Men experiencing violence have similar, but also unique, needs for services and support compared to female survivors, which are often misunderstood or unaddressed by many “mainstream” services and support models. This section focuses on the barriers to accessing services for male-identified survivors of domestic violence.
The NYC Men in Safe Shelter Advisory Committee, in their Guidelines & Best Practices to Address the Service Needs of Male Victims of Domestic Violence, noted a number of ongoing challenges related to the responsiveness of DV programs to male victims. Key among them are:
- Domestic violence information and services are intended primarily for women
- Outreach in the form of educational campaigns are directed toward women to raise awareness about available women-centered domestic violence services
- For some service providers, the scarcity of supportive services, the reliance on communal living in a shelter as the primary method of services, their lack of experience, and their own biases may have undercut their capacity to aid male victims
- Male victims may have fears about help-seeking. This fear can be validated if police or service providers comment about their manhood or convey disbelief, and gay, bisexual, and transgender (GBT) men, are likely to assume that services will not be welcoming or accepting
“…it’s hard for them to call in, especially being you know a Latino to call in, and [say] I need that help because either it was through domestic violence or a sexual assault, whether straight or gay. Every phone call of course is important, but when a man is calling in, we have to make sure that we are giving them that attention… [because] that may be the first time calling in and it may be their last.” – Victim Advocate