Since the onset of the novel coronavirus, there has been a significant increase in domestic violence cases across Jamaica. As a result, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is encouraging victims, particularly men, to report incidents of domestic violence.
The JCF currently operates ten Domestic Violence Intervention Centers (DVICs) throughout the island, including the Corporate Area. Police personnel are trained in conflict resolution and are able to defuse situations before they escalate into violence.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Gary McKenzie, head of the Public Safety and Security Branch, notes however that men are more likely to be reluctant to report incidents of domestic violence.
“We usually have the men who shy away from coming forward and reporting. So, I want to encourage them, encourage us as men, let us not sit down and be shy in terms of seeking help,” he said.
According to a study conducted by Dr. Herbert Gayle, who lectures in the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona, battered Jamaican men represent 40 percent of the victims of domestic violence. However, there is usually very little support for these men, and national campaigns on domestic violence have for the most part focused on women.
The study also found that many people assume that once it’s domestic violence, it’s the woman who is the victim.
In 2021, over 50 reports of domestic abuse were filed by men, according to Inspector Jacqueline Dillon, Coordinator for the JCF’s DVICs. While the increased reporting rate is encouraging because more men are coming forward, she expressed concern about those who do not report. The stigma connected to men who disclose domestic abuse is universal, and this is no exception in Jamaica.
She further stated that more information is needed to combat the stigma faced by males who report being victims of domestic abuse. The DVICs were developed in partnership with the Government of Jamaica, the European Union, and the United Nations under the Spotlight Initiative.
