Men at crisis shelters? A presentation of service users’ perceptions

This study was conducted on assignment by the Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs in connection to the government’s plans of placing crisis shelter services under Norwegian legislation.  This memo is not a general assessment of men residing at crisis shelters, but a presentation and discussion of elements that crisis shelter service users and employees feel are central.

Service users’ perceptions
Female (service users) reflections on this subject have many nuances. Women, who have resided at shelters where there were male employees, are clearly most positive to including men service users at shelters.

The crisis shelters being a service run for and by women is a central perception in this discussion. Most female service users have painful experiences with male abusers, and some of them have developed a general negative perception of men.  For some, these perceptions found the basis of the argument against hiring men to work at crisis shelters, while for others this is an argument for hiring male employees.

Having male employees at the shelter can be initially, during the stay, experienced as difficult, but later on can be experienced as a positive factor.

The subject of including male service users at the shelter evokes greater resistance and awakens a stronger emotional response. Those who are more positive to men residing at shelters explain this for the most part that men are also in need of- and have the same right to help as women do. Some of those that argument against men residing at shelters explain that this will lead to less freedom for the women residing there and hinder social interactions, it will affect how one dresses oneself- some feel they have to appropriately cover themselves and some have moral objections.

Crisis shelter’s employees’ perceptions
The employees’ also have similar arguments as their service users have. In addition to these arguments they emphasize that having male employees can have positive effects on their working environment. The male employees in the sample explained that men with a minority background can provide ethnic minority women unique support, but that in some situations being male can be more difficult when establishing a relationship to female service users. 

Specific services users’ needs
The question of male employees and male clients at crisis shelters makes it necessary to look more closely at specific services users’ needs. Minority ethnic women make up a large- and increasing part of the clientele at shelters, but they are by no means a uniform group of individuals.  Some women come from societies or ethnic groups where there are larger gender-based inequalities of power and more prominent gender segregation. Such factors can be a hindrance in establishing good relationships with male employees, and having a mixed gender residency can be therefore more difficult to manage. Many say that the most important argument for having male employees at shelters is that they can serve as good role models for the children residing there.

Men exposed to violence need of assistance 
Having male service users at crisis shelter provides the dilemma of what type of help do men subjected to violence in close relationships need. Do men need daytime counselling or do they also need to stay at the shelter? Another important question is, if help is made available for men at shelters will men in need actually contact the crisis shelter for help. Also, is including men as service users at shelters the best strategy to reach out to men in need?