Certain groups in our society like to create a narrative and then run with that narrative, regardless of the facts of the issue. Domestic violence is perfect example of this phenomenon. Practically everything you’ve heard about domestic violence over the past 20 years is one-sided, misleading, or simply false. Here are three of those myths:
1. “Domestic violence is all about men beating up their wives.” Not true. According to the latest Centers for Disease Control report, men are more likely than women to be victims of physical abuse in the past year:[1]
| Level of Violence – Previous 12 Months | Men | Women |
| Physical violence – overall | 3.8% | 2.9% |
| Slapped, pushed, or shoved | 3.4% | 2.6% |
| Any severe physical violence | 2.0% | 1.9% |
2. “Abuse is not a problem among lesbians, because women never abuse.” Again, not true. According to the CDC, lesbian couples, indicated in bold in the table, experience higher rates of abuse than among homosexual couples or heterosexual couples:[2]
| MALES – Lifetime | Gay | Bisexual | Heterosexual |
| Slapped, pushed, or shoved | 24.0% | 27.0% | 26.3% |
| Any severe physical violence | 16.4% | [Number too small to report] | 13.9% |
| Total | 40.0% | 27.0% | 40.2% |
| FEMALES – Lifetime | Lesbian | Bisexual | Heterosexual |
| Slapped, pushed, or shoved | 36.3% | 55.1% | 29.8% |
| Any severe physical violence | 29.4% | 49.3% | 23.6% |
| Total | 65.7% | 100.0% | 53.4% |
3. “Domestic violence is caused by men seeking to uphold their patriarchal power and control.” This statement is not only wrong, it’s ridiculous. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has identified over 25 different causes of domestic violence.[3] These include individual, relationship, and community factors. Substance abuse, marital instability, psychological disorders, and other factors are known to often lead to domestic violence incidents.
Another common domestic violence myth is that the problem only involves Partner A hurting Partner B. But in 58% of cases, the abuse is mutual and bi-directional, such as, The woman slaps the man, and he shoves her back.[4]
SAVE has developed a Fact Sheet on Seven Key Facts About Domestic Violence.[5] SAVE also has published two Special Reports that further explore the problem of domestic violence myths:
- Most DV Educational Programs Lack Accuracy, Balance, and Truthfulness[6]
- Fifty Domestic Violence Myths[7]
Domestic violence programs and services need to be based on sound research and good evidence, not on ideologically driven myths.
Citations:
[1] Centers for Disease Control. National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2015 Data Brief – Updated Release. Tables 9 and 11. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/2015data-brief508.pdf
[2] CDC NISVS: 2010 Findings on Victimization by Sexual Orientation. Tables 6 and 7. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/nisvs_sofindings.pdf
[3] Centers for Disease Control: Intimate Partner Violence: Risk and Protective Factors. http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/intimatepartnerviolence/riskprotectivefactors.html
[4] Jennifer Langhinrichsen-Rohling. Rates of bi-directional vs. uni-directional intimate partner violence: A comprehensive review. Partner Abuse Vol. 3, No. 2, 2012. http://www.springerpub.com/content/journals/PA-KnowledgeBase-41410.pdf
[5] http://www.saveservices.org/wp-content/uploads/Seven-Facts-About-DV-2.5.2019.pdf
[6] http://www.saveservices.org/downloads/SAVE-DV-Educational-Programs
[7] http://www.mediaradar.org/docs/RADARreport-50-DV-Myths.pdf