The first UK plan to tackle gender-based violence against men has launched

Greater Manchester has become the first area in the UK to introduce a strategy specifically aimed at addressing gender-based violence against men and boys. The initiative outlines measures to address domestic abuse and sexual assault, increase awareness of available support services, and enhance trauma management training for professionals.

Before we get into the details of the plan, it is important to acknowledge its significance. At FPH, we work with male victims of domestic abuse, and we hear first-hand stories of the difficulty in speaking out. This is not exclusive to males; many women also struggle to vocalise their experiences, and doing so should be widely encouraged regardless of gender.

 In November, the Greater Manchester Gender-Based Violence Strategy became the first initiative in the UK to launch a plan to reduce gender-based violence against men and boys. This plan not only aims to acknowledge the problem but also encourages victims of abuse to speak out, seek help, and ensure that there are adequate, accessible services to address the issue.

The plan was co-authored by University of Manchester professor David Gadd, Duncan Craig, founder of We Are Survivors, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and various organisations across Manchester.

 The initiative has three areas of focus. It highlights domestic violence and abuse, rape, sexual assault, and sexual abuse. It also addresses “honour-based” abuse and violence, including forced marriage. The plan will result in new independent domestic violence advisors and allow victims to be rehoused in more appropriate accommodation.

The initiative comes at a time when the issue is receiving increased national media attention. The concept first began taking shape in 2020, following the sentencing of Reynard Sinaga—Britain’s most prolific rapist—to 30 years in prison. Sinaga drugged and sexually assaulted 48 men from Manchester clubs, committing a total of 136 rapes. The case highlighted the significant challenges men encounter when reporting incidents of victimisation.

While a national problem, the issue has risen to prominence in Manchester due to a recognition of its severity. According to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), in the year ending June 2024, Greater Manchester Police recorded 1,836 cases of rape and sexual assault involving male victims, equating to roughly 20% of the total complaints. Many members of the public would likely be surprised by those statistics.

Perhaps less surprising are the results. The GMCA report highlights that male victims of sexual assault take an average of four years to come forward, and fewer than 4% of reported cases lead to charges. Therein lies the problem.

It is true that domestic abuse against males receives more attention than in previous years; however, it is also fair to assert that the vast majority of discourse or specific incidents that reach the airwaves are largely centred on male abusers of women. This is not to undermine the prevalence of that problem—it is more likely to happen to women than men, and there are countless cases of disgusting domestic abuse from men towards their female partners. It is simply to point out that less attention is granted to male victims. This view is shared by Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who stated that the issue “doesn’t get the same airtime” in the wake of the plan’s launch.

This actually seems strange to me. The fact that domestic abuse against men is less prevalent would theoretically increase its newsworthiness in media circles, yet that doesn’t seem to be the case. To test this theory, simply Google “domestic abuse,” and the news tab will be filled with horrific instances. The vast majority will be reports of sickening male behaviour towards women.

This blog isn’t aimed at crying wolf over the imbalance in media attention—it is to highlight the plan and its importance. The reason the initiative is so crucial is that it encourages men to speak out if they suffer abuse.

Co-author Duncan Craig, an abuse survivor himself, articulated the reasons for male vocal hesitancy, highlighting the fear males have of ostracism and of not being believed.

He also highlighted societal problems: “For male victims, there are additional challenges such as societal expectations about masculinity, fear of homophobic reactions, and concerns about the consequences of disclosure.”

As they are in wider men’s health discussions, these are serious contributory factors to suffering in silence. Outdated ideals surrounding strength and masculinity have created a stigma in which males who vocalise suffering are viewed as weak. Toxic “influencers” spouting nonsense about what a man should and shouldn’t be to millions of young males on social media and streaming platforms only exacerbate the issue.

According to a 2024 Queen’s University Belfast study, more than half of male victims of domestic abuse from a partner in Northern Ireland do not disclose it, and over 70% of the interviewees in the study considered suicide.

Furthermore, Warwickshire County Councillor Andy Crump, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, said: “Despite the figure of 1 in 7 men experiencing domestic abuse, statistics also show that 21 per cent of male victims fail to tell anyone they are a victim of partner abuse.”

As often as possible, victims of domestic abuse—male or female—need to be encouraged to speak out. Normalising this can make the difference between life and death.

There needs to be more awareness of the assistance and care available to victims. The Manchester announcement is a big step in the right direction. Let’s hope other regions follow suit.