Silence Breaks: 10,000 Portuguese Men Seek APAV Support

Calls to the national victims’ helpline have been rising quietly, and the latest data show that male victimisation is no longer the statistical footnote it once was. Over the past three years, more than 10 000 men in Portugal turned to the Associação Portuguesa de Apoio à Vítima (APAV) for help, shattering the assumption that violence is a women-only issue and forcing policymakers to revisit how support is delivered.

Quiet shift in victim profiles

Until recently, public conversation around violence in Portugal centred almost exclusively on women and children. Now, however, APAV’s case files reveal a steady 23 % surge in requests from men between 2022 and 2024. The charity handled 3 013 cases in 2022, 3 532 in 2023 and 3 716 last year, averaging nine new male clients every day. While these figures still represent a fraction of overall victim numbers, they mark a profound cultural shift: the traditional notion that men should remain silent about abuse is slowly eroding.

Breaking down the numbers

APAV logged 17 279 individual crimes against men in the same three-year window. Domestic violence accounts for 11 906 occurrences, far eclipsing assaults such as physical injury (885 cases) or threats and coercion (731 cases). The association’s analysts note three striking patterns: first, boys and teenagers (34.7 %) comprise a surprisingly large cohort; second, older men (11.1 %) face growing levels of abuse; third, the concentration of cases in Faro, Lisbon and Porto suggests a strong urban dimension. Crucially, Portuguese nationals (77.7 %) dominate the statistics, challenging the perception that migrant communities alone drive victim counts.

Why men stay silent

APAV estimates that two out of every three male victims still never report their ordeal. Interviews conducted for the charity’s 2024 review point to stigma, shame and entrenched gender stereotypes that equate masculinity with invulnerability. Psychologist Filipa Cruz, who coordinates the Algarve victims’ office, explains that many clients “only walk through the door after a medical emergency or police intervention” because they fear being labelled weak. The association’s counsellors therefore spend as much time dismantling social myths as they do arranging restraining orders or shelter placements.

Policy and funding outlook for 2025

The Government’s draft €25 M allocation for victim protection in the 2025 State Budget represents the largest line-item in a decade. Of that sum, €13.5 M will flow through the Internal Security programme, while €4.9 M lands under Justice. Civil servants say the money is tied to Portugal’s new National Strategy for Victims’ Rights 2024-2028, which obliges security forces and judges to undergo continuous training on domestic violence—training that now explicitly includes male victim scenarios. Advocacy groups welcome the cash but warn that dedicated programmes for men remain scarce. “Without specialised shelters or awareness campaigns targeting men, the budget risks reinforcing existing blind spots,” says João Lemos, spokesperson for the civic network Male Survivors PT.

How to seek help

APAV’s support is free, confidential and available nationwide. Victims—or friends concerned about someone’s safety—can call the 116 006 helpline on weekdays between 08:00 and 23:00. The charity also runs online chat counselling, regional victim support offices and a small number of emergency apartments for men fleeing abuse. Police stations are legally obliged to take domestic-violence complaints 24/7, and magistrates can issue restraining orders within hours. Experts stress that early reporting not only speeds protective measures but also improves mental-health outcomes. In other words, asking for help is not a sign of frailty; it is, increasingly, the norm.