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Male Victims of Domestic Abuse
Domestic abuse is a disturbing and devastating crime. Survivors of domestic abuse share similarities, irrespective of gender. For example, finding it difficult to identify controlling and coercive behaviour, fearing the repercussions of speaking out or leaving, or the reluctance to leave due to concerns for children. Drawing public attention to domestic abuse has helped saved many lives by spreading awareness, and by bringing about legislative change.
Despite the awareness of domestic abuse and its prevalence, and the protections that parliament has put in place via the Domestic Abuse Act2021, it has been reported that male survivors face barriers to accessing support services due to their gender. It is reported that some males are not aware of where to go for support and that they fear others’ perception of their masculinity, also fearing in some cases being falsely accused as the perpetrator.
Male survivors can suffer significantly due to the domestic abuse they experience, and these barriers to disclosure are additionally problematic, causing extreme consequences.
Man Kind, an organisation supporting male victims of domestic abuse, has the following startling statistic;
“Nearly half of male victims fail to tell anyone they area victim of domestic abuse (only 51% tell anyone). They are nearly three times less likely to tell anyone than a female victim (49% of men tell no one as opposed to 19% women). This has worsened since 2015/16 where the figures were61% for men (88% women).”
Man Kind seek to change the societal views on domestic abuse concerning males, approaching the issue from a male perspective as opposed to the traditional feminist approach. Their vision is to ensure that all males and their children are supported from the situation they are in, even pushing for parental alienation to be classed as a form of domestic abuse.
For anyone needing assistance in these times, we can help in several ways. We offer mediation services, including shuttle mediation for survivors who would not want to be face-to-face with the other party, advice as a one off or ongoing representation, and also the offer of liaising out of court by sending correspondence on your behalf.
At Family Law Group, you can trust us to approach your matter in a sensitive, non-judgmental manner, upholding strict client confidentiality, as we understand that any disclosure can be difficult and traumatising. The quality of our relationships is important to us and we genuinely care about equipping you with not only legal knowledge, but also having information on national and local support services. We are not satisfied with the reports that male survivors are disadvantaged because of their gender.
Please get in touch today if you need help.
Information sourced from;
What we do - Mankind
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