DV Shelters for Men/Fathers and Their Children (July 2024)
Building this list of DV shelters has proven to be very challenging. As of the date of publication (July 2024), this is the most accurate information available on the internet about DV shelters, as it relates to supporting male victims of domestic violence.
NOTE: If I missed a shelter or the information needs to be edited or updated, please contact me or leave a comment and I will make the needed adjustments. Keep in mind, this article is about DV shelters for men and NOT about homeless shelters for men.
There are many reasons, accurate statistics on Domestic Violence (DV) shelters per state and per gender are challenging to find. Let me explain.
Inadequate centralized data collecting
No one national database exists that fully monitors all domestic violence shelters, their offerings, or their capacity. If possible, each shelter or group may gather and document data in unique ways. Different non-profits, governmental agencies, and neighborhood groups keep their own records, which causes disparities and data gaps.
Privacy and Safety Issues
Many shelters do not advertise their precise locations or comprehensive information to safeguard their occupants’ privacy and safety. To make sure abusers cannot find victims, domestic violence shelters sometimes run under tight secrecy. This required anonymity can make gathering and disseminating thorough information difficult.
Different Reporting Guidelines
Various states and companies could have different standards for what qualifies as a domestic violence shelter and how statistics are kept. While some shelters provide just day services or emergency hotline support, others may provide complete residential offerings. The absence of consistent criteria and reporting systems makes reliable data aggregation difficult.
Resource Restraints and Funding
Many male domestic violence shelters operate with limited funding and resources, which negatively influence their capacity to compile and precisely record information. Smaller businesses in particular would give direct services top importance above data collecting and reporting, thus underrepresented in more broad polls and databases is commonplace. I mentioned this before; DV shelters serve as data collecting sites as well. Women have around 2,000 data collecting points while men have just 2. This is at a ratio of 1,000:1. For every 1,000 DV shelters for women, men only have 1 DV shelter. Given this, women have more data to support their initiatives. This thus skews all data dependent aspects for male DV help, including money, support as well as media bias.
Variability in Available Services
Shelters vary in the spectrum of services they offer as well. While some would only serve women and children, others might welcome men but impose age or special condition limitations. This heterogeneity makes it challenging to classify and count shelters consistently throughout many areas.
Geographic and Demographic Variations
Urban and rural communities can have somewhat different availability and kind of domestic abuse assistance. Rural communities may under report because of less resources and shelters. Furthermore, influencing the kind of services provided and their reported nature are cultural and demographic variations.
Data Collection Challenges: Examples
Here are just a couple of quick challenges I ran into while building this list.
North Dakota and South Dakota:
Limited services especially for male victims make it difficult to obtain correct gender-specific data (World Population Review — https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/domestic-violence-by-state )
NISVS, National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey:
This survey emphasizes the challenges in fully capturing the range of domestic abuse services across many populations and areas, even when it offers some nationwide estimations (The Hotline — https://www.thehotline.org/stakeholders/domestic-violence-statistics/).
State by State Breakout
There are very few shelters in the United States exclusively for men or fathers and their children.
Exclusively for Men
The Family Place
- Location: Dallas, Texas
- Details: Provides shelter and services specifically for male victims of domestic violence. Includes 21 beds and offers a range of support services.
- Limitations: Information on specific restrictions regarding the length of stay and policies for male children over 13 years old was not detailed.
- Support Services: Emotional counseling, job skills training, legal advocacy, and housing assistance.
- URL: https://www.familyplace.org/
Taylor House for Men
- Location: Batesville, Arkansas
- Details: Shelter specifically for male victims, offering a safe place and support services. (The Taylor House for Men the first in the nation to have a safe shelter and program for men victims of abuse.)
- Limitations: Specific restrictions were not mentioned in the available resources.
- Support Services: Emergency shelter, transitional housing, counseling, legal advocacy, and job training.
