It's sad that there is such a double standard in America.
Generally, it is viewed that men should be able to handle themselves, while women are still considered to be "weaker". However, a large number of domestic violence cases, especially ones that are not reported, are of the woman abusing the male in the relationship.
This sort of thing occurs in all aspects of society. You should go watch the social experiment about people trying to steal a bike. It brings to light both sexist and racist social tendencies. These views are also generally more widely held in groups that, at least on the surface, profess equality.