DALLAS — When you think of domestic violence most typically think of women as victims.
That’s because more women are victims of violence. However, there's now an increasing number of men who are becoming victims, too.
The Family Place says they've seen a nearly 300 percent increase of men seeking shelter from abuse over the last few years.
News 8 spoke with one of those men who's in hiding.
He asked not to be identified.
He says he fears his ex-wife. She and three men severely beat him twice.
“I had to have plastic surgery, knocked out a few of my teeth," he said. "They had to pull the others in order to go in and put the rods in my face."
The ex-wife was arrested, along with one of the suspects. She vowed to kill her ex-husband.
“While the police had her in handcuffs, she told me I was a dead man," he said.
She's now out on bond.
He's being sheltered in a hotel by the Family Place unable to work because of his injuries.
"We have been sheltering these men in hotels, and hotels are not the right way to do it," said Paige Flink, who runs Family Place.
Right now, they have six male clients. Most of their abusers are women.
"I think what we see in this world is that our world is more violent," Flink said. "And some women are raised in an environment where violence is how you deal with anything."
Just like it is for women, it's difficult for men to make the decision to leave.
A second victim also talked to News 8. He said he left after his girlfriend assaulted him and cut his arm.
He has two little boys and that's why he left.
"I didn't want my kids to be in a violent situation like that with all the arguing and bickering and stuff like that."
He is unemployed and had nowhere to go.
The Family Place says the problem has gotten big enough that they're opening an eight bed shelter at the end of the month.
Only the second exclusively male shelter in the nation.
Both victims say there's no shame in men seeking help just like some women they had to make a life or death decision.
