A new study shows that male victims of domestic abuse “remain largely unseen”, a conference on men’s experience of such abuse has heard.
This is not because the experiences of male victims are “less real” but “because embarrassment, shame and fear of not being believed often silence them”, said Shane Kelly, chief executive of Men’s Aid Ireland (MAI).
MAI hopes the study’s findings will “challenge outdated attitudes and support the development of services and policies that recognise the reality of abuse in all its forms”, he said. “Every victim, regardless of gender, deserves to be supported and safe.”
He was speaking as the MenCallHelp2 study, carried out by researchers at the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Trinity College Dublin, was launched at the MAI annual conference in Dublin on Wednesday.
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It analysed 7,132 contacts over the year 2022 to MAI, which supports male victims of domestic abuse and their families. The data showed 1,232 callers reported domestic abuse or experiences of violence, with about 93 per cent of them perpetrated by a female partner.
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Unstable living conditions, fatherhood and frequent contacts to the service were associated with higher odds of abuse, and concerned individuals also contacting the service on behalf of men.
Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan said the study “shines a light on a side of domestic abuse that too often goes unseen”.
“In a society shaped by traditional ideas of masculinity, reaching out for support as a man can feel impossible because their vulnerability is dismissed or ridiculed,” he said.
The research provides a clear understanding of who is affected, the barriers in seeking help, and how services “can respond effectively, with evidence, compassion, and respect at their core”.
The findings “fill a critical gap” in national knowledge and provide guidance for Government policy and practice under the Zero Tolerance strategy, he said. Challenging stigma, listening carefully, and acting decisively are responsibilities that fall to both society and government alike, he added.
Dr Melissa Corbally, associate professor in general nursing, said the study provided “unique insights” into the profile of male abuse victims, and identified some at-risk groups within a national service dedicated to men.
Because domestic violence and abuse have traditionally been viewed as perpetrated by men and experienced by women, that makes it difficult for male victims to recognise abuse and seek support, she said.
The study’s key findings include that, of the 7,132 clients, 1,232 reported domestic abuse experiences, with about 93 per cent perpetrated by a female partner, and 85 per cent reporting having experienced more than one form of abuse. Two to four types of abuse were reported by 73.1 per cent, and 11.9 per cent reported five or more types of abuse.
The most prevalent abuse types were emotional abuse (86.1 per cent); psychological abuse (69.3 per cent); physical abuse (36.9 per cent), coercive control (30 per cent), parental alienation (26.3 per cent) and economic abuse (20.3 per cent).
The health impact was mostly psychological, and information, legal-related support and empathetic listening were the most commonly provided services by MAI staff.
Notes relating to 2,200 contacts to the service were also analysed, including emails, call records, one-to-one meetings or outreach services.
The study’s recommendations include the development of a national set of working definitions of all types and variations of domestic violence and abuse across genders to ensure consistent comparison across agencies. Other recommendations include that services pay particular attention to callers living in unstable living arrangements and those contacting the service on multiple occasions due to higher risks.
Further research is recommended to examine health outcomes and how men and concerned others articulate the frequency, severity and escalation of the male abuse experience.
