Many organizations will claim to provide the same services to male victims as they do to female victims of domestic violence. Learn to see the signs of bias.

• Content of DV Literature. Is the literature gender neutral? Is there a picture of woman on the front? Are there references to "Daddy hitting mommy" and no reference to "Mommy hitting daddy?" Is the focus about women, with a minor reference to men also being victims?
• Distribution of literature. Group Health Cooperative in Seattle placed brochure holders for DV brochures in the stalls of women's restrooms. No DV brochures in men's restrooms and no brochure holders anywhere in men's restrooms.
• Quality of resource referrals. Many organizations refer men to web sites and women to local agencies for face-to-face help. Web sites are not of the same quality as face-to-face referrals. The following from the Seattle City Attorney's web site (May 11, 2007) illustrates this bias. Note that all the phone numbers for women are in King County (Seattle). The only number listed for men is in Pierce County (to the south of King.) A call to that number produced this result: "We don't have formal counseling set up for battered men." Men DV victims, apparently to the Seattle City Attorney's office, are not deserving of the same quality of service as are women DV victims.
  
• Length of time for response. Does an organization respond to males as quickly as to women? Example: An inquiry to the Seattle City Attorney's office about DV resources for men was answered only after 3 requests over a six month period.
• Surveys. Has your health organization surveyed women about DV but not the men?
• Meeting Locations. Many government and non-profit agencies will meet with female DV victims in a private office. When it comes to meeting with a male victim, is a restaurant or other public place used instead?