Today officially marks International Men’s Day, a day in which men’s issues are brought to the fore.
To mark the day, Men’s Voices Ireland hosted their 2017 conference yesterday titled “Men’s Issues: Challenging Misandry”.
In a column for TheJournal.ie, Men’s Voices Ireland chairman David Walsh cites the suicide epidemic as one of the leading issues facing Irish men.
The National Office for Suicide Prevention’s Annual Report for 2016 has shown that last year there were 399 deaths by suicide, 318 of which were men.
Although this was a decrease from the 451 deaths in 2015, and the 486 deaths in 2014 – the figures for Donegal show a slight increase.
Men are four times more likely to die by suicide than women, and in Donegal men were also more likely to self-harm.
The highest suicide rate is among those aged 45-54. This trend is the case since 2010. In 2016, the self-harm rate remains 10% higher than the pre-recession rate in 2007.
Another issue highlighted today is that of domestic violence against men.
According to The National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence, 88,000 Irish men have experienced violence in the home.
The National Crime Council finds that 6% of men suffer severe domestic abuse; but 26% of men suffer domestic abuse when severe abuse and minor incidents are combined.
“Men have exactly the same rights as women to be safe in their own homes. All statutory services (such as the Gardaí, Courts, and social services) have a duty to provide services to all, whatever their gender. Men are protected by exactly the same laws as women – anyone who has assaulted another person, regardless of the gender of either, can be prosecuted,” Cosc says.
Men, however, are less likely to report domestic violence to Gardaí, with only one in twenty taking it to the authorities.
The issue of boys falling behind academically and the lack of advocacy groups for men’s issues were also highlighted by Walsh.
If you have been affected by the discussion of suicide in this article please do not hesitate to reach out to the following:
• Contact your local GP. If it’s late in the evening or night-time, contact NowDOC at 1850 400 911
• Go to the Emergency Department, Letterkenny General Hospital
• Contact emergency services by calling 999 or 112
• Call the Samaritans, the FREE 24-hour listening service, to talk to someone now about what’s on your mind. Call 116 123.
• Contact Pieta House on 1800 247 247.
If you have been affected by the discussion of male domestic violence, you can reach out to Amen, a voluntary group which provides a confidential helpline, information and a support service for male victims of domestic abuse. You can contact them by calling (046) 9023718, it is open from 9am to 5pm Monday – Friday.
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