Men can be victims of domestic abuse and the abuser may be a male or female partner, ex-partner or relative. It is difficult to establish the true extent of domestic abuse against men, but the 2001/02 British Crime Survey found that almost a fifth of domestic violence incidents involved male victims, with just under half of these having a female abuser.

The following extract from the Men's Advice Line website gives useful information for men who are being abused or anyone concerned about a man living in an abusive relationship.

"Men do experience physical and emotional abuse, may be financially controlled and have their children used as part of the abuse against them. Men who experience abuse from female partners can feel angry, ashamed, depressed, humiliated, helpless, isolated and in some cases, fear. Some men may find themselves homeless, experience mental ill-health, drop out of work or lose their job, or have reduced contact with their children. We also know from research that gay, bi & transexual men experience domestic violence and abuse at similar levels to heterosexual women ie 1 in 4 within their lifetime.

Men experiencing domestic abuse often want legal advice, emotional support and/or counselling, parenting support and information and help and guidance in finding and securing alternative accommodation. Many also feel overwhelmed with the whole family court system and many of those who already have a solicitor often simply want information as to how the ‘system’ works and what will happen in a court case – particularly around the issue of contact and residence of children".

The Men’s Advice Line and Enquiries (MALE) provide a range of services aimed primarily at men experiencing domestic abuse from their partner. For more information, visit www.mensadviceline.org.uk or contact the helpline number at the side of this page.

Victim Support also provide a Male Helpline. Their contact details are in the directory.