Rotary Safe Families is a program which has emphasised that women are the main victims of domestic and family abuse in Australia with one in six women having experienced it in some form from a current or former partner. 

However, it is, important to recognise that men can also be victims of abuse from a partner or family member.

Domestic violence and abuse towards men is not often mentioned in the media, or generally talked about, but there are many male victims and they need to be heard, taken seriously and to be believed, and not be ridiculed or told to ‘man up.’ Governments also need to fund counselling, services and shelters for male victims.

The short film that follows shows how the 3R’s of the Rotary Safe Families program can be used to assist men when subjected to domestic abuse. Dorothy Gilmour and her Safe Families team have done a great job in producing this short film – so, here it is.

https://rotarysafefamilies.org.au/latest-news-item/45778/new-film-abuse-of-men/?type_fr=1158

Having viewed the film, here are some questions to ask ourselves that feature in the Discussion Notes on the Safe Families website:

• What outcome and future do we think Doug will have if the abuse towards him is not identified?
• Could Doug develop into a perpetrator of abuse as a defence for his treatment by others?
• What would stop us from using the Safe Families 3R’s to assist the male who is being abused– in Recognising the signs, Raising concerns safely and Referring the victim for appropriate professional support, and finally;
• Would we share what we know from the messages that we have just seen with family, friends and work colleagues?

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