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

Some of the participants did not seek help because they were afraid of the stigma
that would be attached if they were known as a man who was beaten up by his wife.
Instead they bottled these fleeing inside.
Low Self-Esteem:
Depression can also be contributed to by low self-esteem. This can be very
dangerous when taken to the extreme. One participant mentioned that he seriously
considered committing suicide on one occasion.
Participants were constantly called names during arguments with their
partner/spouse. The men would be told that they were not good fathers, that they
were lazy and good for nothing.
One of the group spoke of how he feels when he wakes in the morning, these are his
words, “like somebody has taken me out of bed and beats me black and blue and
literally leaves me back in to bed fifteen minutes before I have to get up for work.”
5. How difficult is it for male victims of domestic violence to access information,
advice or facilities?
When I asked about the services available to male victims of domestic violence, the
men were quick to respond, as there is only one service available to these men,
Amen. Amen provides these men with a support group that is held every Tuesday
night. Another service provided by Amen is a twenty-four hours help line, seven
days a week.
Their was one member in the focus group mentioned that he attends ‘Alnon’, this is
a support group for partners/spouses and family members of people who suffer from
alcoholism.
6. Does the law protect male victims of domestic violence?
A general consensus in the group was that it was very difficult to trust solicitors.
Some of the men felt that they were better off representing themselves; one man did
and now has full custody of his children.
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