Exploring how Men with Children Experience Bi-directional Intimate Partner Aggression (IPA) and Help-seeking

Jensen, Charlotte

doi:10.26686/wgtn.14528688.v1

Cited by 2 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 106 publications

(211 reference statements)

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“…The men's views of their abuse experiences were skewed in five distinct ways, each represented by the five subthemes within this theme (see Table 2: Summary of Themes and Subthemes). This pattern has been found across abusive intimate relationships experienced by a multitude of demographic groups experiencing IPA including those in gay, bisexual, and heterosexual relationships (Cahill, 2019;Hogan, 2016;Jensen, 2021). While the men in the current study were often able to acknowledge the previously skewed views they held during the interviews, during the relationships this was often not the case.…”

Section: Map Of Theme Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 53%

“…While work by Jensen (2021) and Scotts-Bahle (2020) differed in key aspectsparticularly as Jensen focussed on bi-directional experiences -their findings were similar regarding the maintenance of the men's abusive intimate relationships with female partners.…”

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confidence: 94%

“…The men were misinformed regarding the gender-inclusive nature of IPA, their partner's behaviours normalised the aggression and shifted responsibility onto the men, the men's attachment to their children made them feel stuck in the relationships, and they faced various barriers when accessing services. Jensen's (2021) findings illustrate how men's help-seeking can be hindered by the poor understandings of IPA of both themselves and the professionals in their communities. We have yet to learn whether these patterns and conclusions are relevant for men who are victim to largely uni-directional IPA.…”

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confidence: 97%

“…Research by Jensen (2021) utilised thematic analysis to explore how men with children experience bi-directional IPA and help-seeking in Aotearoa New Zealand. Five information-rich themes were described.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…For example, both researchers found the men lacked understanding of their own experience, represented by their subthemes 'The Men's Understanding of Abuse' (the lack of which "increased men's tolerance and prevented them from stopping the abuse or seeking help and support"; Scotts-Bahle, 2020) and 'Misinformed Perspective of IPA' and 'Denial and Normalisation of IPA' (both of which contributed to the maintenance of the abusive relationships; Jensen, 2021). Additionally, both researchers highlighted the negative impacts of experiencing IPA on men's psychological wellbeing, with Scotts-Bahle noting the ongoing nature of this impact even after the cessation of the abusive relationship.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Exploring Men's Experiences of the Maintenance of their Abusive Intimate Relationships: What Keeps Men Stuck?

Armstrong¹

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<p>Despite men and women experiencing similar prevalence rates of intimate partner abuse (IPA) victimisation, the abuse of men by female intimate partners is under-acknowledged. Further, the nature of this experience - including the maintenance of these abusive relationships - is under-researched. This inadequate response to men’s experiences is largely due to gender-focussed conceptualisations of IPA, whereby IPA is viewed as both a product and tool of the patriarchal foundations of many societies, which encourage men to assert and maintain their dominance over women. Due to these conceptualisations, the majority of past IPA research has been dedicated to women’s experiences of victimisation. Moreover, the majority of what is known about men’s experiences of IPA victimisation has come from quantitative research, which has provided surface-level statistics and descriptions. Recent qualitative studies have found themes related to the maintenance of these relationships. Yet, the need for an in-depth analysis of how abusive relationships where men are victimised are maintained is apparent. This qualitative study addressed this gap by exploring men’s experiences of the maintenance of their abusive intimate relationship through the analysis of 13 interviews with men in Aotearoa New Zealand who have experienced IPA victimisation from a female partner. The men were aged 36 to 66, and most were European (77%), while two were Māori, and one was Indian. Reflexive Thematic Analysis was employed using an approach that was inductive (data-focussed), semantic (addressing intended meaning), and realist (building knowledge based on directly intended meanings). Four themes were identified that spoke to the men’s experiences of the maintenance of their abusive intimate relationships. The first theme described The Skewed View of the Abuse, which consisted of five subthemes: 1) Delayed Recognition of the Abuse, 2) Ignoring the Abuse, 3) Feeling Responsible for the Abuse, 4) Justification of the Abuse, and 5) Partner’s Denying the Abuse and Passing Blame. The second theme identified, The Dilemma of Staying or Leaving, consisted of two subthemes: 1) Benefits of Staying, and 2) Negative Consequences of Leaving. The third theme described The Barriers to Help-seeking and was comprised of five subthemes: 1) Limited Support Networks, 2) Unsure Where to Disclose, 3) Reluctance to Disclose, 4) Poor Mental Health, and, 5) Feeling Helpless. The fourth and final theme, The Suboptimal Influence of Others, comprised three subthemes: 1) Passively Unhelpful People, 2) Actively Unhelpful People. The findings convey how the men’s abusive intimate relationships are maintained from their perspective and identify factors that may keep men stuck within them such as the lack of education about men’s experiences of abuse and how to leave such relationships by the men themselves, their whānau, and even professionals. The findings add to in-depth understandings of why men become stuck in abusive intimate relationships and indicate a strong need for ongoing research to identify and implement the necessary changes to policy and practice to improve early interventions for affected men.</p>

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Section: Map Of Theme Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 53%

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confidence: 94%

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confidence: 97%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Exploring Men's Experiences of the Maintenance of their Abusive Intimate Relationships: What Keeps Men Stuck?

Armstrong¹

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Examining Men’s and Women’s Experiences of Bi-directional Aggression with an Intimate Partner of the Opposite Binary Sex

Stroes¹

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<p>Bi-directional aggression involves mutual engagement in aggression by two individuals and has been documented to make up at least half of all instances of intimate partner aggression (IPA). However, despite its prevalent nature, bi-directional IPA has been largely under-researched compared to uni-directional IPA with one perpetrator. The aim of this thesis was to examine the experiences of men and women who have been in a bi-directionally aggressive relationship with an intimate partner of the opposite binary sex. The experiences of seven men and six women across Aotearoa New Zealand were explored in semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with a forensically trained interviewer. A qualitative research methodology was utilised to analyse these interviews individually using reflexive thematic analysis. Five themes were identified that related to the men and women’s experiences of bi-directional IPA. These five themes encompassed: 1) Triggers for the Aggression; 2) Coercive Control; 3) Maintenance of the Aggression; 4) Trapped in the Aggressive Relationship; and,5) The Facets of Help-seeking. Collectively these findings add to the growing literature on IPA and more specifically bi-directional IPA among men and women. These findings communicate how maladaptive interpersonal dynamics, such as poor communication and acceptance of violence, allow instances of aggression to be maintained within the men’s and women’s bi-directionally abusive relationships. Together, the findings convey a strong need for early interventions focused on creating adaptive interpersonal schemas, coping strategies, and greater understanding of bi-directional IPA at both a personal and professional level.</p>

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Exploring how Men with Children Experience Bi-directional Intimate Partner Aggression (IPA) and Help-seeking

Cited by 2 publications

References 106 publications

Exploring Men's Experiences of the Maintenance of their Abusive Intimate Relationships: What Keeps Men Stuck?

Exploring Men's Experiences of the Maintenance of their Abusive Intimate Relationships: What Keeps Men Stuck?

Examining Men’s and Women’s Experiences of Bi-directional Aggression with an Intimate Partner of the Opposite Binary Sex

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