Scotland lagging behind in supporting male victims
By Craig Emerson

INCIDENTS of domestic violence against men have more than doubled in the last nine years, with police called to more than 6000 incidents in 2007-08 in which men were assaulted or threatened, according to figures obtained by the Sunday Herald.

The true number of attacks is likely to be far higher, however, as research has repeatedly found men are far less likely to report domestic abuse than women.

And while the Scottish government has spent tens of millions of pounds in recent years to support female victims of domestic abuse and violence, it has not directed a single penny to support men who suffer at the hands of their partner.

Since 1999-2000, police reports of domestic abuse in which women were the victims of male violence rose by around 40%. During this time the government has funded hard-hitting TV adverts and a network of 100 campaigns and support groups across Scotland all spreading the message that violence against women should not be tolerated.

Over the same period the incidence of men who have been harmed by a female partner has increased by 110%. There has also been a rise in same-sex assaults.

Figures obtained by the Sunday Herald show Strathclyde Police reported 3201 incidents with male victims of female abuse last year, and 19,736 female victims of male abuse. The figure for male victims has doubled since 2002-03, while the figure for women victims rose by less than 50%.

The trend is similar in Fife, where last year police recorded 451 male victims of abuse by a female partner - up 150% over the last four years. In Lothian and Borders male victims had risen to 1086. Only Northern Constabulary reported a decline in incidents, though the proportion of male to female victims had risen in each of the previous five years.

Detective Inspector Fil Capaldi of Strathclyde Police said the force takes domestic violence very seriously, but the "majority of reports are from women".

"Anecdotally, we are aware the number of men reporting is probably the tip of the iceberg," he added Capaldi acknowledged "there's no equivalent for men of Women's Aid", but cases to Glasgow's dedicated domestic violence court can refer victims to the Assist support service, which "takes a gender-neutral approach".

Brian Dempsey, a law lecturer at Dundee University, said: "It has always seemed remarkable to me that so many men are prepared to report to the police the domestic abuse they suffer at the hands of their female partners, when all the publicly funded images of domestic abuse focus on domestic abuse as something that men do to women.

"Other jurisdictions, including England and Wales, are some way ahead of us in recognising all victims of domestic abuse and this has not resulted in any reduction in funding to support women who are victims of abuse by men."

Conservative MSP Mary Scanlon raised the refusal to fund services for male victims of domestic abuse at Holyrood last week during scrutiny of the proposal to increase funding for violence against women. She said: "I cannot understand why the present administration and its Labour/LibDem predecessor seem to have a need to deny that increasing numbers of men are victims of domestic violence too. A broken jaw hurts as much if you are a man or a woman."

While the Scottish government funds a 24-hour helpline for women, the Scottish Domestic Abuse website and most Scots police forces refer men to the Men's Advice Line, based in the south of England and only open during office hours, Monday to Wednesday. Assaults tend to take place at weekends, though.

The Scottish Domestic Abuse website also adds the caveat that the Men's Advice Line will also help men confront their own abusing behaviour. There are no such suggestions to women victims.

A spokesman for the Scottish government said: "The Scottish government recognises the gender-specific nature of domestic abuse but is aware domestic abuse can affect men as well as women. We take a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of domestic abuse.

"The study carried out to look at Domestic Abuse Against Men in Scotland' suggested there was not a need for an agency with a specific remit to support male victims of domestic abuse. Nor did there appear to be a need for refuges for abused men. The Male Advice Line and Victim Support Scotland offers practical and emotional support to men, both as victims and perpetrators."