David* never imagined he would fall victim to domestic violence. Here he shares his shocking story and asks others to take this crime seriously...

"In the hospital, blood was pouring down my neck, turning my white shirt the colour of claret. The cut had split open the top of my head, and the nurse, delicately sewing the first 12 stitches, said she was surprised at how much blood I'd lost. She wanted to know what had caused this terrible injury. Had I been mugged? Was this a DIY accident?

"Tearfully, I told her the truth. My girlfriend, the woman I truly loved, had attacked me with a heavy marble chopping board. The blow could have killed me. But this was no one-off incident - it was just the latest attack in an abusive relationship that had lasted years." Ashamed to tell anyone, David kept a diary. Here are some extracts.

THE NIGHT WE MET

"Amanda* and I met in a bar. It was closing time on a November night in 1995 and my first evening out in Brighton. I'd moved to escape the stress of London and was staying in a B&B while I looked for a place. It was then I first saw her. She was the beautiful woman haranguing the barman for 'just one more Jack Daniels'. With her jet black hair and good looks, she stood out.

"I walked Amanda home and we chatted all night. She was 27, I was 29, and believed she was everything I was looking for."

OUR FIRST ARGUEMENT

"Just days into our relationship, while watching a movie at hers, an ex-boyfriend dropped by to pick up some belongings. Amanda quickly became aggressive and started swearing - it was like a red mist had suddenly descended. I told her I'd go for a walk to give them some space.

"But to my horror, she picked up a carving knife from the kitchen and begged me no to leave. 'You're the best thing to happen to me; don't walk out,' she yelled, brandishing the knife. Take aback, I left and walked down the street. But she chased after me, barefoot, accusing me of abandoning her. From that moment on, I guess I knew things weren't right, but I'd already pinned so many hopes on our relationship that I forgave her and we carried on."

THE VERBAL ABUSE

"Just six weeks after we met, Amanda fell pregnant. Looking back, I wonder about her motives. I had a high-paying job as a broker, a sports car and money in the bank. She was 'between jobs'. Friends expressed concern, especially when I told them about her hot temper, yet when I introduced her to them, she always seemed so controlled. In fact, they all thought she was lovely.

"We moved in together, but three months into the pregnancy, the verbal abuse began. Amanda was still drinking wine - I didn't agree with it, but every time I brought it up she'd scream abuse at me. I told myself it was just her hormones and fiery personality, but I think I knew it was something more.

"My job was stressful. I worked nights in London, dealing with trade overseas in all different time zones, and now I had to cope with raging phone calls at my desk from Amanda, sometimes up to 200 a night. Her rants seemed to happen when she'd been drinking, and money was often the trigger. I didn't know what to do - she was carrying my baby and I didn't want to leave."

THE FIRST PUNCH

"One morning I got home after a night shift to find Amanda waiting for me. She asked me for money and I refused. Then she punched me, pulled my hair and scratched my face. I was 15st. She was 8st and carrying my child. 'You've got to stop this,' I begged, and ran out of the house. That night, I told the first of many lies when explaining to colleagues the scratches were from trimming back a bush in the garden.

"Somehow, once Amanda had crossed the line from verbal to physical abuse, it was like the floodgates had opened. Rather than be apologetic or ashamed, she continued to attack me whenever we argued. I thought once our child was born, things would go back to normal. I was desperate to be happy and hoped for change.

"I didn't tell anyone about what had been happening. I thought that my mum wouldn't believe me and my mates would ridicule me if they knew. Like many victims of domestic violence, male and female, I kept silent."

ASKING FOR HELP

"Sadly, when our son was born, things only deteriorated. Six weeks after the birth, our house burnt down after a fire started in a plug socket. It was a terrible accident and luckily no one was hurt, but Amanda blamed me. We moved into emergency accommodation, and that was where she went too far. I'd gone to work and left her money for nappies and food. But when I got back, the baby hadn't been changed and the money had gone. I questioned her, and that's when she ferociously attacked me with a pair of scissors. I was genuinely scared for my life. I had to do something.

"It took every bit of my strength to go to the police station and announce, 'I'm being assaulted on a regular basis by my partner and I need you help.' To my horror, the officer just laughed - exactly what I'd always feared. Eventually the police spoke to Amanda, but she was so calm that they suspected me of wasting police time and even of hurting myself. I'd never felt so helpless. Amanda warned me that if I went to the police again, she'd deny it and tell them I'd been hitting her. I felt trapped and it was then that my breakdown started."

