I find Mr. Bornstein's article accurate and helpful. The CDC's report however, is old news and does not consider domestic violence perpetrated on females by other family members.

In situations where familial violence is the norm the female child is most likely to take on the role of peace maker, surrogate parent to siblings and the abused parent. They frequently grow up and marry men who abuse them or pass their hurt onto their own children. In the past male domestic abusers have been protected by a society that declared, "A man's home is his castle." Other abusers were protected by the popular sentiment that "What goes on in the home stays in the home." Finally, we have the wonderful, "Spare the rod, spoil the child."

Our ability to discuss an epidemic now that has been pervasive in our culture since our culture developed is a discourse long over due.

Bornstein's article helps sustain the illusion that men are violent and women are their passive victims in intimate relationships. He should give more coverage to the large body of research that shows that women in intimate relationships are as likely to initiate non-defensive violence as men are.

Women are better able to hide their abuse of family members. All the more reason for Psychology Today to make more efforts to expose it.

Men batter because they are emotional weaklings. This is a fact that needs much wider dissemination. Speaking from personal experience.