What we do

The Mankind Initiative is the principal, expert and specialist charity in the UK focussing on male victims of domestic abuse. It collaborates and works in close partnership with other organisations and practitioners to support these victims too.

It was the first in Great Britain to support male victims. Its expertise derives from directly supporting male victims since 2001, its qualified professionals who manage the charity and its board which also consists of the UK’s leading academics and survivors.

Our Vision

• All male victims of domestic abuse (and their children) are supported to enable them to escape from the situation they are in.
• To ensure recognition and support for male victims is fully integrated and mainstreamed in society’s view of domestic abuse and in the statutory and non-statutory delivery of domestic abuse services.

Our Mission

• Provide direct help and support for male victims of domestic abuse and domestic violence.
• Actively encourage other voluntary and statutory services to acknowledge the incidence of male domestic abuse, to view domestic abuse as gender neutral* and to provide adequate levels of support to male victims.
• Raise public awareness and act as an advocate for the issue of male victims of domestic abuse (and their children).

Our views on a range of matters can be found in this Policy Briefing and Policy Statement

Our activities

The charity undertakes a number of core activities:

• We run a helpline manned by trained team who provide practical information, signposting and emotional support on all aspects of domestic abuse. The helpline receives over 2,000 telephone calls every year from male victims or concerned friends, family (often mothers and sisters) and work colleagues. We also receive 300 calls from the police, councils, support services and the legal profession.
• We provide support services and information to statutory agencies, professional organisations and the voluntary sector. This activity includes our MIDASS training, consultancy and support service for organisations and practitioners who want to better recognise, support and understand male victims. We have also created and operate a practitioner community and information network – MDAN
• We give a voice to male victims (and their children) to raise the public profile of their plight and to call for adequate services and recognition at national and local level. This includes producing research, responding to government consultations, running campaigns, speaking to professionals, media appearances and supporting academia, students and politicians.

We have led the way (with Survivors Manchester) in calling for a parallel national Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy called Ending Intimate Violence Against Men and Boys Strategy. We also both led the way in working with both CPS and the Home Office on their respective Male Victims Statements. In addition, we have led the way nationally in calling for a Alignment with Scotland on Coercive and Controlling behaviour to change the “household test

Our direct and support services are managed by qualified Independent Domestic Violence Advisers and meet sector standards such as:

• National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence Domestic Violence and Abuse Quality Standards (QS1116): Guidance
• Telephone Helplines Partnership

Our public policy and communications activity is managed by a qualified professional who is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

Committees and Panels

The charity has members who sit on (and have sat on) the following committees and panels:

• National Institute of Clinical Excellence: Quality Standard Committee on Domestic Violence
• Office for National Statistics/Home Office – Domestic Abuse Statistics Steering Group
• CPS and Director of Public Prosecutions’ VAWG stakeholder group (male victims)
• The Law Commission Domestic Abuse Consultative Group
• Home Office and Department of Health Consultation Groups
•  Public Health England and National Employers’ Domestic Abuse Initiative Advisory Group
• CPS Local Involvement and Scrutiny Panel: South West
• North Somerset Domestic Abuse Forum
• Somerset Domestic Abuse Forum
• Chorley Homicide Review

We are also work alongside a number of other organisations.

The ManKind Initiative fully supports the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)  Domestic Violence and Abuse Quality Standard (QS116)

Quality Standard

All of our services meet the Quality Standard.

We support and endorse the UK SAYS NO MORE campaign

Facilitated by Hestia – the UK SAYS NO MORE campaign involves a broad coalition of advocacy and service organisations, leading corporations, media companies and major advertising, branding and design firms.

The charity is also a proud member of the Men and Boys Coalition

We are also supporters of the Employers Initiative on Domestic Abuse

Our one day training course is CPD accredited

We are members of the Telephone Helplines Partnership

The charity has received funding by the Chancellor
using LIBOR funds to specifically provide support
to male victims of domestic abuse within the Armed
Forces.

In the past the charity has sat on a number of other (some now defunct) committees, these include:

• National Institute of Clinical Excellence: Public health guidance committee on domestic violence and abuse
• Ministry of Justice’s Relationship Breakdown Group
• North East Hampshire DAF
• Surrey MARAC