Supporting Male Victims of Domestic Abuse

Men can experience domestic abuse, and in many incidents, they may feel reluctant to come forward for fear of being disbelieved and may also feel ashamed or fearful of their and their children’s safety.

Domestic abuse is about power and control. We understand that patriarchy contributes and can often be viewed as providing an environment for domestic abuse to thrive. It is important to remember that patriarchy is a social system that benefits some men, but in the same instance can harm, silence, and disadvantage many more men.

Every man has their own experiences and beliefs about what it means to be a man.

While every man is unique there are common social pressures that men face such as how they should behave, feel, think and react to situations. These societal expectations can have an impact on how a man deals with certain situations for example; Men are encourage to be physically strong, emotionally strong and deal with their own problems alone and never to ask for help.

Understanding the impact of the social expectations places on men will help us understand; why men may choose not to report domestic abuse, what type of support male victims want and how these social expectations impact survivors.

It is important that we believe all victims of abuse, we respond by listening without judgement and offer support by referring to specialist support services.

ManKind Initiative have a helpline for male survivor/victims or people concerned about a male being in an abusive relationship.

You can also ring the Men’s UK Advice line on 0808 8010327