Domestic Abuse has no gender

Did you know that 1 in 3 victims of domestic abuse are men? Or that 1 in every 6 men will be a victim of domestic abuse in their lifetime?.

Are you surprised? If you are, then you’re certainly not alone in making the assumption that male domestic abuse victims are a very small minority. It is true that the majority of domestic abuse is directed at women but research shows that the number of women convicted of perpetrating domestic abuse has increased 7 fold since 2004/5.

The reality is that 450,0000 men are victims of partner abuse every year, this goes far beyond a few isolated cases or a small minority. It’s a real problem that can have devastating effects on male victims, in the exact same way it can for females. The truth is that domestic abuse is a genderless crime, against a person.

The facts:

The more obvious differences between male and female victims are the way they report the abuse or how they seek help or in many cases, how they don’t seek help. Research shows that male victims are over 3 times more likely not to report abuse, in comparison to women. Additionally, only 10% of male victims will seek help from the Police, whilst 26% of women will.

Male domestic abuse charity, ManKind Initiative report that 25% of the helpline calls they receive are actually from concerned friends and family, rather than from victims directly.

The reasons male victims are less likely to seek help are varied. However, our work reveals similar themes. Often men feel emasculated and weak for “allowing” abuse to happen. Our complex society and gender roles expect men to be emotionally and physically dominant over women and other men. This view of masculinity can actually contribute to men becoming perpetrators of domestic abuse. On the other hand, when a male is a victim the very same thing can prevent them from seeking the help they need.

This stigma and also the knowledge that they may not be taken seriously or believed contribute to fewer men accessing domestic abuse services.

In light of the increasing numbers of men experiencing domestic abuse, it’s clear that work is still needed to raise awareness and to break down beliefs that domestic violence is a female problem. Currently, the amount of male refuge space in the UK is limited and insufficient. There is not enough space to meet the need. In response to this, we (NDAS) has one of only seven refuges solely for the use of men in the UK. We provide practical and emotional support to help them move on from the trauma of their abuse to enable them to live their lives free from fear.

To access this service please call our 24/7 helpline today – 0300 0120 154 or email us on: info@ndas-org.co.uk

To find out more about the common signs of domestic abuse please click here.

Everyone has the right to be safe. There is no excuse for domestic abuse.