This week (1st - 7th March 2022) our Family department are supporting The National Centre for Domestic Violence in their Male Domestic Violence Awareness Week.
The purpose of this week is to raise awareness of male victims of domestic abuse and reach out to anyone who may be a victim of such abuse, to provide help and guidance.
There are a number of ways in which domestic abuse can be perpetrated, under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 domestic abuse can be in the form of physical, emotional, sexual, and financial abuse. Moreover, Coercive Control is now a widely recognised form of domestic abuse. Coercive Control involves isolating the victim from their support network and making them dependent exclusively on the perpetrator.
The National Statistics for Domestic Abuse published a list of early warning signs that may suggest you are in an abusive relationship. These signs include a feeling of dread or if you are feeling that you have to ‘walk on eggshells’, lack of sleep or loss of appetite often coincide with this. Isolating yourself from friends and family and feeling like you can’t share your opinion, just to avoid arguments. A further key sign to look out for is feeling like you have to change yourself or your behaviour because you are worried about how your partner may react. These signs are all early warning signs that could escalate into abusive or violent behaviour.
In addition to this, the National Statistics for Domestic Violence also compiled a non-exhaustive list of signs that you may be in an unhealthy relationship. These include (but are not limited to) threats, stealing, physical abuse, constant criticism, making you feel guilty of not spending time with your partner, ignoring your wishes, pressuring you into sexual activity, cheating or constantly accusing you of cheating.
ManKind initiative found that 1 in 6 men will experience domestic abuse in their life. Furthermore, the National Centre for Domestic Violence reports that the police received an emergency call every 3 minutes from a male victim of domestic abuse. Additionally, roughly the same percentage of men and women experience severe acts of domestic abuse however, male victims are often less likely to seek help.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse please contact our Family Department on 08000 147720 or send us an email via family@ramsdens.co.uk. Our solicitors can offer you a 30-minute consultation and provide advice relating to seeking emergency protection orders.
If you are in immediate danger, call the Police on 999.