Emasculated

Men Are Abused Too

This book illustrates the shadow side of abuse by providing several firsthand accounts of men who survived abuse. For there to be a shift in the way we perceive abuse and who can perpetrate it, we must understand where our beliefs about gender, gender ideals, and gender roles come from in order to comprehend how men can be abused in many of the same ways a woman can. When we discuss toxic relationships or relationship abuse, we expect to hear stories of women being abused and mistreated by their male partners. This is because we hold the belief that men are strong, aggressive, violent, and controlling, and women are soft, physically weak, nurturing, and loving. This has led us to the shadow attribute that men cannot be abused, and if they are, then they are less of a man. While there has been a shift in beliefs about abuse in recent years, if a man had said he was emotionally, psychologically, sexually, or physically abused by a female partner just ten years ago, many people would have laughed at him and said he was less of a man. These conflicting ideas of gender roles and the shadow of abuse cause a number of problems for men. Loneliness, isolation, anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicide can all be the shadow’s effect on male abuse victims. This book has been written to help men feel witnessed, create more awareness, and allow for a more accurate and all-encompassing perspective regarding abuse to be brought forth. Abuse is not discriminatory, and the predator can be a woman. By bringing awareness to the fact that Men Are Abused Too, maybe a co-creation of awareness and preventative measures may begin to manifest.