Though most people believe that men are more physically aggressive than women, there is evidence that women are often as hostile and aggressive as men, if not more. Women, though, tend to strike at men when they are helpless (for example while they are asleep). Most relationships in which the woman is the abuser consists of minor violence such as slapping, pushing, grabbing, shoving, and throwing things. An interview with a battered male whose name remained anonymous proved the violent tactics of a woman. .
She would physically attack me, tear the glasses off, and kick me in the testicles five, six, seven times. you couldn't control her. A couple of times, I would wrestle her to the ground, pin her arms around her, and wrap my legs around her, and tell her to calm down, calm down. She'd say " OK I'm calm now, I'm under control now." And you let her go, and she'd be right back at you, doing it again (Cook 47). .
The National Violence Against Women survey found that men are half as likely to call the police than women are. Those men that do call the police, though, are not taken seriously. A college student, Tim S., called the cops after his girlfriend had one of her abusive episodes, leaving him with a big gash leaking of blood, and the cop's response to his desire to press charges was, "There's nothing to press charges on, she is half your size. The judge won't even look at it" (Cook 83). Left helpless, the man had to continue dealing with the abuse. Another battered husband tried to file a restraining order against his wife, yet had one served to him instead. The judge did not want to see his scars or bites, and apathetically gave him a restraining order. The next day, his wife went to see the same judge. Though she did not have any marks on her, she tells the judge she is in fear for her and the baby's life, that her husband is an abusive alcoholic, and so on. As a result, the judge vacated the husbands order, and gave the wife full temporary custody of the child, and granted her a restraining order against her husband (Cook 85).
