This book seeks to broaden the analytical lens through which we understand domestic violence by centering those whose experiences have been marginalized by both public discourse and academic scholarship. Domestic violence against men exists: it is violent; it is often fatal; and it is systemically silenced and ignored, particularly in the South African context. This book emerges from that silence. Drawing from qualitative research conducted in Hillbrow, Johannesburg—a city both deeply complex and violent, this book is a groundbreaking documentation of the lived experiences of African men who have been physically violated by their female partners. They are human stories—raw, painful, often shocking, told in the voices of survivors, their feelings, thoughts of sadness, their fears, and vulnerabilities. It draws attention to women’s capacity and agency in willfully initiating and intentionally perpetrating severe violence against their male counterparts, which is widely underestimated in existing literature. Importantly, the focus here is solely on physical violence—burns, stabs, hits, and bites. Using a nuanced lens, this book offers not only narrative accounts but also analytical reflections on what these stories reveal about gender, power, vulnerability, and the institutional neglect of male victims in South Africa, but are placed separately from the stories. This book extends to theoretical underpinnings to understanding the dimensions of severity, motivation, and frequency of domestic violence—in this case against men. It aims to benefit the fields of gender studies, social work, psychology, and public health, while also informing policymakers, practitioners, and advocacy groups. It is both a call to action and a contribution to the global discourse on domestic violence.

Emmanuel Rowlands holds a Ph.D. in Sociology at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, and is an emerging thought leader in the fields of intimate partner violence (IPV) and critical men and masculinity studies, with a specific focus on the lived experiences of Black African men in urban South Africa.