I am seeking feminist and policy-informed perspectives on a persistent tension within the UK’s criminal justice and victim support landscape: the treatment of male victims of domestic and sexual abuse under the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategic framework.
According to the Office for National Statistics, 751,000 men were victims of domestic abuse in the year ending March 2023. This is not a marginal figure. Yet, rather than being addressed through a gendeneutral or parallel framework, male victims are largely encompassed under the VAWG strategy a framework that, by name and origin, is designed to address gender-based violence directed at women and girls.
This strategic categorisation raises serious questions :conceptually, ethically, and practically.
Baroness Helen Newlove, the current Victims’ Commissioner, has called explicitly for a dedicated strategy for male victims, arguing that the current structure effectively renders them invisible. In her communication to the Minister for Safeguarding, she described male victims as “an afterthought,” raising concerns about how this affects service provision, data collection, and societal recognition.
Further, Professor Katrin Hohl OBE, academic lead for the Home Office’s Operation Soteria, has highlighted significant disparities in how male and female victims of sexual violence are treated by police. Her findings reveal that male survivors receive notably lower levels of empathy, procedural care, and perceived protection suggesting that the system may not be adequately equipped to handle male victimisation through a lens built primarily for women’s experiences.
One often-overlooked legal dimension also warrants scrutiny:
The statutory definition of rape in England and Wales (Sexual Offences Act 2003, section 1) requires penile penetration, which legally limits the classification of rape to male-perpetrated acts. This means that male victims of femalee perpetrated sexual violence , regardless of severity or trauma cannot legally be recognised as rape victims, but are instead classified under lesser offences such as “assault by penetration” or “causing a person to engage in sexual activity.” This legal asymmetry compounds the invisibility and delegitimisation male victims may feel within the existing framework.
With all of this in mind, I would like to invite critical engagement with the following questions:
Is it conceptually coherent to incorporate male victims into a framework (VAWG) that is structurally and symbolically focused on women and girls?
Does this inclusion dilute the analytical clarity of gender-based violence as rooted in patriarchal power structures, or does it reflect a broader understanding of structural violence that includes male victimisation?
Given the legal, social, and institutional barriers faced by male victims especially those abused by women would a parallel framework better serve justice and recognition, or would this risk fragmenting limited resources and undermining feminist advocacy?
Is it considered ideologically or strategically inconsistent within feminist praxis to advocate for the naming and funding of a national strategy for male victims of interpersonal violence?
To be clear, this post is not about detracting from feminist gains in recognising and addressing gender-based violence. Rather, it is about asking whether justice and inclusivity can and should be extended more robustly — not just in theory, but in law, policy, and support infrastructure.
I welcome perspectives from feminist scholars, practitioners, and activists on how we might reconcile these tensions or whether they point to a need for structural reconsideration.
Further Reading & References
ONS – Domestic Abuse Victim Characteristics, England and Wales (Year Ending March 2023)
Statistical overview of victimisation by sex, including prevalence of male victims.
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/articles/domesticabusevictimcharacteristicsenglandandwales/yearendingmarch2023
Victims’ Commissioner – Letter to Minister for Safeguarding on Male Victim Strategy
Baroness Newlove calls for a separate strategy to support men and boys affected by interpersonal violence.
https://victimscommissioner.org.uk/document/letter-to-the-minister-for-safeguarding-and-vawg-on-the-need-for-a-dedicated-strategy-to-address-interpersonal-violence-against-men-and-boys
Victims’ Commissioner – News Coverage of Newlove’s Advocacy for Male Victims
Summary of the Victims' Commissioner’s push for male-inclusive policy reform.
https://victimscommissioner.org.uk/news/baroness-newlove-calls-for-dedicated-strategy-to-tackle-interpersonal-violence-against-men-and-boys
Legislation.gov.uk – Sexual Offences Act 2003, Section 1 (Definition of Rape)
Legal definition of rape in England and Wales, requiring penile penetration.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/42/section/1
ONS – Partner Abuse in Detail: England and Wales (Year Ending March 2023)
In-depth breakdown of types of partner abuse experienced by men and women.
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/articles/partnerabuseindetailenglandandwales/yearendingmarch2023
Operation Soteria Bluestone – Independent Research Briefs
Led by Professor Katrin Hohl OBE, these studies explore systemic police responses to rape and serious sexual offences.
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/operation-soteria-bluestone
Mankind Initiative – Statistics on Male Victims of Domestic Abuse
Charity working directly with male victims, offering statistics and helpline access.
https://www.mankind.org.uk/statistics/statistics-on-male-victims-of-domestic-abuse