'Huge increase' in demand for Men's Aid Ireland domestic abuse support

Men’s Aid Ireland has reported a 37% increase in demand to its domestic abuse support service for men.

Men’s Aid launched their Annual Report for 2021 on Monday, which showed that contacts made to the domestic abuse support service for men and their families increased by 37% when compared to 2020.

Marking International Men’s Day this week, Men’s Aid is highlighting the supports available for men in abusive relationships.

Men’s Aid, the only dedicated domestic abuse support service for men in Ireland responded to 7,561 contacts in 2021.

The report details that 94% of contacts from men disclosed the perpetrator is female with 6% of engagement from men disclosing the perpetrator is another man and/or family member.

The launch event is supported by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee TD and Detective Chief Supt. Colm Noonan of the Garda National Protective Services Bureau at Men’s Aid HQ in Navan, Co. Meath.

Men’s Aid report highlights men from 18 years of age to 80+ years used their service disclosing emotional, psychological, economic, physical, and sexual abuse.

The report breaks down the contacts to include:

Helpline successfully dealt with 6,690 calls.

Helpline missed 630 calls.

522 counselling appointments

244 court support appointments in Dolphin House, Dublin Family Law Courts.

105 outreach appointments / one to one in person.

43% of calls came from the Dublin region, followed by the Northeast, then Galway/West of Ireland.

Kathrina Bentley, CEO, Men’s Aid commented: "We are delighted to welcome Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to our launch event today. These numbers are a stark reminder that anyone can experience an abusive partner.

"However, a 37% increase exceeded our expectations, and our small frontline team certainly felt the huge increase in demand as well as longer lengths of time per call.

"The increase is welcomed at it shows more men are finding the confidence to come forward for support. We know it is only the tip of the iceberg and the reality is that these volumes will increase in the years ahead," Ms Bentley said.

The three top reasons for men contacting Men’s Aid include:

Emotional support
Practical information
Safety

"From our experience supporting thousands of men who call our helpline, they often do not see themselves as a victim or their partner as a perpetrator of Domestic Violence/Coercive Control. This highlights how language can be a barrier to seeking support / reporting and the importance of inclusive representation in all forms of awareness, education, discussions as we work towards Zero Tolerance in our society," Ms Bentley said.