Violence against men

Violence against men is a term for violent acts that are disproportionately or exclusively committed against men or boys. Men are over-represented as both victims and perpetrators of violence. Studies of social attitudes show violence is perceived as more or less serious depending on the gender of victim and perpetrator. People are less likely to report a man hitting another man to the police than a man hitting a woman. Male law enforcement officers show a greater reluctance to file charges or reports when a man is the victim of domestic violence. The use of stereotypes by law enforcement is a recognised issue, and international law scholar Solange Mouthaan argues that, in conflict scenarios, sexual violence against men has been ignored in favor of a focus on sexual violence against women and children. A possible influence for this difference in focus is the physical power that men hold over women, making people more likely to condemn violence with this gender configuration. The concept of male survivors of violence goes against social perceptions of the male gender role, leading to low recognition. Due to perceptions of rape as a women's issue, services designed to help sexual assault victims are not always equipped to handle male victims. Men are at much higher risk of being victims of violent crime than women, while women are more fearful of violent crime. This phenomenon is termed by researchers as the "fear of crime gender paradox". Violence against LGBT people Male homosexuality has been persecuted, often violently, through history. Termed "sodomy" during the Middle Ages and the early modern period, men found guilty of "sodomy" were often subjected to capital punishment for homosexuality. In its December 2020 report, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) found that homosexuality is criminalized in 67 of 193 UN member states and one non-independent jurisdiction, the Cook Islands, while two UN member states, Iraq and Egypt, criminalize it de facto but not in legislation.