A NATIONAL HELPLINE for men and boys who are victims of domestic abuse has been launched today by the Waterford group Men’s Development Network.

The new advice line can be accessed on 1800 816 588 at the following times:

Monday: 10am-6pm

Tuesday: 12pm-8pm

Wednesday: 10am-6pm

Thursday: 12pm-8pm

Friday: 2pm-6pm

Counsellors will man the phones and provide an outlet for men, who are experiencing or have experienced domestic abuse in their relationship, to speak confidentially with professionals who are trained to advise on domestic crime.

Some common indicators of male domestic abuse include; verbal abuse and belittling, possessiveness and jealousy, on-going accusations of being unfaithful, trying to control where you go and who you see, trying to control how you spend money or deliberate default on joint financial obligations, making false allegations about you to your friends, or threatening to leave you and preventing you from seeing your children.

The most-recent research from the National Crime Council details that up to 88,000 men across Ireland have been severely abused by a partner at some point in their lives. The advice line’s initial roll-out is working toward facilitating up to 5,000 calls a year.

Sean Cooke, CEO of the Men’s Development Network said that although more women are affected by domestic abuse than men, only 5% of men report incidents to the Gardaí, indicating that the majority of men suffer alone.

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“…Our research shows that most men suffer their abuse in silence because they are ashamed and believe it makes them less of a man.

The stereotype that exists around being a man in Ireland suggests that a man should be physically and emotionally strong, successful, confident and the list goes on.

This creates a barrier that can be impossible to break through and prevents men accessing support when they need it the most.

Cooke said that research has indicated that talking to a trained listener can help a caller make better sense of what’s happening and create a plan to deal with it.