When we hear "domestic violence," many of us imagine a female or child victim and a male perpetrator. And while this is often the case, violence can happen in many different ways or relationships. In a move that shows domestic violence can affect everyone, men in Batesville County in Arkansas now have a dedicated shelter to turn to if they are victims domestic violence, according to Arkansas Online. Men had been sheltered in a six-bedroom facility in the past, but the Taylor House Domestic Violence Shelter for Men appears to be the first registered shelter for males in the country. We think this is a wonderful idea. Men—and everyone—deserve safety and care without being blamed or stigmatized. The same sexist stereotypes that harm women cab also harm men, and we're so happy to see that men in one neighborhood have somewhere to turn.

Click through to read the whole story, visit the Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence to learn more about resources in the area, or visit The National Domestic Violence Hotline or call 1 (800) 799-7233 if you need help or additional resources.

Arkansas Online - When most people hear the term “domestic violence,” their minds automatically turn to women or children in dangerous household situations. Men are often seen as the abusers in domestic-violence scenarios, but there are times when men are on the receiving end of abuse.

“Many people do not realize that domestic violence also affects men,” said Patty Duncan, executive director of Family Violence Prevention Inc. in Batesville. “It’s not just male/female relationships. Domestic violence includes intimate partners, family and household members.”

Family Violence Prevention has housed men in its private six-bedroom Safehaven Shelter in the past, but in October, the nonprofit opened The Taylor House Domestic Violence Shelter for Men. Duncan said that — as far as she can tell — it is the first registered shelter for males in the country.

Read the rest here.