Wiltshire domestic abuse charity urges men not to suffer in silence
Wiltshire Police recorded over 1,000 cases of men being subjected to domestic abuse between January and July this year
Men in Wiltshire are being urged to reach out for help by a local domestic abuse charity.
It comes as a freedom of information request to Wiltshire Police found they'd recorded 1,000 incidents between 1st January and 31st July 2024 where a victim of domestic abuse was male.
FearFree CEO Claire Marshall has told Greatest Hits Radio that no one deserves to be harmed, urging men suffering abuse to seek help as, the impacts of it can be lifelong.
But she admits it can be tricky for men, saying: "traditionally it's been difficult for men to reach out."
Claire told us that she isn't surprised by the number of men reporting abuse to the police.
"I think there's greater awareness now of what men might be experiencing in in relation to domestic abuse," she said, adding: "What I'm hoping is it means is in the first instance that men are finding it more, I wouldn't say comfortable, but they're finding that they can come forward at least and report it in the first instance."
She said that the figure also tallies with trends the organisation is seeing, with a dramatic rise in men seeking help from services such as FearFree, some sections of the region reaching all time highs for men reaching out.
Claire is encouraging other men to take the brave step in looking for help, as it will help build the knowledge base in supporting men recovering from domestic abuse.
She said: "It helps us build more understanding of what they're experiencing and the particular nuances of when it's men seeking help, the societal pressures and images that men are supposed to live up to."
Claire added that it's 'vital' people come forward about abuse as it helps others recognise the signs.
She said: "The more awareness we have of these issues is absolutely vital. Then friends and family can also see the signs because more people are responding to those signs with female victims.
"If they're able to do that with male victims as well and not form that judgement, but just encourage people to seek help and support to stop the abuse in the first instance, then we can figure out what help they need individually altogether, or the whole family going forward."