That Ain’t True: Common Myths About Domestic Violence

Debunking the biggest lies about intimate partner violence.

Don’t Believe the Hype - To commemorate National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we want to dispel some of the most common myths out there about intimate partner violence. Pass and share this to help educate others about a serious issue impacting our community. By Kellee Terrell (Photo: Daniel Koebe/Corbis)

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Don’t Believe the Hype - To commemorate National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we want to dispel some of the most common myths out there about intimate partner violence. Pass and share this to help educate others about a serious issue impacting our community. By Kellee Terrell (Photo: Daniel Koebe/Corbis)

Myth: Domestic Violence Is Not Our Problem - As we saw last year with the beating of Janay Rice by the hands of her now-husband Ray, domestic violence clearly impacts Black women, and disproportionately so. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), while on average 35 percent of women experience domestic violence, when you look at race, a whopping 43.7 percent of Black women have been abused in their lifetime by a spouse or partner.  (Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

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Myth: Domestic Violence Is Not Our Problem - As we saw last year with the beating of Janay Rice by the hands of her now-husband Ray, domestic violence clearly impacts Black women, and disproportionately so. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), while on average 35 percent of women experience domestic violence, when you look at race, a whopping 43.7 percent of Black women have been abused in their lifetime by a spouse or partner. (Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

Myth: Only Physical Violence Is Abuse - Yes, physical violence is one form of being abused, but it can also include: forcing you to have sex, emotional and verbal abuse, withholds and limiting your access to important things like money and car/house keys, isolating you from your friends and family, stalking you, acting out at your workplace and constantly checking on you.  (Photo: snapperharmer/Getty Images)

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Myth: Only Physical Violence Is Abuse - Yes, physical violence is one form of being abused, but it can also include: forcing you to have sex, emotional and verbal abuse, withholds and limiting your access to important things like money and car/house keys, isolating you from your friends and family, stalking you, acting out at your workplace and constantly checking on you. (Photo: snapperharmer/Getty Images)

Myth: You Must Have Done Something to Be Beaten - How many times have we heard this one? Always remember: no matter what you do, how slick your mouth is or if you are drunk and acting out, you do not deserve to be hit by your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner. There is NEVER an excuse to justify why someone has harmed you. You did not ask for it. Period.  (Photo: Diego Cervo/Getty Images)

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Myth: You Must Have Done Something to Be Beaten - How many times have we heard this one? Always remember: no matter what you do, how slick your mouth is or if you are drunk and acting out, you do not deserve to be hit by your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner. There is NEVER an excuse to justify why someone has harmed you. You did not ask for it. Period. (Photo: Diego Cervo/Getty Images)

Myth: If She Stays, It Must Not Be That Bad  - There are lots of reasons why women stay with their abusers, from loving her abuser to fearing her life if she leaves or being financially dependent on him. Abuse is bad no matter what, so let’s not judge or have these expectations of what we would do in these types of relationships.   (Photo: Camille Tokerud/Getty Images)

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Myth: If She Stays, It Must Not Be That Bad  - There are lots of reasons why women stay with their abusers, from loving her abuser to fearing her life if she leaves or being financially dependent on him. Abuse is bad no matter what, so let’s not judge or have these expectations of what we would do in these types of relationships. (Photo: Camille Tokerud/Getty Images)

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Myth: Only Weak, Unsuccessful Women Are Abused - Regardless of self-esteem, persona and strength, any woman can be abused. From the woman with a GED to the woman who runs her own company, there is no clear-cut type of woman who can end up in an abusive relationship.    (Photo: Caiaimage/Sam Edwards/Getty Images)

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Myth: Only Weak, Unsuccessful Women Are Abused - Regardless of self-esteem, persona and strength, any woman can be abused. From the woman with a GED to the woman who runs her own company, there is no clear-cut type of woman who can end up in an abusive relationship.  (Photo: Caiaimage/Sam Edwards/Getty Images)

Myth: Abuse Is Only When the Man Gets Out of Control - In many cases, that whole "he snapped" explanation is a farce. Abusers don't need to be provoked or need a high-intensity scenario to physically beat their partner. Also, remember that most abusers are calculated and are constantly controlling their partner in nonviolent ways in addition to physical violence.   (Photo:Hill Street Studios/ Getty Images)

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Myth: Abuse Is Only When the Man Gets Out of Control - In many cases, that whole "he snapped" explanation is a farce. Abusers don't need to be provoked or need a high-intensity scenario to physically beat their partner. Also, remember that most abusers are calculated and are constantly controlling their partner in nonviolent ways in addition to physical violence. (Photo:Hill Street Studios/ Getty Images)

Myth: LGBT Folks Don’t Experience Domestic Violence - Domestic violence can happen to any person and any couple regardless of sexual orientation. According to the CDC’s 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, of those surveyed, 43.8 percent of lesbians, 61.1 percent of bisexual women, 26 percent of gay men and 37.3 percent of bisexual men have experienced abuse, rape, stalking and assault by an intimate partner. Don't get it twisted.  (Photo: Zero Creatives/ Getty Images)

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Myth: LGBT Folks Don’t Experience Domestic Violence - Domestic violence can happen to any person and any couple regardless of sexual orientation. According to the CDC’s 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, of those surveyed, 43.8 percent of lesbians, 61.1 percent of bisexual women, 26 percent of gay men and 37.3 percent of bisexual men have experienced abuse, rape, stalking and assault by an intimate partner. Don't get it twisted. (Photo: Zero Creatives/ Getty Images)

Myth: Men Can't Be Victims - We tend to believe that because men are supposed to be "strong" and "masculine," they cannot be victims of domestic violence, which couldn't be further from the truth. Men can be raped, stalked and physically and emotionally abused. It just happens that women have higher rates than men.  (Photo: Robert Essel NYC/CORBIS)

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Myth: Men Can't Be Victims - We tend to believe that because men are supposed to be "strong" and "masculine," they cannot be victims of domestic violence, which couldn't be further from the truth. Men can be raped, stalked and physically and emotionally abused. It just happens that women have higher rates than men. (Photo: Robert Essel NYC/CORBIS)