Calls to the men's helpline in BW: Violence protection reaches a record!

Calls to the men's helpline in BW: Violence protection reaches a record!

Something is happening all over Germany that is hard to ignore given the high number of domestic violence: calls to the men's helpline are increasing dramatically. The number of contacts in Baden-Württemberg has almost tripled. In 2024, 428 people affected contacted the region, while five years ago, when the help service was launched, there were just 100 calls. This is reported by [n-tv.de](https://www.n-tv.de/regionales/baden-wuerttemberg/ Zahl-der-Anrufe-bei-Maennerhilfetelefon-stieg-article25849467.html). This shows once again that many men urgently need support.

A worrying trend is the increasing proportion of people seeking advice who are directly affected by violence. According to current information, two thirds of callers to the men's helpline are victims of physical or psychological violence, with the most common perpetrators being partners or ex-girlfriends. What is particularly alarming is that psychological violence is often accompanied by physical and sexual violence.

The background to the offer of help

The men's helpline originally launched in North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria in April 2020, but Baden-Württemberg only joined in 2021. It quickly became clear that the need for support in this form is enormous. The nationwide registered contacts increased from 1,480 in 2020 to 4,037 in 2022, as [Augsburger Allgemeine](https://www.augsburger- Allgemeine.de/panorama/haeusliche-freude-zahl-der-rufe-bei-maennerhilfetelefon-stieg-109819942) reports. Most calls come from Bavaria (33.3%), followed by North Rhine-Westphalia (26.7%) and Baden-Württemberg (10.6%).

The helpline is operated by various organizations, including the man-o-mann men's advice center in Bielefeld, the AWO Augsburg, the social advice center in Stuttgart and the Tübingen specialist office Pfunzkerle. Financing is provided by the respective ministries, which underlines the importance of the project.

A look at the consultation requests

A detailed analysis of the first few years shows that contacts are distributed relatively evenly across the country. Over 70% of inquiries were made by telephone, while almost 30% were made by email. What is particularly worrying is that 39% of those affected reported violence by female perpetrators, often by (ex) partners. Physical violence was reported by 53% of those affected, sexual violence by 18% and psychological violence by an alarming 85%.

The men's helpline has established itself as a central point of contact that offers urgent help and support for men in need. According to Men's Violence Protection, it is high time that the offer was better advertised and supported in other federal states. Younger and older affected people in particular must be specifically addressed. The scientific support of the offer of help by experts such as Dr. Monika Schröttle and Dr. Ralf Puchert ensures the necessary evaluation to further optimize the offer.

Overall, it appears that many men are still hesitant to seek help, which requires a rethink given the alarming figures. A strong network and broad public relations work are essential to make the men's helpline even better known and to encourage those affected to take the first step.