Domestic Violence in West Yorkshire

Please find below a table showing the number of male victims of domestic violence in West Yorkshire
Year 2009 2010 2011 Male Victims 4830 4921 5511 Domestic Violence Crimes 1598 1722 1534 Domestic Violence Detections 743 865 808

It is deeply disappointing to see such an extremely low detection rate of Domestic Violence Crimes in West Yorkshire. Our research last week showed there was an equally disappointing arrest and detection rate of racially and religiously aggravated crimes in West Yorkshire. This trend seems to be continuing in other areas. Domestic violence is an abhorrent crime irrespective of whether the perpetrator is male or female and many of the cases involve serious physical assaults and violence. In recent years we have seen a number of murders linked to domestic violence across West Yorkshire. The male victim figures represent the number of male victims linked to domestic violence incidents recorded during the 3-year period. Not all of these incidents resulted in a crime being recorded and multiple victims (male or female) may have been linked to a single incident. Domestic Violence crime and Domestic Violence detection figures represent the number of crimes (notifiable offences) which were recorded/detected during the period (regardless of date recorded). All the male victims were aged 18 or over at the time of the offence was committed. The true extent of domestic violence is not known because of the serious underreporting and the stigma attached to the issue. Many people also do not report the abuse because they are scared of what their abuser will do if they find out. Therefore, the facts here are only the best available estimates.

According to the British Crime Survey there were 293,000 incidents of domestic violence in 2008/2009. As domestic violence is likely to be under-reported, the true figure for incidents of domestic violence is probably much higher.

In the past year, approximately 6% of women and 4% of men experienced an incident of domestic violence. Domestic violence accounts for 14% of all violent incidents. Around 1% of visits to accident and emergency departments are a result of domestic violence. Of the people who experience domestic violence, 21% have been subject to three or more incidents. One incident of domestic violence is reported to the police every minute. On average, two women are killed by a current or former male partner every week.

About two in five of all victims of domestic violence in the UK are men, contradicting the widespread impression that it is almost always women who are left battered and bruised, a new report claims.

Men assaulted by their partners are often ignored by police, see their attacker go free and have far fewer refuges to flee to than women, says a study by the men's rights campaign group Parity.

The charity's analysis of statistics on domestic violence shows the number of men attacked by wives or girlfriends is much higher than thought. Its report, Domestic Violence: The Male Perspective, states: "Domestic violence is often seen as a female victim/male perpetrator problem, but the evidence demonstrates that this is a false picture."

Data from Home Office statistical bulletins and the British Crime Survey show that men made up about 40% of domestic violence victims each year between 2004-05 and 2008-09, the last year for which figures are available. In 2006-07 men made up 43.4% of all those who had suffered partner abuse in the previous year, which rose to 45.5% in 2007-08 but fell to 37.7% in 2008-09.

Similar or slightly larger numbers of men were subjected to severe force in an incident with their partner, according to the same documents. The figure stood at 48.6% in 2006-07, 48.3% the next year and 37.5% in 2008-09, Home Office statistics show.

The 2008-09 bulletin states: "More than one in four women (28%) and around one in six men (16%) had experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16. These figures are equivalent to an estimated 4.5 million female victims of domestic abuse and 2.6 million male victims."

In addition, "6% of women and 4% of men reported having experienced domestic abuse in the past year, equivalent to an estimated one million female victims of domestic abuse and 600,000 male victims".

Campaigners claim that men are often treated as "second-class victims" and that many police forces and councils do not take them seriously. "Male victims are almost invisible to the authorities such as the police, who rarely can be prevailed upon to take the man's side," said John Mays of Parity. "Their plight is largely overlooked by the media, in official reports and in government policy, for example in the provision of refuge places 7,500 for females in England and Wales but only 60 for men."

The official figures underestimate the true number of male victims, Mays said. "Culturally it's difficult for men to bring these incidents to the attention of the authorities. Men are reluctant to say that they've been abused by women, because it's seen as unmanly and weak."

Definition of domestic abuse: Any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between:

1. 2.

adults aged 18 and over who are or have been intimate partners or are family members: and persons aged 16 and 17 who are or have been intimate partners, and in all cases regardless of gender and sexuality.