A film by Tito Sacchi, produced by Andreas Kubat

in association with ManKind initiative

Facts

Recent reports suggest that about two in five of all victims of domestic abuse and violence are men, contradicting the widespread impression that it is almost always women who are violated. Because of that men assaulted by their partners are often not taken seriously or ignored by police, see their perpetrator go free and have far fewer refuges to flee to than women (4,000 for females in England and Wales compared to only 76 for men). Male abuse and violence is a much under reported issue. Twice as many male victims (41%) than women (19%) do not tell anyone about the domestic abuse they are suffering.

Data from the Office for National Statistics statistical bulletins and the British Crime Survey show that men made up about 40% of domestic violence victims each year. Overall the 2011-12 bulletin states: "Around one in six men (18%) had experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16. These figures are equivalent to an estimated 2.9 million male victims of domestic abuse."

Facts:

  1. 40% of domestic abuse victims are male: for every five victims, three will be female, two will be male.
  2. 7% of women and 5% of men were estimated to have experienced any domestic abuse in the last year, equivalent to an estimated 1.2 million female and 800,000 male victims.
  3. 31% of women and 18% (one in six) of men had experienced any domestic abuse since the age of 16. These figures were equivalent to an estimated 5.0 million female victims of domestic abuse and 2.9 million male victims.
  4. Partner abuse (non-sexual) was the most commonly experienced type of intimate violence among both women and men. 24% of women (3.9 million) and 13% of men (2.1 million) reported having experienced such abuse since the age of 16: for every three victims of partner abuse, two will be female and one will be male.
  5. Both women and men with a long-term illness or disability were more likely to be victims of any domestic abuse in the last year (12.8% and 7.3% respectively), compared with those without a long- term illness or disability (4.6% and 6.1%).
  6. 1.1% of men and 1.3% of women were victims of severe force at the hands of their partner during 2011/12. Over a lifetime the figures are 6.1% and 13.2% respectively.
  7. More married men (2.3%) suffered from partner abuse in 2011/12 than married women (1.8%)
  8. More men in managerial and professional occupations (3.0%) suffered from partner abuse in 2011/12 than women with the same occupation (2.6%)
  9. Men with children (3.0%) are as likely to be victims of partner abuse than men without children. The figure is the same for female victims (3.5%)
  10. The percentage of gay or bi-sexual men (6.2%) who suffered partner abuse in 2008/09 is nearly double the number for heterosexual men (3.3%). Lesbian women (12.4%) as a percentage also suffered far more partner abuse compared to heterosexual women (4.3%).
  11. The number of women convicted of perpetrating domestic abuse has more than quadrupled in the past seven years from 806 (2004/05) to 3,965 (2010/11).
  12. Twice as many male victims (28%) than women (13%) do not tell anyone about the domestic abuse they are suffering - highlighting the level of underreporting. Male victims are three times (10%) more likely not to tell the police they are victim than a female victim (29%) and only 4% of male victims will tell a health professional compared to 19% of female victims.
  13. In 2011/12 - 17 men (one every 21 days) died at the hands of their partner or ex-partner compared with 88 women (one every four days)
  14. The average male victim is 43, is 5ft 9in tall and weighs 13st. The average female perpetrator is 40, is 5ft 4in tall and weighs 10st 7lb.
  15. 12 organisations offer refuge or safe house provision in the UK - a total of 76 spaces, of which 33 are dedicated to male DV victims only (the rest being for victims of either gender), and of these 33 dedicated spaces, 18 are for gay males only. There are over 260 organisations with around 4,000 spaces dedicated to female victims.
  16. On at least 120 occasions in 2010 a caller decided not to consider a refuge or safe house because they were too far away and would mean having to completely uproot their lives, often having to leave their children and their job behind.

Sources:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/116483/hosb0212.pdf

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_298904.pdf

http://www.mankind.org.uk/factsmalevicitms.html