Battered Men: The Silence, the Stigma, the Suffering...

"Domestic violence is not a gender issue, it is a human issue"

~Anonymous

A man who is being abused by a women or another man is often called:"Browbeat", "Whipped", "Punk", "Pussy", "Chump", "Weak", "Bitch"  Call it what you want; I call it "ABUSED".  Before you read any further, I want you to open your mind to this post.  According to the US Justice Department and the Centers for Prevention & Disease Control, over 1/3 of all batterers involved in domestic violence were wives or girlfriends.  Abuse against men is very real and if you don't believe that it can happen, click the link to watch a short video about a man who endured 25 years of abuse from his wife:

 Jerry Miranda Story

When I decided to write about this topic tonight, I knew there would be people who couldn't understand how a man could be a victim.  In presentations I explain it like this...

False Evidence Appearing Real (FEAR)

  He begged her to talk with him.  "We have so much to discuss".  Those were his sentiments.  She thought perhaps an apology would be at the heart of this conversation.  He had done so much to deliberately hurt her that she didn't believe he could do any more damage.  She met him and they talked in her car.  The interaction gradually turned from tense to terrifying and she knew she made a huge mistake by allowing this talk to happen.  She decided to drive her car away from the desolate street they were on to an open, well lit parking lot with a healthy amount of pedestrians.  Noticing his anger increasing, she felt trapped even surrounded by people.  She had left him four months ago for irreconcilable mistakes made on his part.  He still couldn't fathom their relationship being over.  She screamed out, "Why are you doing this to me?  Just leave me alone!"  He grabbed her neck and squeezed.  In that moment, she felt the breath robbed from her body.  Her heart was beating from her chest and aside from physical pain, she felt betrayed and disrespected.  The tears streaming down her face seemed to singe her cheeks.  Within her emotions, she managed to garner enough power to punch him in his ribs.  He groaned in agony, but continued to choke her until something snapped and he let her go.  She grabbed her throat from shock and held on from dismay. He fled from the car and disappeared.  In the moments after this incident, anything affiliated with him caused only one emotion...

FEAR.