I just wanted to start this post off by saying that it’s a bit of a sensitive topic and probably a little controversial.
PLEASE READ WITH CAUTION!
I hope Cee’s Photography is having a fantastic break! I guess this post is like sharing a part of my world. This post will give you a little bit of an insight into how I think.
There is something that I would have to say is my “trigger”. If you don’t know what a trigger is, it’s really simple to understand. A trigger is a subject matter that no matter how good of a mood you are in, or how confident you are feeling. A trigger is something that makes you instantly upset and/or mad.
One of my triggers is when a woman will say something like that men cannot possibly be abused or raped, because they are bigger than us.
I can’t even begin to tell these women what is wrong with this statement, and how dangerous it is! I know for a fact and through personal experience that most men already have issues when it comes to expressing themselves and this is why the male suicide rate is so high. You don’t even have to be physically bigger to rape and abuse someone. They can be drugged, for example. How many times have we heard in rape cases of people being drugged and completely knocked out at the time? You can’t fight chemicals.
Highest Australian suicide rate in 13 years driven by men aged 40 to 44 – The Guardian (March 2016)
As for not being abused because men can just “fight back”. Yes, I guess that some probably could, but that is not how abuse works. Abusers of any gender don’t start by hitting someone straight away. Abusers will bring you down mentally and spiritually, most of the time you don’t even realise it’s happening. Not all men are bigger than us (not that that’s important). What about men who are in relationships with other men? What about men who were abused by family members when they’re little?
What made me the most saddest about this trigger was I saw these comments, which made me set off was on a Facebook page for White Ribbon. For those who don’t know who White Ribbon is, it’s a cause in Australia for stopping violence against Women. I am clearly for stopping violence against woman and children. This doesn’t mean though you can just say “it doesn’t happen to men, they don’t understand” because I guarantee they do. It saddens me to see someone say they’ve gone through being abused, but according to them men just don’t get it.
I guarantee they do.
#ItsOkayToTalk
Great post Lauren! this is so true. I hate when people say that. The fact that so many people believe that is the reason that many men don’t come forward about it. America’s first shelter for male domestic violence victims opened recently in Arizona and I’m so happy about it but it’s just one in one of 50 states. We need more!
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I am so happy to hear that! =D
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Reblogged this on bookmarkchronicles and commented:
#ItsOkayToTalk
End the stigma that men can’t suffer from abuse
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Reblogged this on Writing Radiation and commented:
I’m so with LolsysLibrary on this topic: Saying that men can’t be abused &/raped is guaranteed to upset & infuriate me. The reason there isn’t more “proof” of these events is the toxic masculinity culture that tells men they can’t even talk about their feelings, let alone being hurt by their partners (of whatever gender/gender presentation). Then, there’s the unjustified, unfair, & plain awful mockery male victims/survivors receive.
So grrr right now… but, y’know what? #ItsOkayToTalk
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Brilliant post. It grinds my gears too.
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