(c) 2010 Tagesanzeiger.
Current figures show that one in five victims of domestic violence is a man. The offenses range from simple assault to attempted murder.
Men are far more frequently victims of violence by women in marriages and relationships than previously thought. The Federal Statistical Office has, for the first time, received and analyzed data from the cantonal police forces for the year 2009. The newspaper "Der Sonntag" has obtained the data. According to this data, the following crimes occurred "within the context of relationships or former partnerships" last year:
- Intentional homicide or attempted homicide : 49 cases have been registered across Switzerland. In 15 cases, the victim was a man – that is, in almost one out of every three offenses.
- Serious bodily harm : 39 attacks are recorded in the police statistics. In 8 cases, the victim was a man. Men make up one-fifth of the victims.
- Simple assault : There were 1,840 incidents of physical violence within a relationship. In 309 cases, the victim was a man. One in six victims is male.
- Physical assaults (for example, slapping): A total of 3,987 assaults occurred in relationships. 759 victims were men. One in five assaults was committed against a man.
All in all, statistics on domestic violence show that 20 percent of victims of violence against life and limb across Switzerland are men. And it could be even higher. "Police statistics only record official cases. The actual percentage, taking into account unreported cases, is far higher," says Oliver Hunziker, president of the Association of Responsible Parents (VeV).
Cortesi: "Women are more willing to resort to violence."
There are no comparative figures for previous years, but according to the "Sonntag" newspaper, the numbers are rising. The Zurich cantonal police have registered an increase: "We are seeing an increase in women's willingness to use violence. Women are more willing to resort to violence," says press officer Mario Cortesi. In its report on violence, the Bern Commission for Equal Opportunities concluded: "The current situation of male victims is similar to that of raped and abused women thirty years ago. Back then, they had to fight against denial of the problem and against ignorance."
The reasons for female aggression are 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 they tend towards physical violence."
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 VeV. Demand is high: both shelters are well occupied.