Myths are used to normalise the violent behaviour of the abuser and blame the victim.
- Domestic violence only happens in low income and poorly educated settings
- Psychological abuse isn’t as serious as physical violence
- Abused women must like it, if they didn’t they wouldn’t let it happen
- Someone who abuses a woman is suffering a form of mental illness
- Drinking and drug taking is the cause of violent behaviour
- Violence is in a man’s nature
- If a woman really loves and understands her partner enough he will change and stop abusing her
- A women can’t refuse sexual intimacy with her partner
- What happens behind closed doors is a private matter
- He will change
- Jealousy, stress, being out of work are the reasons behind domestic violence
- The violence will stop after a while
- When a woman says “No” she means “Yes”
- This doesn’t happen to young women, only when people are married
