Myths of domestic violence
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Myth: Alcohol and drugs make men violent
Many men are violent when stone-cold sober. Others never touch alcohol, yet regularly abuse their partner.
Blaming drink or drugs is an excuse, a way of denying responsibility. Both may be the trigger for a particular attack, but they are not the cause.
Myth: It only happens in poor families on council estates
Anyone can be abused, no matter where they live or how much income they have. Abused women come from all walks of life and there are no exceptions. You only have to think of the celebrities we hear about in the papers to realise that money cannot protect you from domestic violence.
Men who abuse women are as likely to be lawyers, accountants and judges as they are milkmen, cleaners or unemployed.
Myth: More women would leave if the abuse was that bad
There are many reasons for staying with an abusive partner. The abused woman may fear what her partner will do if she leaves, or she may believe that staying with him is better for the...
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