It can sneak up on the victim, slowly growing until the victim finds them self under the complete control of another, being told what they can and can not do, stripped of all dignity, and emotionally broken. Domestic violence doesn't always stay behind closed doors, limiting itself to emotional abuse or beatings, either. It includes a wide range of criminal offenses that include harassment, criminal trespassing, burglary, criminal mischief, lewdness, criminal sexual contact, sexual assault, false imprisonment, criminal restraint, kidnapping, terroristic threats, assault, stalking, and homicide. There were 85,018 domestic violence offenses reported to New Jersey police departments in these categories alone in 1996. And surprisingly, the majority of victims of domestic violence aren't women.
Male victims are just more reluctant to disclose the fact that they are being abused than women.
In our culture, men have been traditionally viewed as being emotionally stronger than women. They are raised on the premise that it's not all right to cry. They are taught at an early age that they must learn to control their emotions, be strong, and assume the role of provider and protector in a relationship. Conventionally raised men then, tend to view abuse by a woman as putting them in a non-masculine role. They keep their emotions in check, take the abuse, and don't talk about it.