Reprehensible Examples of Men Behaving Badly

Residents of the Gemeinschaft Women's House wrote the following examples of some of the bad experiences they've had with men in their lives:

Working in retail sales for 12 years I would frequently have men wait for me after work and ask me for my phone number, to go home with them, or for other unwelcome favors.

So many men in my life seemed to feel that because we were together they "own" me and had the right to insult and abuse me.

If I had any male friends or spoke to other men I was called a "whore" and accused of having slept with them.

I've had men send me unwanted nude pictures via Facebook messenger, or offer money for nude photos.

My ex-boy friend yelled at me for dressing a certain way and for wearing makeup, then cheated on me because "I looked bad" (his words).

Various male friends offered me a needed ride in exchange for sexual favors.

Many men in my life claimed they loved the woman I was until I outshone them, then they forced me to dull myself and made me feel bad for being outgoing and successful.

Of the four male landlords I've had every one of them propositioned me.

Most of the men in my life have been possessive, jealous and controlling, and/or have mostly ignored me and taken me for granted.

My husband was verbally abusive and abandoned me when I needed him most.

I've been made to walk ahead or behind a man I was with so no one would know I was with him.

My husband's co workers and his boss each tried to get me to sleep with them.

I was hit and held down by my husband and sexually assaulted.

More than once I was abandoned at a place where I knew no one so my man could go out and see other women.

The lawyer who came to see me in jail the day before my sentencing hinted that I should break up with my boyfriend and that he was single.

I was sexually assaulted by three men the day after I was released from jail at a "friend's" house where I had been offered a place to shower and get myself together.

When I was homeless I've had men take all of my belongings and/or kick me out into the cold and on the streets after I refused to do sexual favors for them for their offering me a place to stay. 

A drunk customer grabbed and groped me recently at the restaurant where I work as a waitress.

On a related note, I recently read the following indictment sixteenth Century Menno Simons wrote about some of the (male) clergy in his day who abused their power with women in their parish: "It is manifest and undeniable that in our Netherlands the lascivious, bad, and good-for-nothing men whom they call pastors, ministers, masters, and teachers, some of whom wrong one woman or girl after the other, men who live in all manner of willfulness, ungodliness, idolatry, are dead drunk day and night, and do not know a single word of the Lord correctly, these men rob by their shameful trickery many God-fearing people, who before God and his angels seek nothing but to lead a righteous and unblameable life according to the direction of the word of God. They rob them of their country, honor, possessions, and even life, while they the deceivers live at liberty and ease." (Complete Works, p. 552)

But here's something more positive I posted two years ago, "Wanted: A Lot More Good Men."