Domestic violence: One in five victims is a man!

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Violence by women against men is much more common in Switzerland than previously thought. In marriages and partnerships, 20 percent of victims of violence are men. Graphic: az

The figures presented by the Federal Statistical Office for 2009 are shocking. For the first time, the office has analyzed police data to determine the number of male and female victims of domestic violence. The analysis is available to the newspaper "Sonntag." According to the data, in 31 percent of cases of homicide or attempted homicide, the victim is a man and the perpetrator a woman. For serious bodily harm, the figure is 21 percent, and for simple bodily harm, it is 17 percent. Overall, women account for 20 percent of violent crimes committed in relationships.

In fact, the figure is even higher. "Police statistics only record official cases. The actual number, taking into account unreported cases, is far higher," says Oliver Hunziker, president of the Association of Responsible Fathers and Mothers (VeV). "The number of unreported cases is high; many men are ashamed," confirms Dori Schaer-Born, president of the Bernese expert commission for gender equality. An act of violence "contradicts the traditional male role model." Furthermore, many men "are not taken seriously when they report it to the police.".

For a year now, there have been two contact points: in Erlenbach ZH, the men's shelter initiated by a pastor, and in Aargau, the fathers' shelter run by the VeV (Association of Protestant Women in Switzerland). Demand is high: both shelters are operating at full capacity.

According to the Zurich cantonal police, women's propensity for violence has increased in recent years. "Women are more willing to resort to physical violence," says press officer Mario Cortesi.

The reasons for female aggression are still poorly understood. "The power dynamics in the home have shifted: men and women are approaching a symmetry of power. This makes conflicts increasingly precarious and ultimately hopeless, because no one feels understood," says couples therapist Klaus Heer. Men today often feel at least as weak as their partners in everyday relationships: "Women are reacting more and more like men: the more helpless they feel in a conflict, the more likely they are to resort to physical violence."

According to foreign studies, the most common motives for violence perpetrated by women are coercion, anger, and the desire to punish their partner for misbehavior, especially infidelity. Separation and divorce are considered particularly high risk factors for intimate partner aggression. Jealousy, the need for power and control, as well as general frustration and stress, often play a role.