When it comes to spousal abuse or domestic violence, it’s not only the women who are affected and facing physical and psychological abuse at the hands of their husbands. Increasingly, the number of men who face domestic violence at the hands of their wives is coming to the fore.
According to statistics of Chandigarh Police, 38 complaints have been made by men in the year 2014, against assault by their spouses. However, no case was registered in the complaints filed by men.
Recently, Save Indian Family Foundation (SIF), a pro-family organisation, started a helpline (08882-498-498) to provide legal counseling, psychological support, judicial and emotional help to male victims of domestic violence. In the first 80 days after the helpline was launched in April this year, it received 19,800 phone calls by men, alleging harassment by their spouses.
Out of the total 19,800 calls, 2200 were made by husbands from Chandigarh, says Maninder Singh, a member of SIF.
In a recent incident, a person contacted the helpline at mid-night and stated that he was badly thrashed by his wife. Several scratches were visible on the neck of the victim. He was taken to the government hospital, where doctors also confirmed physical assault.
Maninder Singh said that the actual number of cases is far more than the reported cases, as majority of men do not report to the police about harassment by their spouses fearing social ridicule.
Interestingly, if complaint is made by men, most of them are often met with disbelief, ridicule, and evokes laughter of the police personnel. Speaking to law enforcement agencies and seeking legal help does not make matters any easier for the male victim, says Maninder Singh.
On the other hand, if a woman tells the police that she was hit by a man, even if the story is false, an arrest is instantly made. This means that the system is heavily loaded against men than women. “Men are victims of domestic violence just like women are. Instead of looking at the victim’s gender, one should realize that the person being abused is, human,” added Singh, advocating a rethink in the approach.