334% rise of men reporting domestic abuse in NI

Author: Sasha WyliePublished 19th Aug 2019

There has been a 334% increase in the amount of men reporting domestic abuse in Northern Ireland.

Around 1,000 reports were made last year - that's up from 230 in 2014.

The Mens Advisory Project spoke to Downtown/Cool FM news on their 20th annivesary to highlight the growing issue here.

They say the organisation has been trying to break the 'stigma' around the issue, and recent police reports, while concerning, are welcomed.

The most recent figures from the PSNI show 32 percent of domestic abuse crimes were male victims.

Rhonda Lusty from the project says there's still a long way to go.

"Thanks to the great work from Womens Aid, people now know what domestic abuse is and how to spot the signs for women - but now we need to translate that message to men as well.

"The recent figures from the PSNI show more men are reporting the crime, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.

"Most men that come into our service have never reported anything to police or other services."

Rhonda says they now want to make other men aware of the signs, so they will be able to point them in the right direction.

She added "Quite often, when a man opens up about his relationship, he tells it to another man who doesn't know what services and support there is, and bats the issue off.

"Now, it's about being able to spot the signs, and be there to listen if they are going through some difficulties.

"Often when people start to withdraw from their friends after getting into a relationship, most men say he's being a "weird one", but in actual fact it could be the first signs of a domestically abusive relationship."

They hope a recent survey on the issue here will help them shape the service and break the 'stigma' that still surrounds the issue.

If you want to find out more about the service, click here.