Domestic Violence against Men



Awareness Week 3rd 9th December.


The first week in December has been designated "Domestic Violence against Men Awareness Week". Men are just as likely as women to be victims of domestic violence as women according to recent research carried out in Ireland. Indeed some of the research, including that carried out for the Marriage and Relationship Counselling Service (MRCS), shows that women are more likely than men to perpetrate violence against their partners in intimate relationships. This report, based on a survey of 530 clients of MRCS, found that where domestic violence occurs mutual violence accounts for 33% of cases, female perpetrated violence accounts for 41% and male perpetrated violence for 26%. Research conducted for Accord has come up with similar findings. These findings come as no surprise to Mary Cleary, who founded Amen, the support group for male victims of domestic violence. Ms. Cleary said "every day we hear from men who have suffered the most severe abuse at the hands of their female partners. Abused men have always been more isolated than abused women because of the denial of their existence at societal and official level and the absence of support services for them." But due to the work of Amen over the last four years attitudes are changing. The purpose of designating the week commencing 3rd December as "Domestic Violence against Men Awareness Week" is to build on what has been achieved to date in raising awareness of the plight of abused men.

In addition to creating a greater public awareness of the issue Mary Cleary is also confident that Amen will shortly have the resources to improve support services for these men. The Department of Health and Children has also carried out research on this issue and will be releasing the findings shortly. Recent contacts with the Department indicate that they now accept that they have a responsibility in this regard and Mary Cleary is hopeful that State bodies will fulfil their obligations to abused men, as they currently do for abused women.

Ends.