Some Japanese husbands in a survey on domestic violence revealed that their partners `put laxatives in their food` or `took all their wages`.

A survey conducted by Hakucho no Mori (Swan Forest), an association supporting victims of domestic violence in Tokushima Prefecture, western Japan, conducted in late April with 20 men aged 20-50 showed that

According to the survey, husbands said that the physical abuse that their wives inflicted on them included beating them, putting laxatives in their food, pointing kitchen knives at their husbands, stabbing them with chopsticks, and mistreating them.

The subjects surveyed were people who had sought counseling services about domestic violence.

Toshiko Noguchi, an expert from the Hakucho no Mori association, talks with victims of domestic violence in her office in Tokushima Prefecture on January 10.

Husbands participating in the survey said that in addition to violent acts, they also suffered psychological abuse such as `leaving cockroaches and centipedes in the bedroom, entrance` or not being allowed to sleep.

One victim said his wife said he was `useless` when he didn’t come home from work until late at night.

Another person said she was financially abused when her wife kept all her salary and imposed her husband’s lifestyle.

`The impact of victims of domestic violence is not related to a specific gender, there is no difference between men and women in terms of the type of abuse,` said Mr. Toshiko Noguchi, director of the Hakucho no Mori association.

According to Japan’s National Police Agency (NPA), the number of men seeking counseling about domestic violence is increasing.

However, Noguchi said that this number is only `the tip of the iceberg`, because many husbands are hesitant to ask for help, because of society’s long-standing belief that only women are victims of sexual abuse.

Survey participants came to the association for advice after being analyzed by relatives or colleagues.

`Many victims are not aware that forms of verbal or psychological violence from their wives or partners are domestic violence. The reason is that people have long believed that violence is more about physical violence.`

The survey also shows that many husbands find it difficult to confide their situation because local consulting organizations are often named `women’s support center` or `women’s and children’s advisory board`.

One victim said he gave up thinking about going to counseling because `this is not the right place for me to go as a man.`

In addition, many people do not dare to seek advice because of shame.

A man in his 30s said it wasn’t until he asked the association for advice that he realized he was a victim of domestic violence.

`Even when I asked for help, I only received responses like ‘I’m a man, I have to endure’. No one understood me, I thought as long as I endured, my family would be happy,` he confided.