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40% of cops beat their spouses
(midwest.social)
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this post was submitted on 12 Jun 2025
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Yes, I am not trying to downplay the seriousness of any physical violence, or ignore the fact police officers are more likely to be domestic abusers. However, the post title does say "beat their spouses" which to me implies, at the very least, the intent to harm and actually inflicting physical harm, neither of which are implied in physical violence.
What am I missing here? You don't think 'physical violence' implies 'physical harm'?
No not really. If I throw a punch at you that is an act of physical violence. But if I miss or the punch doesn't hurt you at all, I have not inflicted physical harm. That's why assault and battery are different charges even though both are violent crimes.
A distinction without a meaningful difference. Throwing a punch at your spouse but missing is still you throwing a punch at your spouse.
Just because you didn't make contact doesn't mean you aren't a danger
Sure, when using the throwing a punch example. But there is a big difference between someone shoving or slapping their partner and someone beating their partner. Both are obviously bad, but only one of them would be an example of "beating your spouse", and obviously that is much worse.
Nah man, I don't think that matters.
In the context of domestic abuse, it doesn't matter if your spouse leaves a mark or physically injures you, it still creates an environment of fear for your physical safety. Displaying any willingness to cross that boundary with your spouse creates fear that they could cross it again, or go further. That's what makes 'beat your spouse' such an evocative description to begin with. It isn't supposed to be a precise classification of the type of violence you committed against them, just that you violated that physical barrier that shouldn't be crossed. You can play semantic games and try finding a less objectionable term for it if you want, the truth is that even a slap or a shove is a severe betrayal of marital trust, and undermines the feeling of security that every person has a right to in their domestic environment. I think "beat" is a perfectly fine word to describe someone who willing to do that to their spouse.
Beat: "to strike repeatedly: : to hit repeatedly so as to inflict pain"
You're the one playing semantic games not me. I didn't see anything about betraying trust or undermining security. Slapping or shoving someone and beating them are very different things. They are both very bad in a domestic setting but one is clearly worse than the other.
A little further down on that page:
But sure, I guess you can insist on a specific definition from that particular definition if you feel the need to make that distinction to the exclusion of certain types of violence you personally don't think are as severe. I'll say it again: that distinction is without a meaningful difference. Might be meaningful to you, but not to victims of abuse.
Whatever, agree to disagree then. You're not going to convince me that someone who once shoved his wife in an argument-or "attacked her verbally"-is a "wife beater".
If I knew someone had shoved their wife violently I'd have a hard time seeing them in any other way.
Lets agree to disagree on that.