The Hidden Fact About Domestic Violence and the Silent Majority
A Man Is The Victim Of Domestic Abuse Every 37.8 Seconds In America
Los Angeles, CA, January 11, 2016 (Newswire.com) - What traditionally goes ignored by the mainstream media, there is an epidemic that disrupts the status quo of reporting. We commonly do not see abuse as something that affects men, however a CDC/DOJ National survey and statistical analysis points to men being the primary recipients of intimate partner violence.
- 1 in 7 men will be victims of severe violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime according to the American Psychological Association. ( http://www.apa.org).
I was scared and alone...
Lenny Gerard
- 2 in 5: The number of gay or bisexual men who will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetimes.
- 18,500,000: The number of mental health care visits due to intimate partner violence every year.
On July 4th, 2014, singer/songwriter Lenny Gerard, www.LennyGerard.com, was severely beaten by his intimate partner outside of a bar in Queens, NY. Bystanders watched, many in amusement, as Lenny was assaulted by his then partner. This raises an immediate question on equality and what has become a norm within abuse reporting. How would this have been handled and/or perceived should this have been a man beating a woman?
Silent no longer, and in an effort to raise a heightened awareness, Lenny Gerard and partners have created a Public-Service-Announcement (PSA) and Music Video Campaign. The promotion touches on the important issues of domestic violence against men and how it often goes unnoticed; thus limiting resources and programs for battered men across the world.
As a team, Lenny and his colleagues were able to secure full production funding in the fall of 2015. With a crew of over 15 people, they were able to successfully film the PSA, and is currently in the final stages of post-production. A teaser of what’s to come can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zqMXcxelRk. Filming took place in Downtown Los Angeles, at the historic Hotel Cortez; also used in FX’s American Horror Story.
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Lenny and his team have recently launched a crowd-funding platform, https://www.gofundme.com/maleabuse, to assist in all promotional efforts. We will be introducing a national campaign, with the hashtag #menRvictims2, in March of 2016 to raise mainstream awareness about this important issue of domestic violence amongst males.