Photo: TikTok
Men can be victims of domestic violence too.
By Victoria Soliz — Written on Oct 27, 2022
Viewers of one man's TikTok livestream watched a possible domestic violence situation get stopped before it escalated to a dangerous level.
A TikTok creator, who goes by @official_bigoletexan stepped in after happening upon a violent exchange between a couple.
The TikToker shared a video showing how he intervened after witnessing domestic violence.
The video shows him walking up to the door of a couple and helping the victim out of a domestic violence situation by telling him to take a walk with him.
The creator had overheard the concerning exchange in his apartment building and stepped in.
The creator also comments on the man’s neck, saying it’s bleeding and asking if he needs to go to a hospital.
The alleged victim mentions his groin sustained injuries as well.
He claimed that he was trying to contain the noise and de-escalate the situation by trying to go to sleep, but it got so bad that the TikToker had to go upstairs and intervene.
The victim in this case of domestic violence was a man.
“Men can be victims of DV too! Sometimes we have to stand up for each other because we are either too proud or scared to stand up for ourselves! His injuries were quite severe and the woman was arrested!” read the caption of the video.
Although many think it's uncommon for men to fall victim to domestic violence, the video proved that's not entirely true.
In a follow-up video, he addressed the situation and gave an update on what happened after the events of his post.
“The best update I can give is she was arrested and I was able to convince him to get medical attention,” he said.
He explained how he had heard the commotion upstairs earlier in the night, went up, and asked them to quiet down.
After time passed and nothing changed, he went back up again and thought that the man may have been in trouble, so he removed him from the situation.
People in the comments of the TikTok praised the man and held out hope for the victim.
“I pray he gets out of that situation and doesn't go back,” one user wrote.
“Witnessing you help this man was wonderful. Like folks said in the chat this morning, you saved him! I hope he gets the help he needs. Thank you Tex,” another user wrote.
Others pointed out the double standard when it comes to male victims in domestic violence situations.
“I can't even fathom the thought process of the people that don't think men can be a victim of DV. You're amazing for stepping up to help him,” a comment read.
It’s true that societal presumptions prevent people from believing male victims in domestic violence cases.
According to Denise Hines, associate professor of Social Work at George Mason University the differences between male and female victims add to this double standard.
“Men’s experiences with domestic violence are not that different from women who experience it in terms of mental health, physical, and even sexual abuse," Hines explains.
"The key difference is around seeking help. Men are less likely to seek help on a broad range of mental and physical health issues,” she said.
She also spoke on how society views domestic violence as “a women’s issue,” making it hard for men to identify the situation and know when they need help.
It’s important to recognize that domestic violence affects anybody and everybody.
If you or someone you love needs out of a domestic violence situation, call 800-799-7233 or text START to 88788.
Victoria Soliz is a writer with YourTango who covers news and entertainment content. Her work explores pop culture trends, film and TV, and celebrity news