15/05/2026
Why We Work the Way We Do, Why We Stand Out, and Why Our Work Matters
Jonathan’s House CIC exists because the evidence is overwhelming: men and boys who experience domestic abuse, coercive control, sexual violence, and relational trauma are some of the most unseen and unsupported victims in the UK.
Our work is not based on ideology or opinion.
It is based on research, survivor testimony, and national evidence.
1. The Evidence Behind Our Work
In 2024, Professor Nicola Graham‑Kevan of the University of Central Lancashire one of the UK’s leading domestic abuse researchers led a landmark national study:
“The Survivorship Experiences of Men and Boys of Crimes Categorised as Violence Against Women and Girls.”
This research was conducted for male survivors, in partnership with:
The ManKind Initiative
Male survivor grassroots organisations
Frontline practitioners working with men
It is one of the most significant studies ever produced on male victimisation.
What the study found is stark:
86% of male survivors said being placed under a VAWG strategy did not make them feel protected
90% felt invisible
90% felt they did not matter to society
89% said the VAWG framework made it harder to seek help
80% felt their experiences were minimised
75% felt not taken seriously
73% said they were not believed by services
The report states plainly that:
“The time has come for change. It is time the voices of male survivors are heard really heard and valued on their own terms.”
Jonathan’s House exists to make that change real.
2. Why Jonathan’s House Works the Way We Do
Because male survivors are structurally invisible.
The evidence shows that men and boys are not recognised in the systems meant to protect them.
Our work exists to correct that.
Because shame and minimisation are major risk factors.
Men often minimise abuse because they fear not being believed.
Our Hybrid DASH/CTS model treats minimisation as a safeguarding concern, not a sign of safety.
Because VAWG‑only frameworks do not meet male needs.
We support the VAWG mission but the evidence shows it does not work for male survivors.
That’s why we champion VAIF: Violence Against Individuals and Families a framework that includes everyone.
Because male survivors need specialist, “by and for” services.
The report highlights the rise of grassroots male‑focused organisations because generalist services do not meet male needs.
Jonathan’s House is exactly the kind of service the evidence says is essential.
Because male su***de is a safeguarding issue.
Wales has the highest male su***de rate in the UK.
Domestic abuse is a known driver of male su***de.
Our work directly addresses this risk.
3. Why Jonathan’s House Stands Out
Jonathan’s House stands out because we are doing what the evidence says must be done and what the wider system is not yet doing.
A. We use a risk model designed for male survivors.
Our Hybrid DASH/CTS model identifies hidden coercive control, minimisation, and identity‑based barriers things traditional tools miss.
B. We challenge structural exclusion with evidence.
Our FOI work has exposed:
male under‑representation in statutory survivor networks
women‑only organisations delivering “inclusive” services
removal of male voices without transparent policy
lack of equality impact assessments
We challenge these issues because the evidence demands it.
C. We integrate trauma, psychology, and faith‑aware practice.
Many men carry shame shaped by culture, faith, or masculinity.
We address this with dignity, compassion, and truth.
D. We treat communication as safeguarding.
Male survivors say they “never hear” public bodies talk about male victimisation.
Our public messaging is not PR it is protection.
4. Expanded Section: Why VAIF Matters — And Why It Matters Especially for Men
VAIF Violence Against Individuals and Families is our organisational stance.
It is not a rejection of VAWG.
It is the necessary expansion of the safeguarding lens so that no victim is left outside the frame.
Why VAIF is essential for male survivors
The Graham‑Kevan report makes clear that the VAWG framework, while vital for women and girls, has unintended consequences for men and boys:
It makes them feel misclassified
It makes them feel like intruders
It makes them feel unprotected
It increases shame
It reduces help‑seeking
It reinforces the belief that “this doesn’t happen to men”
The report states:
“Male survivors say they did not feel their experiences were recognised…
They did not feel their abusive experiences were supported by the Government, public services or society.”
And:
“They say there were no visible and constant campaigns they never heard the media, public bodies or politicians talk about it.”
VAIF directly addresses these harms.
What VAIF does that VAWG cannot
VAIF recognises all victims, not just those who fit a gendered category.
VAIF acknowledges that men and boys experience abuse in ways that are often unseen.
VAIF allows male survivors to be recognised in their own identity, not as an afterthought.
VAIF creates space for male‑specific risk factors such as shame, minimisation, and su***de.
VAIF enables commissioning that includes male‑focused services, not just gender‑neutral add‑ons.
VAIF reflects the reality that violence affects individuals and families, not only women and girls.
Why VAIF is not controversial it is evidence‑based
The report was written for male survivors, in partnership with national organisations, and its findings are clear:
VAWG‑only frameworks do not meet male needs
Male survivors feel erased within them
A broader, more inclusive framework is required
VAIF is that framework.
Jonathan’s House is one of the first organisations in the UK to articulate it
and the evidence shows we are right to do so.
5. Why Our Work Is Essential
Because male survivors are not rare they are under‑recognised.
1.5 million men experience domestic abuse each year
5.1 million men have experienced it since age 16
Around one‑third of police‑recorded DA victims are male
Yet only 4.4% of service users are men
This is not a small gap.
It is a systemic failure.
Because the system is not designed for men.
Statutory structures routinely exclude male survivors not intentionally, but structurally.
Jonathan’s House exists to fill that gap.
Because without specialist support, men fall through the cracks.
And when men fall through the cracks, they fall far.
6. Our Commitment
Jonathan’s House will continue to:
see male survivors
believe male survivors
protect male survivors
advocate for male survivors
challenge systems that exclude them
build a Wales where men and boys are no longer invisible
We do this not because it is easy, but because it is necessary and because the evidence is now overwhelming.
Male survivors deserve to be recognised in their own right, in their own language, and in their own identity.
Jonathan’s House exists to make that a reality.
