Mother-Daughter Team Establishes DV Shelters for Men in the UK

Dawn Hardie and Rachel Allen have started the Next Step Housing Association that provides safe havens for male victims of domestic violence.  So far they've established 35 houses in the county of Northamptonshire comprising 100 residential units.  They also provide employment and counselling services for residents.  Hardie said,

Statistically, men are more likely to be killed in domestic violence cases than women, and yet we found there was absolutely nowhere for these men to go to escape. They seem to be forgotten.

So far, business appears brisk.  Most of their referrals seem to be coming from women's shelters that reject male applicants.  Next Step receives no governmental funding, but plans to seek it in the near future.  They've so far filled four of their safe houses, despite the fact that, according to Hardie, the men they serve are hesitant to seek help.  "Most of our referrals will only have decided to come forward after being taken to hospital," she said. 

Unlike shelters for women which mostly exclude men, Next Step offers housing for women with older male children.

As recently as February, British papers were reporting that there were some 500 DV shelters for women but only 12 for men in the entire country.  Next Step is starting to rectify that aspect of inequality in the UK.

Read about it here (Daily Mail, 2/16/09).

Thanks to Duncan for the heads-up.

Help for Colorado Dads As someone who has personally experienced the heartbreak of divorce and family breakup, Brett W. Martin, Esq. works to advance the interests and concerns of fathers in domestic and family law litigation. Personal attention is given to clients to help them through a very difficult time in their lives. www.brettwmartin.com

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