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Vital research at a North East university could get scrapped - because men are too reluctant to reveal they are the victims of a hidden crime.

A valuable research project that could potentially help hundreds of male victims of domestic violence is under way at the University of Sunderland.

But with just a month to go before funding runs out, the project is under threat because not enough participants have come forward.

Male domestic violence is an issue that, as with any domestic violence, causes psychological harm such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress.

The difference for men is that there is often a lack of local support services to call on.

Researchers at the university are trying to recruit men who have received counselling for domestic violence and use their experiences to help create a counselling model that could improve the support currently offered.

But with less than four weeks left to recruit participants, only a few have so far come forward, meaning there is a serious risk that this important and potentially impactful research won’t go ahead.

Dr Jeannette Roddy, senior lecturer in counselling and psychology and lead researcher, said: “Being abused often brings with it a sense of shame and some people may also feel a stigma associated with seeking counselling.

“Men may not be willing to share what has happened to them or how they sought help more widely, hence they remain invisible. As a result many services for men remain under developed and under researched.

“There are often no local domestic violence agencies for men to call into for support, or access to specialist counselling services to help them recover from their experiences. With many agencies specifically commissioned to support women, many male victims turn to private counselling services or general counselling agencies for help.”

For every three victims of domestic abuse in the UK one will be male, which is the equivalent of 2.2 million men.

One in six men will suffer from domestic abuse in their lifetime and male victims are more than twice as likely not to tell anyone about the abuse they are suffering.

Currently only 10% of male victims will tell the police, only 23% will tell a person in an official position, and only 11% will tell a health professional.

Any participation in the research will remain strictly confidential and require a one-to-one interview to explore the experiences of seeking counselling, such as what was helpful or unhelpful, and if there were any benefits.

The interviews can take place anywhere in the UK at a time and place to suit the individual.

Dr Roddy added: “It may be daunting to consider what happened, but all interviews we conduct could help support other men who suffer from domestic violence in the future.

“Recruiting more participants will provide a better representation of men’s views about what is important to them.”

To explore the possibilities of participating in the research, contact Dr Roddy on 0191 5152813 or email jeannette.roddy@sunderland.ac.uk