To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to assess the relationship between domestic abuse experienced by men, addiction recovery, suicide risk, family court-related stress, loss of child contact and post-separation coercive control, including factors that can push recovered fathers further away from their children.
The Scottish Government is absolutely clear that there is no excuse for domestic abuse, regardless of the sex of the victim or perpetrator. That is why legislative changes adopted to address the issue, such as the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018, provide equal protection for both female and male victims. We also continue to fund services that support male survivors of domestic abuse.
Equally Safe, Scotland’s strategy to prevent and eradicate all forms of violence against women and girls, acknowledges that men and boys can experience domestic abuse, while recognising that it disproportionately affects women and girls. This approach is informed by a range of sources, including police recorded crime statistics, findings from the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey, academic research, voices of lived experience and professional expertise, and international human rights frameworks.
It is the Scottish Government’s view that both parents should be involved in their child’s life, provided this is practical and in the child’s best interests. We recognise how distressing it can be for a parent if they are not seeing their child. The Scottish Government provides funding to Shared Parenting Scotland who provide advice, assistance and other support to parents experiencing difficulties in having contact with their children. They also run courses for separated parents, including Love, Loss & Living: Managing the Emotions of Being Separated From Your Child.
The Scottish Government has not undertaken a specific piece of work to assess the relationship between substance use and men’s experiences of domestic abuse. However, we recognise that research shows that experiences of trauma can be an important factor in the development of substance use issues and can affect an individual's recovery journey.
Suicide prevention is a priority for the Scottish Government. Together with COSLA, we are driving forward Creating Hope Together, Scotland’s Suicide Prevention Strategy and accompanying Action Plan (2026-29). We recognise that factors such as domestic abuse, substance use and involvement with the justice system can increase the risk of poor mental health and suicide. The strategy includes a focus on reaching people who may be at higher risk as a result of these experiences.
We encourage anyone experiencing symptoms of poor mental health to contact their GP to discuss their wellbeing. Further support is available from services such as Samaritans and Breathing Space, as well as the Suicide Prevention Scotland website which has further information and resources.
