Men Can Be Abused, Too

[Trigger warning: This post contains material about sexual and dating violence.]

I think it’s important to remember that men can be victims too. I know what you’re thinking: “But men are always the perpetrators of domestic violence!” And while that may be largely true, it’s also important to acknowledge that men can be victims too. Over 43 million women and 38 million men have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime.

Men who are victims of intimate partner violence often don’t have the same support structure or resources as women when it comes to leaving abusive partners. There are more than 4,000 intimate partner violence programs in the U.S., but very few actually offer the same services to men as they do women. I know that men are capable of being abused by their partners — and it happens more often than you’d think. But what about other instances? What if the man is less famous? What if the man is less powerful or confident? We live in a world where people think that men are “supposed” to be strong and confident — and that makes them less likely to report abuse or seek help in any situation. That’s what I want to change.

I’m not saying that men don’t perpetrate intimate partner violence either (they do), but there is still a lot we need to do in terms of taking the issue seriously when it involves men. This…