Gender shouldn't be important in domestic abuse cases. Victims of domestic abuse can be men, as well as women. Abuse is abuse, no matter what the gender of the victim. Mistreatment does not mean not taking out the garbage or having a dispute over who does the dishes, but mistreatment would be some form of physical or verbal abuse that goes too far thus hurting persons physically or scarring them emotionally. Inflicting a bruise or cut on someone or lowering someone's self-esteem by verbally attacking him or her are examples of mistreatment.
Abuse can be verbal, emotional, and psychological as well as physical.
Nowhere in the definition does it say that abuse is more of a female problem than a male problem. It is an issue that needs to be taken seriously, regardless of the victim's gender. Both men and women can be the victims of abuse. There are many men like Tracy, who are in denial that they too are victims of domestic violence. They think they are trapped into their relationship because they don't know where they can turn.