Male domestic violence reports climb across Jamaica as more men seek police help

Reporting of domestic violence involving male victims is rising across Jamaica after years of artificially low figures, the Jamaica Constabulary Force has said. In the first five months of 2026, police logged 3,006 domestic violence cases from parishes across the island. Officers link the increase to sustained speak-up messaging and a broader shift in how survivors view coming forward.

Deputy Superintendent Jacqueline Dillon, intervention officer for the Constabulary's Domestic Violence Intervention Unit, said men accounted for 1,314 of those reports, while women accounted for 2,381, according to figures at the end of May. She said more men are discussing how abuse affects them and reaching out for help, aware that failing to report can raise the likelihood of further violence.

For years, trauma building among men received little attention. Many who carry family responsibilities stayed silent, weighed down by shame tied to cultural norms and the mistaken belief that domestic violence almost always involves women as victims.

"For decades, the burden and the shame have been too heavy to carry," Dillon said. "Society has said, 'Take it like a man.' Thankfully, more men are finding the courage to step forward and report it."

Court intervention is reaching male complainants as well. Of 35 protection orders granted in May, 11 were issued to men acting against female perpetrators.

Dillon also stressed that domestic violence is not limited to physical assault. She said many Jamaicans see the issue mainly as people hitting one another, while abusive conduct—including harmful words directed at partners and violence by women—often goes unrecognised, even though such behaviour is widespread.