Domestic Violence Myths

An organization devoted to improving the effectiveness of our nation’s approach to solving domestic violence has compiled and analyzed 50 domestic violence myths that are prevalent in today’s society.

RADAR (Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting), a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women, put together 50 popular domestic violence claims that are made by the media and various organizations and are even included in legislative bills.

The group says its concern is not merely in the large number of dishonest assertions but that the “widespread existence of such myths has come to overshadow the truth of domestic violence.”

What follows are eight of the more revealing domestic violence myths, according to RADAR. Click the link to read all 50 domestic violence myths.

 

Myth: When women engage in domestic violence, it is only for reasons of self-defense.
Fact: Self-defense accounts for only 10-20% of female partner aggression

Myth: Men are controlling in their relationships with partners.
Fact: A need for control is not a common cause of domestic violence, and when it is, women are as likely as men to be controlling.

Myth: Men and women engage in domestic violence for fundamentally different reasons.
Fact: A study of causes of domestic violence found that 12 of the 14 reasons applied to both men and women.

Myth: Women can’t walk out on an abusive relationship because they are fearful of losing their home and means of financial support.
Fact: This claim is true in some cases, but is one-sided because it ignores the fact that men can’t leave an abusive relationship because they may fear for their child’s safety or worry about losing the relationship with their children.

Myth: False allegations of domestic violence are almost nonexistent.
Fact: One study found 71% of civil restraining orders were unnecessary or false. Another analysis found over half of restraining orders did not involve even an allegation of violence.

Myth: Restraining orders should be made freely available to victims of abuse.
Fact: There is little evidence that restraining orders prevent future violence and sometimes they escalate the conflict.

Myth: False allegations are no more common in divorce or custody disputes than at any other time.
Fact: False allegations of sexual abuse in fact appear to be far more common during custody disputes.

Myth: Allegations of domestic violence have no demonstrated effect on the rate at which persons are awarded custody of their children.
Fact: This claim is refuted by a study that found judges were more likely to award sole custody to the non-perpetrator.

 

The divorce attorneys for men at Cordell and Cordell Family Law fight for men’s rights so if you are the victim of domestic violence, contact a Cordell & Cordell office nearest you. For more information on domestic abuse, visit DadsDivorce.com.