"Is It Normal For My Girlfriend To Hit Me?"

Tension has been high between you and your girlfriend lately and although you are used to having disagreements with her, things are different this time as she has unleashed a different side that you had never seen before, a violent, ugly side. 

Even though you’ve probably not told anybody yet, you’ve been asking yourself “Is it normal for my girlfriend to hit me?” Well, the long and short answer is that domestic violence is neither normal nor acceptable, and it’s not something you can simply shrug off.

Statistics show that around 40% of women in Kenya between the ages of 15-49 have ever experienced some form of domestic violence at some point in their lives. However, although reports show that men are mostly the perpetrators of domestic violence and women are the victims, men too are victims of domestic violence.

In 2014, a report by National Crime Research Centre (NCRC) revealed that 20.9% of men aged between 18 and 54 in Kenya had suffered either physical or sexual abuse at one point in their lives, and the numbers have risen over the years. 

Sadly, even though male victims of domestic violence suffer the same consequences as their female counterparts, their plight is rarely ever taken seriously. Part of the reason for this is that such men get ridiculed by society, especially by their fellow men and so, most men just choose to suffer in silence.

Here are some reasons why it is neither normal nor acceptable for your girlfriend to hit you, and why you need to speak up and let your voice be heard. 

1. You Could Be Physically Hurt

The main reason why you need to speak up if your girlfriend is hitting you is that she could physically injure you.

Every day, men, women, and children of all ages are severely injured following cases of domestic violence. Some end up with physical disabilities from the injuries and the really unlucky ones end up dead.

You don’t want to be another sad statistic that we read in the papers, do you? Well, it’s not normal for your girlfriend to hit you, and if she does, you need to take action and walk away from the relationship and report her to the authorities.