Male victims need resources

Re: Deep dive into violence, Column, April 16

I commend Douglas Todd for his bravery in writing such an article. It appears to be mostly taboo to talk publicly about male victims of intimate partner violence, or IPV. We know that they exist, and according to Dr. Don Dutton, they exist in much greater numbers than most of us believe.

Although the importance of awareness and resources for female victims of IPV is vitally important, and we support the funders and agencies that provide much needed resources to women in such dire circumstances, we wonder why there are still so few resources for male victims of IPV.

The Men’s Centre in Nanaimo has been providing support resources for fathers and men for 15 years, including workshops and various resources for perpetrators as well as victims, so we are well aware of the statistics and challenges of dealing with IPV.

The government of B.C. has official policies which address violence against women, but exclude men.

They are responsible for funding social programs, yet the funding has changed little from 15 years ago, essentially above $100 million for women, and marginally above $1 million for men.

This funding disparity needs to change if we are really serious about creating significant reductions to IPV.

Theo J. Boere, executive director, The Men’s Centre, Nanaimo