My wife and I have been married for seven years now and we have a four year old son from this marriage. Over the last seven years we have had our share of disagreements and conflicts. We have been able to either come to a resolution over a period of time to suit both parties or one of us agrees to accommodate the others decision.

Something has changed in the last two conflicts where I have been physically assaulted ( slapped once and more recently punched several times and slapped). I am afraid to report this to any authority for the fear of ridicule and becoming a social outcast. I don't want to lose my son and want to give him a happy family to grow up in. The thought of not being able to see him everyday is depressing.

After seeing this site and reading through most of the stories, my fears are only confirmed, that no one is going to believe me and/or I will be ridiculed by my family friends and even the authorities.

I have been a providing partner in every way for the last seven years. I am the only bread winner in the family, my wife is not working and sometime the feeling of sympathy makes it very blurry to make a decision that feels right. I don't want to be the person who breaks this family up. The guilt will be very hard to live with.