Men Victimized by Domestic Violence 33% More Often Than Women, Says 15-Country Study

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Contact: Mike Buchanan

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Men Victimized by Domestic Violence 33% More Often Than Women, Says 15-Country Study

October 30, 2023 – Matthew Jones, 28, was assaulted by his then-partner, Rachel Williams, which led to her receiving a restraining order. The woman violated this order, which cost her a stiff financial penalty and a four-week electronically monitored curfew. “After the assault, it was hard for me to sleep…It took three years of my life from me, basically.” the man later recalled (1).

Jones is one of nearly 55 million men in Europe who are victimized by partner assaults each year (2).

A new report from UniSAFE reveals that European men are far more likely to be victims of domestic violence than women. The report reveals that university staff and students who are males are 33% more likely to be a victim of physical gender-based violence compared to females. UniSAFE found that 7.2% of males, compared to 5.4% of females, had been physically victimized since they started working or studying at their institution (3).

The UniSAFE survey was conducted on over 42,000 staff members and students at 46 research organizations in 15 countries: Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, and the United Kingdom (4).

A number of countries have begun to take steps to strengthen services for male victims of domestic violence:

Denmark: In May, Danish Minister for Equality Marie Bjerre announced a decision in May to assure equal support to male victims of domestic violence (5).
Spain: In August, ANAVID testified at the European Parliament to investigate the sex-biased “Yes is Yes” law (6).
United Kingdom: Supporting Male Victims of Abuse Day will be observed on November 2. (7)

The European Convention on Human Rights promises equal rights for men and women. Article 14 states, “The enjoyment of the rights and freedoms set forth in this Convention shall be secured without discrimination on any ground such as sex,…” (8)

To implement these rights, lawmakers need to assure that domestic violence laws utilize gender-neutral language and provide training materials to judges and police that are factually accurate.

The Domestic Abuse and Violence International Alliance will be sponsoring the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Men on Friday, November 17. The observance will feature an international press conference, social media activities, and events held in countries around the world.

For more information, visit: https://endtodv.org/coalitions/davia/campaigns/idevam/

The Domestic Abuse and Violence International Alliance – DAVIA — consists of 110 member organizations from 33 countries in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, and North America. DAVIA seeks to ensure that domestic violence and abuse polices are science-based, family-affirming, and gender-inclusive. https://endtodv.org/coalitions/davia/

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