose in the subject
of English Language recommended by:

May, 2023

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Índice

1. Introduction................................................................................................................. 4

2. Objectives ................................................................................................................... 4

2.1. General objective ................................................................................................. 4

2.2. Specific objectives ............................................................................................... 4

2.3. Methodologies ..................................................................................................... 4

3. Domestic violence against men in my community: Is it a reality? ............................. 5

3.1. Different kinds of violence. ................................................................................. 5

3.1.1. Physical violence ......................................................................................... 5

3.1.2. Sexual violence ............................................................................................ 6

3.1.3.Verbal and emotional violence ..................................................................... 6

3.1.4. Social violence and economic violence ....................................................... 6

3.2. Causes of domestic violence ................................................................................ 6

3.3. Consequences of domestic violence .................................................................... 7

3.3. Men do not report violence to the authorities ...................................................... 7

4. Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 9

5. Reference List ........................................................................................................... 10

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1. Introduction

In the current globalized world, men are said to be the promoters of violence against
women, thus, people assume that a man is the only aggressor. Nevertheless, while people
think this way, men are behind these views being abused and the world sometimes does not
make case of it because of the ordinary idea that men are the aggressors. Therefore, domestic
violence against men is more common than someone may think and can pose a serious threat
to its victims. Hence, this is the idea this paper is going to cover along the development.

Therefore, as addressed World Health Organisation (2007) cited by Donnemching,

(2014), „‟domestic violence can be described as the power misused by one adult in a
relationship to control another.‟‟ It is the establishment of control and fear in a relationship
through violence and other forms of abuse. This violence can take the form of physical
assault, psychological abuse, social abuse, financial abuse or sexual assault. Additionally,
domestic violence is a pattern of coercive controls that one person exercises over another.

2. Objectives

For the accomplishment of the assignment the researcher elaborates the objectives as
follows:

2.1. General objective

Explain whether domestic violence against men in my community is it a reality

2.2. Specific objectives

Identify different kinds of violence

State the causes and the consequences of domestic violence in the community;
State whether men always report violence to the authorities;
Describe the men who report violence, if so and those who don‟t report it as well as
the reasons why they do not.

2.3. Methodologies

To accomplish the assignment the researcher had to review different literatures or

sources and by analysing comparing the information in order to bring the general
understanding of the topic brought in this assignment.

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3. Domestic violence against men in my community: Is it a reality?

It of paramount importance defining what violence is In order to explore this matter

through which men is found. In this view, according to McKeown & Kidd (2002, p.26),
domestic violence „‟covers a wide range of abusive behaviours that occur in intimate
relationships between adults. These behaviours may be physical, psychological or sexual and
may result in injuries to the victim, depending on the severity and frequency of the violence.‟‟
In line with this view referring to the definition of domestic violence, the Task Force on
Violence Against Women (1997, p.10) as cited in McKeown & Kidd (2002, p.26), points that
“domestic violence refers to the use of physical or emotional force or threat of physical force
including sexual violence, in close adult relationships.

Domestic violence is a family problem affecting individuals in every community,

regardless of age, economic status, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, or
nationality. It is often accompanied by emotionally abusive and controlling behaviour
that is only a fraction of a systematic pattern of dominance and control. Domestic
violence can result in physical injury, psychological trauma, and in severe cases, even
death. The devastating physical, emotional, and psychological consequences of
domestic violence can cross generations and last a lifetime (Tsui and Patrick, 2010).

Based on the ideas afore highlighted, it can be observed that the term domestic
violence has to do with violent acts which are committed by a member in the family against
another member. The violent acts are characterised by mistreatment of the member and can
include not only physical harm but also threats and verbal, psychological, and sexual abuse.

3.1. Different kinds of violence.

3.1.1. Physical violence

Physical violence, the one that includes directly assaulting a person like pushing,
slapping, punching, kicking, choking, biting, shaking, inflicting burns, hair pulling, using a
weapon, for, belting, stoning, flogging with a stick, spearing is the most identified by the
community as the main form of domestic violence, but there are also other types of abusive
behaviours against someone (Donnemching. 2014, p.5).

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3.1.2. Sexual violence

This is the type of violence through which the aggressor tries to force someone to have
sex or take part in sexual acts against their will, or using an object or body part to use without
permission or consent, injuring sexual organs, intentionally hurting someone during sex,
forcing someone to have unsafe sex, without protection against sexually transmitted diseases,
forcing someone to take their clothes off or remain naked against their will, being made to
pose for pornography or being made to look at pornography against their will, being forced to
watch, observe or take part in sexual activities, voyeurism or exhibitionism, criticising
sexually or making sexually degrading comments or names and any other type of sexual
harassment (Donnemching, 2014, p.5-6).

3.1.3.Verbal and emotional violence

Verbal abuse includes the intent to humiliate, degrade, demean, threaten, coerce or
intimidate, and includes the use of derogatory language or continual „put-downs‟ to highlight
a particular part of a person‟s being or their societal role. Consequently, the person may
experience this abuse as an attack on their identity resulting in psychological harm. As a
result, verbal abuse is closely related to emotional abuse. Emotional or psychological abuse
can leave a person feeling that they are to blame for the problems in the family or in a
relationship (Donnemching, 2014, p.5-6).

