When Men are Charged with Domestic Violence, Despite Women Being the Real Perpetrators

If you’ve been charged with domestic violence (DV), you are facing some serious legal penalties. But what if prosecutors have it backwards, and the violence in your relationship is directed at you, not emanating from you?  When heterosexual couples have violent relationships, men are often blamed as the aggressor. But is that always accurate? The truth is, men do wind up on the receiving end of family violence more often than some people realize.

DV Charges 

If you’ve been falsely accused of domestic violence, you absolutely must fight the charges.  Otherwise, the consequences could be horrendous, including:

• Impacting your ability to secure employment;
• Destroying your right to own a gun;
• Paying substantial fines (as much as $15,000);
• Requirements to do community service (as many as 200 hours);
• Going to prison (15+ years depending on charges).

 Bias Against Men in DV Cases 

When we hear about domestic violence, women are usually thought of as the victims, and often that is accurate. But it’s just not always a one-way street. Men are victims of DV too but fear they will not be believed if they report it or seek help. Unlike women, men know there’s a good chance they will be viewed as pitiful and feeble, if not as liars.  In cases where a man is physically bigger and stronger than his intimate partner, it may be difficult to believe he is being abused. Even so, men do experience violence from domestic partners with alarming frequency, and often have trouble finding someone to believe them:

• There are hundreds of studies confirming that when relationships are violent, women are just as likely to be the aggressor as men. In fact, about forty percent of reports of serious violence involving former or current partners are filed by men, in most cases involving an attack by women.
• Despite these studies, when police are called to the scene of a domestic dispute, they are more likely to arrest both individuals when only dealing with same-sex couples. Conversely, men are arrested when police intervene in cases involving heterosexual couples.
• When it comes to securing a protective order, women are much more successful than men.
• Finally, mock juries are more likely to assign blame to men than to women when presented with identical violent scenarios, even when switching up which partner is the perpetrator of the violence in the scenario.

 The Violence Against Men is Real 

Violence against anyone is very real, and very serious. The Center for Disease Control reports that 14 percent of male survey respondents say they’ve experienced serious violence at the hands of an intimate partner. The violence listed includes:

• Having hair pulled;
• Experiencing kicks and/or punches;
• Being struck with a heavy object;
• Being slammed against the wall or door;
• Suffering suffocation or choking;
• Being beaten;
• Being burned;
• Being threatened with a knife or gun.

The Legal Help You Need 

Have you been charged with domestic violence, even though you are actually the victim? The experienced Las Vegas criminal defense attorneys at Lobo Law can help.  We listen.  We guide you through your legal options and provide an aggressive defense.  Call for a confidential consultation in our office today.

Source:

leg.state.nv.us/nrs/nrs-200.html