MALE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Informing Social ... - Amen

domestic violence carried out in the Republic of Ireland. The studies were carried out
by, the Marriage and Relationship Counselling Services (MRCS, 2001), ACCORD
(2003) and the above mentioned by McKeown and Kidd for the Department of Health
(2003). The results of these studies have found that men and women abuse each other
in approximately equal numbers (Cleary, 2004). The development of AMEN since
1997 to the present day has increased public awareness of the prevalence of domestic
violence in our society.
The levels of reporting of domestic violence by male victims
The number of reported cases of domestic violence is only a percentage of its actual
occurrence within our society (Wiehe, 1998). Cook (1997) put forward the argument
from his study on domestic violence that one of the main reasons for men not reporting
the abuse and remaining within the relationship could be known as ‘Internal Excuses’.
In other words putting off reporting or leaving their abuser, because of the belief that
given time things will change. Denial prolongs the underreporting of domestic violence
by male victims (Cook, 1997).
The British Crime Survey (1996) found that among chronic victims of
domestic violence, 60% of women told a friend or relative (compared
to only 29% of men), 22% of women informed the police (compared
to only 8% of men) and 20% of women who saw a doctor or went to
hospital (compared to only 3% of men).
(McKeown and Kidd, 2003: 84; Cleary, 2004:1)
Balswick and Peck (1971) argued that society’s masculine ideals of men being
physically tough, rough, strong and dominant over women has discouraged men from
reporting domestic violence.
An admission that one has been beaten up by one’s wife is therefore,
an admission that one is not really a man.
(Balswick and Peck, 1971. cited in Freeman, 1979: 228)
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