3.1.4. Social violence and economic violence

Social violence and isolation is commonly used by perpetrators to separate the victim
from supportive friends, family and community agencies. This has particular relevance for
women in rural and remote areas where there is limited access to cheap transportation, where
firearms are more common, there is increased isolation from neighbours and support services,
and communities are small. This abuse may also be more prevalent for women from culturally
and linguistically diverse communities. And finally, there is the economic or financial
violence which involves the unequal control of finances in a relationship or family and the
deprivation of basic necessities (Donnemching, 2014, p.5-6).

3.2. Causes of domestic violence

There is no one single factor to account for violence. Several complex and
interconnected institutionalised social and cultural factors have kept family members
particularly vulnerable to the violence directed at them. The manifestations of domestic
violence can be observed due to:

Unequal power relations between men and women;

Socio-economic forces;

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 fear and control over ones sexuality;
Lack of economic resources underpins ones vulnerability to violence;
Excessive consumption of alcohol and other drugs;
The isolation of someone in the family and community;
observing violence between one‟s parents while growing up, absent or rejecting father
or even delinquent peer associations can lead one to initiate abusive behaviours
(Donnemching, 2014, p.5-6).

From the above, it can be pointed that domestic violence in the family happens
when one of the members appears always to be considered weak, vulnerable and in a
position to be exploited. In addition, cultural practices, economic and political conditions
may also lead someone for initiating and perpetuating domestic violence.

3.3. Consequences of domestic violence

Domestic violence not only causes physical injury, it also undermines the social,
economic, psychological, spiritual and emotional well-being of the victim, the perpetrator
and the society as a whole. Domestic violence is a major contributor to the ill health of
women. Serious consequences of domestic violence are evidenced as follows:

Damage on someone‟s mental and physical health, including reproductive and

sexual health;
Injuries, gynaecological problems, temporary or permanent disabilities;
Depression and suicide, amongst others (Donnemching, 2014, p.5-6).

The acts of violence appear relatively harmless at first, and as the time goes, it can
expand and grow more menacing over time, and sometimes the victims may be adapted to
abusive

Behaviour. Therefore, at this stage the victim may found difficult to recognise the severity
of the abuse over time.

3.3. Men do not report violence to the authorities

As for this the topic of this paper, it is said that many women tend to abuse men as
well by intimating their partners violence. Thus, it happens that most of the victimized
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men do not take it for other instances due to the ordinary view that women cannot abuse
men, and they tend to be quiet without reporting to the authorities. Therefore, as
addressed by Machado et al (2017) cited by Patrick (2020).

The issue of non-reporting has negative emotional impact to the men.

Therefore, they have in mind that if they report their cases they will experience
gender-stereotyped treatment from professionals and services, and that seeking
formal help frequently led to secondary victimization in the form of statements
or behaviour that could cause them further distress.

In fact, looking for help hep has a negative impact on well-being in the community,
thus, instead of helping, it will aggravate their situation. Therefore, men do not report
because the community will deny the fact that a men has been abused causing
embarrassment and stigmatization due to not receiving equal treatment as a service target
and finally they attempt to avoid social stigma regarding their situation of violence.

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4. Conclusion

Having accomplished the assignment about domestic violence in relation to the

violence suffered by men in the community, it is in fact by this stage that the researcher
concludes that men suffer from violence in the community or family. Different cases are
observed in every community, but they fear to report to the authorities because they will
not be heard, instead of the being helped by the target services, they will suffer from
estimation and stereotypes. The community most of the times say they are not man
enough to accept being abused by women. Therefore, to avoid such situations, they rather
prefer to keep quiet in the society and still keep being abused by women. According to
different scholars highlighted in the body of the assignment, different types of domestic
violence are said to occur in the community, they are the physical violence, economic
violence, psychological and social violence that come to cause no only physical harms in
the victims, but also cause traumas that may last for so long and will sometimes let them
to get used to violence and not being able to figure the severe domestic violence.

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5. Reference List

Donnemching, Grace (2014) Domestic violence: its causes and impact. IGNOU, New
Delhi.

McKeown Kieran & Kidd, Philippa (2002). Men and Domestic Violence: What Research
Tells Us. Social & Economic Research Consultants, Hollybank Road, Drumcondra,
Dublin, Ireland.

Patrick L. Wendy (2020) Why Men Who Are Domestic Violence Victims Don't Report
citing Machado, Andreia, Anita Santos, Nicola Graham-Kevan, and Marlene Matos. 2017.
“Exploring Help Seeking Experiences of Male Victims of Female Perpetrators of IPV.”
Journal of Family Violence 32 (5): 513–23. doi:10.1007/s10896-016-9853-8

Tsui, Venus, Monit Cheung, and Patrick Leung (2010) Help-Seeking among Male Victims
of Partner Abuse: Men’s Hard Times. Journal of Community Psychology 38 (6): 769–80.
doi:10.1002/jcop.20394

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