“I Have Guys Call Me and Say ‘I Can’t Be the Victim of Domestic Abuse’”: Exploring the Experiences of Telephone Support Providers for Male Victims of Domestic Violence and Abuse

Abstract

While previous studies have begun to provide evidence on the experiences of male victims of domestic violence and abuse (DVA), current understanding in this area is still limited, and subject to narrow methods of inquiry. Moreover, little is known regarding the challenges of providing support to men in abusive relationships, and how barriers to effective service engagement are experienced by both men and service practitioners. This is an important area for exploration, as the gender-specific experiences and needs of men have been historically overlooked within academic research and service provision. The present study therefore had two principal aims: first, to provide more detailed information regarding the nature and context of abuse toward, and help-seeking experiences of, male victims, and second, to explore the experiences of those supporting abused men. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four call handlers at a U.K. domestic abuse charity supporting male victims. Transcribed interviews were subjected to thematic analysis, revealing a superordinate theme of stereotypes and expectations of men which affected all the other three overarching and eight subthemes, including those detailing the range and severity of abuse suffered, the role of family and friends, barriers to reporting for abused men, and challenges in supporting them. Implications for services working with male victims of DVA are discussed: centered around the need for recognition, increased awareness, increased resourcing, and the provision of gender-inclusive services catering for the gender-specific needs of men.

The Help-Seeking Process in Same-Sex Intimate Partner Violence: a Systematic Review

“…The frequent adoption of a heteronormative conception of IPV further aggravates the invisibility of the problem and the disconnection between help-seekers and sources. Due to the widespread presence of gendered beliefs about violence (Hine et al, 2020b) in the public, in service providers (Freeland et al, 2018), in victims and in perpetrators, situations that do not fit the stereotypical conceptualization of IPV (i.e., a heterosexual man perpetrating physical violence on a heterosexual woman) have a lower chance of the violence being recognized as a problem: this is not an issue in SSIPV alone, but involves male victims (Hine et al, 2020a) and female perpetrators (Freeland et al, 2018;Irwin, 2006) of violence as well, who may not recognize the situation they are in.…”

Understanding the Profile and Needs of Abused Men: Exploring Call Data From a Male Domestic Violence Charity in the United Kingdom

“…Call handlers also used their best judgments as to how reported behaviors should be coded, loosely using the descriptions under Table 3 to guide this process. Due to the confidential nature of the helpline, safeguarding measures are often not possible; a source of frustration highlighted by call handlers in previous research (Hine et al, 2020). Information on the demographic background of call-handlers, including training received, can be found in Table 1.…”

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

“…Continued adherence to the gendered theory of IPA has produced ineffective interventions and help-seeking services which place the male into the 'perpetrator' role and female into the 'victim' role and treat them according to these labels, consequently ignoring the wider context and interacting individual and couple dynamics under which aggression arises from (Bates, 2016). Typecasting men into the 'perpetrator' role makes them less likely to reach out and seek help, assisting in the cycle and maintenance of abuse (Douglas & Hines, 2011;Hine, Bates & Wallace, 2020;Hines, Brown & Dunning, 2007;Machado et al, 2017). For men in bi-directionally aggressive relationships, there is an additional layer of complexity whereby in addition to being victimised by their partner, they are also perpetrating abuse.…”

“…Parental alienation is a relatively under-researched form of indirect psychological aggression, whereby one parent attempts to alienate and destroy the relationship between the child and the other parent through use of hurtful and damaging behaviours (Harman, Kruk & Hines, 2018). For men in particular, the fear of being unable to see their children and the potential loss or destruction of their relationship stops men from seeking help, compelling them to stay in violent relationships thus maintaining their experience of abuse (Bates, 2019;Berger, Douglas & Hines, 2016;Cook, 2009;Hine, Bates & Wallace, 2020;Hines, Brown & Dunning, 2007;Hines, Douglas & Berger, 2015).…”