While there is no question that domestic violence against women is a major problem, it appears that men are also dealing with abuse in significant, if lower, numbers. However, not as much attention is paid to this issue because men are less likely to report being physically or mentally abused. This is likely in part due to the fact that men are embarrassed and society tends to see men in these situations as being weak.
According to the president of the National Domestic Violence Hotline, men tend to tell themselves that they can handle the problem. Cultural issues may make this worse. If someone married a person their family disapproved of, men may be even more reluctant to admit they are having problems.
Statistics from South Carolina indicate that both men and women are abused all too often, although women are the victim of abuse far more frequently. In the United States, the state has one of the highest rates of men killing women. However, according to information from the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, about one fifth of people killed in incidents involving domestic violence in the state are men.
Issues surrounding domestic assault charges are normally complex. Each situation tends to be unique since families and relationships are different. Some situations are anomalies and others are part of larger patterns of abuse. Alternatively, there are cases where a person may file a complaint against another individual in an effort to get revenge, even if the allegations are untrue. If people are facing charges related to domestic violence, a criminal defense attorney could explain their rights and how the process works and let them know what to expect.
