Respect Men's Advice Line: Support over the festive period

For lots of people, the festive period isn’t the best time of the year. On the Men’s Advice Line, we speak to people who are struggling for a whole range of reasons. In relationships where abuse is already an issue, the pressures of the festive season can correlate with an increase in the frequency or severity of abuse experienced by victims.

Continued high demand

This is a time of the year when we see continued high demand on the Men’s Advice Line. For male victims, spending more time with their partner can lead to them feeling scared, isolated, and trapped with their partner.

Calls often focus on child contact issues, isolation from family, homelessness, and financial difficulties. We're here to support male victims to navigate these issues, giving them the emotional support, practical help, and information they need to keep themselves and their children safe.

Support over the festive period

The Respect Men’s Advice Line will be open for most of the festive period, but will be closing on bank holidays: 25 December, 26 December, 1 January.

Our opening hours for the festive season are as follows:

What to do if the helpline is closed

If you are in immediate danger, always call 999.

If you are not in immediate danger, but you need support, here are some helplines that can support you.

• Samaritans - Samaritans is a unique charity dedicated to reducing feelings of isolation and disconnection that can lead to suicide (24 hours, 365 days a year)
• National Suicide Prevention Helpline - A helpline for those grappling with their mental well-being or thoughts of suicide.
• CALM – A helpline supporting people with thoughts of suicide (5pm – midnight, 365 days a year)

If you are looking for information, you may be able to find the guidance or signposting you need on our website, where we host a number of resources including:

• Support and advice for male victims
• The Men’s Advice Line Information Hub