North-East research in doubt unless male victims of domestic violence come forward

Valuable research at a North East university is in danger of not going ahead because of a lack of voices from a too often silent population.

Male domestic violence is an issue that, as with any domestic violence, causes psychological harm such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. The difference for men is that there is often a lack of local support services to call on.

Research at the University of Sunderland is trying to recruit men who have received counselling for domestic violence and use their experiences to help create a counselling model that could improve the support currently offered.

With under a month left to recruit participants only a few have so far come forward, meaning there is a serious risk that this important and potentially impactful research won’t go ahead.

Dr Jeannette Roddy, Senior Lecturer in Counselling and Psychology and Lead Researcher, said: “Being abused often brings with it a sense of shame and some people may also feel a stigma associated with seeking counselling.

“Men may not be willing to share what has happened to them or how they sought help more widely, hence they remain invisible. As a result many services for men remain under developed and under researched.

“There are often no local domestic violence agencies for men to call into for support, or access to specialist counselling services to help them recover from their experiences. With many agencies specifically commissioned to support women, many male victims turn to private counselling services or general counselling agencies for help.”

For every three victims of domestic abuse in the UK one will be male, which is the equivalent of 2.2 million men. One in six men will suffer from domestic abuse in their lifetime and male victims are more than twice as likely not to tell anyone about the abuse they are suffering.

Currently only 10% of male victims will tell the police, only 23% will tell a person in an official position, and only 11% will tell a health professional.

Any participation in the University of Sunderland research will remain strictly confidential and require a one-to-one interview to explore the experiences of seeking counselling, such as  what was helpful or unhelpful, and if there were any benefits. The interviews can take place anywhere in the UK at a time and place to suit the individual.

Dr Roddy added: “It may be daunting to consider what happened, but all interviews we conduct could help support other men who suffer from domestic violence in the future. Recruiting more participants will provide a better representation of men’s views about what is important to them.”

If you have any suggestions about how to reach sufferers of male domestic violence or want to explore the possibilities of participating in the research contact Dr Roddy on 0191 515 2813, email [email protected]. or fellow researcher Chris Keech on 0191 515 2068, [email protected].