20. Men can be victims too
Matter for discussion submitted by the RCN Ethics Forum
That this meeting of RCN Congress discusses the lack of awareness of, and resources for, male victims of domestic violence
Report on this debate
RCN members recalled their experiences of encountering male victims of domestic violence and the reluctance on the part of many victims to seek help for fear of embarrassment, a loss of respect or even worse abuse.
Opening the discussion on behalf of the RCN Ethics Forum, Margaret Gallagher said domestic violence against men and women was a health issue, political issue and ethics issue, but men’s excuses as victims were more likely to be believed by nurses and healthcare professionals.
She called for further research into the issue and for nurses to lobby local and national politicians to invest more resources in providing services and support for male victims.
Peggy Pryer, from East Kent, reflected on an incident in which a woman with premenstrual syndrome attacked her husband, and observed that the availability of services for male victims was "35 years behind" those for female victims.
Lisa Lester said nurses should be prepared to champion people’s specific needs. "We can help victims become victors if we know who they are and there are appropriate services to support them,"she added.
Pain Forum member David Mathers said he regretted that some people still find domestic violence against men something to laugh about at coffee break. "As professionals, we should be treating this issue with the respect and dignity it deserves," he urged.
Background
Domestic violence is a serious criminal, social and medical problem with often very serious consequences. It can include all kinds of physical and emotional abuse, and may result in the destruction of an individual’s property, isolation from friends, family and sources of support. The issue of men as victims of domestic violence is not high on the political agenda, and indeed is not often considered by health care professionals as a possible cause of hospital admissions. There are very few services for male victims of domestic violence, and there is a pressing need to achieve a better understanding of the specific needs of these men and how nurses can offer help and support.
Men generally do not report the crime of domestic violence to the police or health professionals, due to embarrassment and the fact that it has some impact on how others would think of them in terms of masculinity and weakness.
All four UK countries have carried out policy research into this subject, identifying the need for further work in this area. In 2002, a report of the Scottish Executive (Gadd et al., 2002) concluded there was no need for a specific agency to support male victims of domestic abuse in Scotland, but indicated that some male victims could benefit from better housing and welfare support. The report also suggested that men may not be making the best use of current provision. Although the Scottish Government has invested heavily in raising public awareness around domestic abuse and developing new projects to support victims, since 91 per cent of those recorded as experiencing abuse are women, none of this work is focused on male victims. Indeed, the Scottish Government’s website provides no specific advice or support for men. The Welsh Assembly Government launched its strategy to tackle domestic abuse in 2005; the strategy explicitly acknowledges the reality that ‘men can be victims too’, whilst stating that the great majority of domestic abuse is perpetrated by men against women and their children (WAG, 2005). In Cardiff, Project Dyn is funded to support male victims.
In Northern Ireland, the DHSSPS strategy for addressing domestic violence and abuse Tackling violence at home, addresses the issue of domestic violence against men by acknowledging that every day in Northern Ireland twelve women and four men experience domestic violence, and that one in five women and one in nine men will experience domestic violence during the course of their lifetime.
The whole issue of male victims of domestic violence has never been really addressed from a health care or nursing perspective. All four UK country policies address the need for further research and investment in support networks. However, the issues surrounding the role of health care workers in treating and supporting these men have not been made explicit. In addition, there has been little work undertaken on how the role of nurses, in various clinical settings, can help tackle this taboo subject.
References and further reading
Gadd D, Farrall S, Dallimore D and Lombard N (2002) Domestic abuse against men in Scotland, Edinburgh: Scottish Executive Central Research Unit. Available from: www.scotland.gov.uk
The Scottish Government, Domestic abuse, there’s no excuse (website), www.domesticabuse.co.uk
Welsh Assembly Government (2005) Tackling domestic abuse: the all Wales national strategy: a joint-agency approach, Cardiff: WAG. Available from: http://new.wales.gov.uk