EL PASO, Texas -- It’s not something you see often domestic violence experts said.

"Society kind of conditions men not to ask for help or cry out," said Cesar Campa, community relations director of Center Against Family Violence

But staying silent could be the reason some men cry in the dark when it comes to domestic violence--- it happens but they don't report it. The numbers are small, but Campa said there is a trend is starting in the borderland, where more women are becoming domestic violence offenders.

"The new cases that are coming in are entering the program due to domestic violence are actually due to power and control issues with their partner," Campa said.

Experts don't know if that was the case over the weekend when a woman was accused of shooting her boyfriend in the face in Central El Paso, but they do know why we could be seeing the trend.

"So many children are growing up with domestic violence in their households. Whether the child is male or female they're going to start learning to engage in power control tactics.

Campa said CAFV’S battering Intervention and Prevention program, which helps to treat offenders is seeing a spike in female clients.

In 2007 there were 20 cases of women who were domestic violence offenders in the program. In 2008 the number doubled to 40 women. As of May 2009, Campa said and there are already 20 women in the program.

The El Paso County Attorney said according to its logs, 65 men have filed for protection orders against women this year.

Experts said there's also another trend brewing in domestic violence.

"Within the gay lesbian population that's [domestic violence] actually increasing. Forty percent of the participants in our battering prevention program are lesbians," Campa said.