Revelations by the Human Science Research Council gender-based violence study indicated that South African men were vulnerable to emotional abuse perpetrated by their intimate partners.
The report, released on Monday, was received by the Minister of Youth, Women and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga.
Prior to these revelations, parts the report revealed startling evidence that a concerning small number of SA men (9.9%) still believed that a woman is to be blamed after being raped.
Despite such controversial opinions, the study highlighted that there is a prevalence of recent and lifetime perpetration of emotional abuse among partnered men.
The survey indicated that 33.6% of men had been emotionally abused in their lifetime by an intimate partner, while women accounted for 25.1%.
Numbers show that 7.2% of men recently encountered emotional abuse, whereas 10.0% of women experienced the same act.
A striking 7.8% of women admitted that they had hit or beaten their partner when he was neither hitting, nor beating them.
The study further shined a spotlight on victimisation of men towards other men.
A small group of men (1.3%) admitted that they had sexually violated their gender counterpart, meanwhile 2.3% were victims of lifetime sexual violence.
The study also highlighted that men were grappling with physical violence in their adulthood.
While 20.4% of men said they were recently physically violated outside their home, 14.2% reported that they had been punched or hit. Another 13.5% of men were threatened with a knife or other weapon, and 9.8% were threatened with a gun.
The CEO at Men’s Foundation of South Africa, Garron Gsell, explained that emotional abuse may be linked to the high suicide rate among men.
“Men often feel societal pressure to appear strong and stoic, which can prevent them from acknowledging or addressing the psychological toll of emotional abuse. This silence can lead to feelings of isolation, worthlessness, and hopelessness, all of which are closely linked to suicide.
“When emotional abuse occurs in intimate relationships, it can erode a man's mental well-being, which contributes to the rate of male suicide in our country,” said Gsell.
He raised concerns that there is a lack of education pertaining to GBV against men.
While society emasculates men who are victims of domestic and sexual violence, Gsell urged the public to recognise the existence of abuse perpetrated against men.
When men are stigmatised and deemed “weak” in society, it often discourages them to open up about their suffering in the hands of an abuser.
“We must encourage men to share their stories while simultaneously creating safe spaces for other men to do the same. Educational campaigns, and public discourse should highlight that abuse is unacceptable, regardless of the victim’s gender,” said Gsell.
He emphasised that society tends to shun away from male abuse, which invalidates male victims.
Gsell highlighted that the country’s justice system directs more support towards violence against women, making male victims subject to inadequate legal support.
“Society often downplays or dismisses abuse against men, viewing it as less severe or even as a source of humour. This double standard creates an environment where male victims feel invalidated and female perpetrators are not held accountable for their actions,” he said.
He urged for a shift in the justice system, where male abuse is recognised in policy and legal frameworks.
Toxic masculinity propels the fear of men towards their gender counterparts in terms of violence.
“This fear often stems from societal norms that glorify aggression as a marker of masculinity, creating a climate where physical confrontation is not only normalised, but expected,” said Gsell.
Notably, awareness about toxic masculinity would counter violence against men and validate their emotional wellbeing, especially for victims.
“Together, these efforts can break the cycles of silence and isolation that often contribute to the high suicide rates among men,” said Gsell.
The Star