The results of a landmark longitudinal study into domestic violence paint a grim picture, but they also point to key solutions, especially before men offend.
Click baity headline:
One in three men (32%) aged 18 to 57 years report using emotional abuse towards a partner. One in ten (9%) say they have used physical violence.
9% is way to high and definitely a problem that needs addressed. But the article mentions multiple times stuff like:
Overall, among the 120,000 men surveyed, one in three (35%) said they’d used a form of violence towards an intimate partner in their adult life.
Like, obviously not defending emotional abuse, but it really shouldn’t fall under “violence”.
It’s 100% a form of abuse and a serious issue, just not “violence”.
Hm, it’s not usually what I think of either when I read/hear the word “violence”, but I guess it’s using a broader definition. Apparently verbal/emotional abuse also qualifies under the legal definition for domestic violence
Would love to see a study on womens violence on men then if that counts
What’s classified as emotional abuse? Is giving them shit for the lols considered emotional abuse? Is calling them a dingus for doing a dumb dumb emotional abuse? What if they give you the exact same shit, and have since before you started your relationship?
so when a man calls another man a name they have committed violence?
The linked report goes into more detail about what they consider violence and how the answers were collected https://aifs.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-05/Insights-Report-IPV-Chapter-1.pdf
Here’s one (of many) relevant sections (emphasis added):
To understand the use of intimate partner violence, respondents were presented with a series of questions following the prompt, ‘As an adult, how have you behaved towards a past or present partner?’, and asked to respond either ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Respondents were also able to skip answering these questions. The questions included:
- Have you ever behaved in a manner that has made a partner feel frightened or anxious? (emotional- type abuse) 1
- Have you ever hit, slapped, kicked or otherwise physically hurt a partner when you were angry? (physical violence)
- Have you ever forced a partner to have sex or made them engage in any sexual activity they did not want? (sexual abuse) 2
Similarly, to measure men’s experience of intimate partner violence, respondents were presented with a series of questions following the prompt, ‘As an adult, have you ever experienced any of the following?’, and asked to respond either ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Respondents were also able to skip answering these questions. The questions included:
- Have you ever felt frightened or anxious because of the behaviour of a partner? (emotional-type abuse).
- Have you ever been hit, slapped, kicked or otherwise physically hurt by a partner when they were angry? (physical violence).
- Has a partner ever forced you to have sex or made you engage in any sexual activity you did not want? (sexual abuse).
My partner came home later than expected and I felt anxious. By this definition, my partner was committing intimate partner violence? What?
No. That is one question they ask. It is not how they define intimate partner violence.
The definition they use is right there in the report:
What is intimate partner violence? In this research, we adopt the definition of intimate partner violence set out in the National Plan as:
Any behaviour within an intimate relationship (including current or past marriages, domestic partnerships or dates) that causes physical, sexual or psychological harm … Intimate partner violence can occur outside of a domestic setting, such as in public, and between 2 people that do not live together. (DSS, 2022, p 37)
So if the behaviour does not (my emphasis) “cause physical, sexual or psychological harm”, it does not match their definition of intimate partner violence.
No. That is one question they ask. It is not how they define intimate partner violence.
It’s not how they define it in the report but it sure sounds like if you answered yes to that one question they went ahead and classed you as using/experiencing intimate partner violence anyway. It’s right there in the report:
To understand the use of intimate partner violence, respondents were presented with a series of questions following the prompt, ‘As an adult, how have you behaved towards a past or present partner?’, and asked to respond either ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Respondents were also able to skip answering these questions. The questions included:
- Have you ever behaved in a manner that has made a partner feel frightened or anxious? (emotional- type abuse)
Similarly, men were coded as ever having used or experienced forms of intimate partner violence by 2022 if they had responded ‘yes’ to any of the types of violence at either the 2013–14 survey or the 2022 survey.
Looking at these comments minimising domestic abuse and sheesh… am I glad I’m not a heterosexual.