MY WORLD UNRAVELS

"I felt I had to move out into my own flat, although I was worried about leaving my son with Amanda because of her violent tendencies. But I still wanted to make the relationship work. She'd come over to 'talk' but would often end up trashing the flat. She'd started self-harming, and when I called the police one night, they turned up only to find a bleeding woman. I was arrested.

"Soon after, I lost my job. I was a nervous wreck and dealing in a busy trading office was impossible. I was surprised at how quickly my life collapsed. I couldn't make my rent payments and sold my car. By January 2006, I found myself living in a tent, on land owned by a local farmer, to escape Amanda. For a place to sleep and £10 per week, I fed the farmer's animals.

"Before meeting Amanda, I had a house, two cars and an amazing life. But most importantly, I was happy. As I lay in my tent, freezing, I couldn't see any reason to keep on living and considered suicide,"

HELP AT LAST

"In November 2006, I met with Amanda to discuss custody arrangements, but again she beat me around the head. When I called the police, she wounded herself on her forehead for the police to see. And again, I was taken into custody.

"This time, at the police station, things were different. I was so distressed that I was detained under the Mental Health Act. I was interviewed by a psychologist who concluded there was nothing wrong with me, other than I was the victim of domestic violence. It was the first time anyone had believed me. He gave me a leaflet for the charity ManKind, which specialises in supporting male victims of violence. They helped me realise Amanda had a problem, not me, and the only way to rebuild my life was without her. So I started counselling.

"Today I'm a different man. The years of violence have affected my life, but I've tried to take positive things from that time. I work at a school for autistic children now. It's taken me four years to trust a woman again but I do with my girlfriend Sarah*. Although we're taking things slowly, I've found a woman who'd never raise a fist in anger."

Beaten Men: A Growing Problem
Cosmo reports on the facts and figures behind David's story

Women are, of course, much more likely than men to be victims of domestic violence, and current figures estimate that two women a week are killed by a current or former partner. However, recent figures also show the number of women convicted of domestic violence has risen 268% in the past five years, making domestic violence a reality for hundreds of thousands of men across the UK.

This apparent rise is partly due to men like David becoming increasingly willing to speak out about their experiences. Until relatively recently, men have received little support and many victims let embarrassment and shame stop them from seeking the help that could save their lives.

And for the majority of men brought up to believe quite rightly that hitting a woman is always wrong, finding themselves under attack cam leave them feeling isolated.

"Male pride prevents many abused men from asking for help," explains Mark Brooks of ManKind, the first charity to offer support to male victims. "In many cases, the woman is smaller than her victim, who then finds it humiliating to admit he is being attacked and is convinced no one will believe him."

Sejl Modha, who works for the Domestic Violence Integrated Response Project - a support services that operates in Ruthland and Leicestershire - explains, "Today, one in five males will be a victims of domestic abuse - that's more than 3 million men. We've seen a big rise in male callers and currently have a record five men on our 'high risk' list - men in immediate danger of attacks more serious than punching and kicking. It's dangerous. We have heard of fatalities."

So what's behind the rise in female aggression? In 2008, the Attorney General, Baroness Scotland, warned that domestic violence would rise in the recession. It may be no coincidence then that post 'credit crunch' figures show females are now involved in a quarter of all violent attacks.

Evolutionary social psychologist Dr. Julie Coultas says increased drinking has led to young women becoming more aggressive. However, she doesn't believe women have become monsters overnight. "These figures show a cultural evolution. It is currently the social norm for women to be aggressive - we see angry women on the telly and in the media, and this has an effect on all of us."

What ever the reasons behind it, though, it's not a lost cause. If you fell your anger is out of control, even if you haven't physically hurt someone, it's time to get help. Seeing red is no excuse for leaving someone black and blue.

SPOT THE SIGNS

One-third of all calls to the ManKind helpline actually come form worried mothers and friends. "Under-reporting is still rife among male domestic violence, and men are less likely to leave a violent relationship," says Mark Brooks of ManKind.

So, what should you look out for if you suspect a make friend or relative is a victim of domestic abuse at the hands of their female partner?

"You might notice he's become low, depressed and isolated. He might also be missing work to hide injuries," says Sejal Modha. "The physical signs include obvious recurring bruises, often explained away by excuses not consistent with the injury."