Study Reveals Rising Domestic Violence Against Men in Morocco

This violence against men takes various forms such as "witchcraft and magic, blackmail or beatings, insults and abuse, public humiliation, confiscation of salary or income, prohibition of visiting his family, and turning the children against him," details the study carried out by a student from the University Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah in Fez as part of his master’s thesis in private law.

Conducted under the supervision of Professor Yassine El Kaayouch, the study entitled "Violence against men: Reality of practices and mechanisms of struggle" explains that violence against men "arouses fear or causes physical, psychological or even economic harm, generates a feeling of humiliation in the partner or places him under the effect of threat, emotional harm, pursuit and harassment, or sexual coercion".

Through this practice, women also try to "control the man by using the children, pets or a family member as a means of emotional pressure, thus creating an unbalanced relationship," the study indicates, acknowledging that "the violence of women towards their husbands is not new". But the rise in the level of education and religious awareness, and awareness campaigns on rights have allowed men victims of this violence to speak out more, it is pointed out.

The study notes the "low effectiveness of the protection system against violence against men, with a predominance of the legislative and institutional framework to fight against violence in favor of women". This is why it recommends the establishment of a "deterrent" legal framework to protect men who are victims of domestic violence. "Deterrent sanctions must be appropriate and proportionate," the study adds, calling for the adoption of a prevention policy before a treatment policy" of this phenomenon.