One in three victims of family violence is male
“Each night when she came from work I would be tense and nervous. I didn't know in what way she was going to abuse me.” This is Matthew’s story: the tale of a man who was regularly abused by his female partner in his own home. Contrary to general wisdom, such stories are commonplace across Australia. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, more than 435,000 men have experienced violence from their current or previous partner since the age of 15.
Male victims of family violence - perhaps even more so than women - often face barriers to disclosing their abuse. They are likely to be told that there must be something they did to provoke their partner’s violence. They can suffer shame, embarrassment and the social stigma of not being able to protect themselves. They can feel uncertain about where to seek help, or how to seek help.
