What is the truth about intimate partner aggression? Nearly 200 scientific studies point to this simple conclusion: Women are at least as likely as men to engage in partner aggression.

This is what leading researchers say:

“Research indicates that women can be just as violent as their partners.” – Irene Hanson Frieze, Psychology of Women’s Quarterly, 2005

“Differences were observed in the rates of male and female partner violence, with female violence occurring more frequently.” – Renee McDonald, Journal of Family Psychology, 2006

“A recent meta-analysis found that a woman’ s perpetration of violence was the strongest predictor of her being a victim of partner violence.” – Daniel Whitaker, American Journal of Public Health, 2007

“Several studies, including large and nationally representative sample, have found that the most prevalent pattern is mutual violence.” – Murray Straus, Prevention of Partner Violence, 2008

Men are often injured by their wives or girlfriends. According to a 2000 meta-analysis by John Archer, PhD, men suffer 38% of all injuries arising from partner aggression. But men often don’t report the incident, so they endure their pain in silence.

As a result, the media often presents a one-sided view of domestic violence.

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