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Abstract
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There is an increasing recognition of men as victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) within the academic literature and the public narrative. Statistics suggest that one in three victims in the United Kingdom (UK; specifically, England and Wales) are male, with some academic literature suggesting the ratio of female to male victims could be even closer (e.g., Archer, 2000). Domestic Abuse services and agencies (including the police and health services) can be an integral part of victim disclosure. However, the evidence suggests that there are a number of barriers that inhibit help-seeking (Bates, 2020); and when help is sought it is not always a positive experience (Taylor et al., 2021). These internal and external barriers can lead to missed opportunities to intervene and support men to escape abuse or prevent higher risk cases from escalation. The aim of the current study was to explore the engagement of male victims and the service responses through analysis of Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs). A thematic analysis of 22 DHRs was completed and the findings suggested there is often a dismissal of women's abusive acts towards men by services, and men (as victims) are also more likely to be arrested than their partners. Half of the DHRs stated that services had insufficient guidance regarding the identification and treatment of male IPV victims, and there were a significant number of men whose injuries were dismissed by the police and other safeguarding services. It is clear from the findings that domestic abuse services are not currently working inclusively, and this serves as an additional barrier to male help-seeking victims. Limitations of this study and future implications for research and policy are discussed.
Language: en |