Madison Schlichthorn
Abusive Relationships
When looking in on a relationship, it can be simple for an outsider to spot abuse, although when in a relationship, it is not necessarily black and white. An abusive relationship has many different components. There is a large amount of psychology behind domestic relationships, including gender stereotypes, why one would stay, the effects it has on them once they leave, and what leads the abuser to become an abuser.
A common stereotype around domestic abuse is that a male cannot be a victim of abuse. Albeit, it is more common for women to be victims, for every five victims of domestic abuse, three will be female and two will be male ("What is domestic", 2013). It is also noted that on average, men are less likely to report, or notice, that they are in an abusive relationship. When in a relationship where they are being faced with abuse, many men feel that since they are bigger and stronger than their partner, they cannot be victims (Flor, 2014).
Men are less likely to report abuse for a variety of reasons.
"There is a stigma attached to being a male victim of spousal abuse that even permeates our field. I had a discussion with a male professor at one university [in a family department] that refused to believe that a woman could be abusive." (Flor, 2014).
Another reason that men tend to stay in abusive relationships is because they do not want to be viewed as failures. Many males are taught as children that husbands/boyfriends are meant to be the protector of the family (Flor, 2014).
When it comes to why abusers choose to abuse their victims, there is an array of reasons. The way that an abuser views his victim is differently than how most view...