- URL: https://www.batesvillefamilyviolence.com/index.php/how-we-help/men-as-victims
Daddy’s House (Proposed, not funded)
- Location: Atlanta, Georgia
- Details: Shelter specifically for male victims of DV, offering a safe place and support services.
- Limitations: Proposed shelter that has not been fully funded.
- Support Services: Emergency shelter, emotional counseling, legal advocacy, housing assistance, job skills training, child services
- URL: https://www.DaddysHouseShelter.com
- Donate: https://givebutter.com/DaddysHouse
DV Shelters for Both Sexes (Male/Female)
Here is an overview of some shelters that cater to both sexes, along with information on specific policies where available:
California
Interval House
- Location: Los Angeles and Orange Counties
- Details: Offers services to men, women, and children.
- Limitations: Restrictions on male children over a certain age not specified.
- Support Services: Emergency shelter, transitional housing, counseling, legal advocacy, and job training.
- URL: Interval House
1736 Family Crisis Center
- Location: Los Angeles
- Details: Provides emergency and transitional housing for all genders.
- Limitations: Details on restrictions for male children over 13 years old were not provided.
- Support Services: Emergency shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, job training, and support groups.
- URL: 1736 Family Crisis Center
Marjaree Mason Center
- Location: Fresno
- Details: Offers services for male victims, including emergency housing.
- Limitations: Specific policies regarding male children over 13 years old were not mentioned.
- Support Services: Emergency shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, support groups, and job training.
- URL: Marjaree Mason Center
Missouri
Newhouse
- Location: Kansas City
- Details: Accommodates men, women, and children.
- Limitations: Specific restrictions for male children over 13 years old not detailed.
- Support Services: Emergency shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, job training, and support groups.
- URL: Newhouse
Hope House
- Location: Kansas City
- Details: Provides comprehensive services for all victims.
- Limitations: Information on restrictions for male children over 13 years old not specified.
- Support Services: Emergency shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, job training, and support groups.
- URL: Hope House
Turning Point
- Location: Warrenton
- Details: Offers emergency shelter and support services for male victims.
- Limitations: No specific details on policies for male children over 13 years old.
- Support Services: Emergency shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, support groups, and job training.
- URL: Turning Point
General Limitations
Many shelters have policies regarding the length of stay, which typically ranges from 30 to 60 days, though this can vary based on individual circumstances and the availability of resources. Restrictions for parents with male children over a certain age, often around 12 or 13 years old, are common to ensure the safety and comfort of all residents.
States with Limited or No Multi-Sex Domestic Violence Shelters
While there is no comprehensive list readily available, the following information provides insight into states with limited access to shelters for both men and women:
- North Dakota: This state has limited services specifically for male victims of domestic violence, and many shelters may cater primarily to women.
- South Dakota: Like North Dakota, services for male victims are limited, with shelters primarily focused on women and children.
Other states generally have some form of shelter that caters to all genders, although the availability and accessibility can vary significantly between urban and rural areas.
General Findings
- Most States: Many states have shelters that accept all genders, though they are not evenly distributed and may not be present in every area. States with larger populations tend to have more resources and shelters that can cater to both men and women.
- Shelter Restrictions: Common restrictions in these shelters include limitations on male children over a certain age, typically around 12 or 13 years, due to safety and privacy concerns for other residents.
References
- The Family Place (https://www.familyplace.org/)
- Taylor's House (https://www.batesvillefamilyviolence.com/index.php/how-we-help/men-as-victims)
- Interval House (https://www.intervalhouse.org/)
- 1736 Family Crisis Center (https://www.1736familycrisiscenter.org/)
- Marjaree Mason Center (https://www.mmcenter.org/)
- Newhouse (https://www.newhouseshelter.org/)
- Hope House (https://www.hopehouse.net/)
- Turning Point (https://www.turningpointdvs.com/)
- National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV)[1]
- DomesticShelters.org
- The Hotline (https://www.thehotline.org/)
- Daddy’s House (https://www.daddyshouseshelter.com/ )
