Although the majority of men are not physically violent, this way of thinking makes the use of violence seem acceptable to many. Most individual acts of men's violence are a pathetic attempt to assert control over women, children, or other men. Paradoxically, most violent acts by men are a sign of weakness, insecurity, and lack of self-esteem combined with a capacity for physical or verbal domination and a feeling that they should be superior and in control. Women are not immune from committing acts of violence. Women's groups have spoken out against the problem of violence against children, which is committed by both women and men, although most sexual abuse of children is by men.
Women too can be violent against men or other women, but it is far less common than violence by men.
The figure is even higher when the violence was by a man the woman knows. This might be because alcohol unleashes feelings, fears, rage, and insecurities that some men, cut off from their feelings, cannot handle. Alcohol doesn't cause violence. Genes don't cause violence. Ultimately, it is the attempts by some men to dominate women, other men or groups of men, and adults' attempts to dominate children that are the reasons for most of the violence that surrounds us.