Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an important social problem, but historically the scientific research has focused mostly on the female victims. Several reviews exist on female victims, but no on male victims. The prevalence rates presented in the literature are very heterogeneous, which has been explained by variations in methodology, a lack of a clear recognized definition and a missing golden standard. This thesis reviews prevalence rates in studies on IPV with a male victim, and answers the following questions; (1) What are the total prevalence rates in relation to the different study characteristics and do we see any significant differences within these characteristics? (2) How does the definition of intimate partner violence and study characteristics affect the prevalence rate? (3) What type of relationship do we see between the quality of studies and prevalence rate?A systematic review has been carried out resulting in 49 relevant studies on male victims of IPV. The data from these 49 studies have been extracted based on the operationalization of “definition” in categories of type of violence, type of instrument and number of survey questions and in the operationalization of study quality based on a quality index by Looney et al. (2000). A students t-test and linear regression models was conducted to answer the research questions. This study finds that men are more often victims of psychological violence than physical violence, which is in contrast to female victims. The study also finds that the introduction of each of the definition-variables results in higher prevalence rates. This indicates, that factors related to the definition are important elements in the study of IPV prevalence in male victims.

This research narrative represents a co-construction of domestic violence focusing on the male victim. The narrative’s main aim is to contribute to the body of work that seeks to ensure that the invisible male victims of domestic violence have a voice, and that they are counted. Little research has been undertaken to voice the experiences of male domestic violence victims. Domestic violence is constructed using a social constructionist perspective and Tom’s narrative is elicited and analysed by means of narrative methodology. Tom is a citizen of the United States of America and due to his geographical location a face-to-face interview was not possible. The best means to collect his narrative was through electronic mail (email) which granted Tom and the researcher the opportunity to reflect upon the research process as it unfolded. The research narrative found some similarities between Tom’s experiences and those noted in other published research narratives. Some of these similarities included the minimal extent of physical injuries to Tom, the more prevalent occurrence of psychological abuse and the use of institutional measures to control his behaviour. In contrast to the literature reviewed, Tom reported that his ex-wife was hurt more often during her violent outbursts. It is recommended that future research includes as many members of the affected family as possible in order to ensure a rich and diverse narrative. In addition, it is suggested that similar research be conducted in a sensitive way and over a short period. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Psychology / unrestricted

Män utsatta för våld i nära relationer är en målgrupp som får begränsad uppmärksamhet i vårt samhälle. Syftet med denna studie har varit att undersöka hur män utsatta för våld i nära relationer bemöts av sociala aktörer, som myndigheter, ideella organisationer och kommunala projekt som arbetar med mansfrågor. För att få en djupare förståelse av bemötandet använde vi en kvalitativ metod och genomförde semistrukturerade intervjuer. Respondenterna som intervjuades var aktiva inom ovannämnda verksamheter, och hade varit i kontakt med män utsatta för våld i nära relationer. Den teoretiska utgångspunkten i studien har främst varit Connells teori kring maskuliniteter. Resultaten visar att verksamheterna i denna studie bland annat arbetar individuellt och psykosocialt med målgruppen. Skam och föreställningar kring manligt och kvinnligt samt att maskuliniteten kan utmanas påverkar männens hjälpsöksbeteende. Utbildning kring föreställningar om manligt och kvinnligt samt heteronorm är viktigt för att kunna bemöta målgruppen på ett bra sätt. Vidare visar resultaten att ett inkluderande, förtroendefullt och öppet förhållningssätt, mellan professionell och klient, är viktigt för bemötandet av målgruppen. / Male victims of domestic violence is a group that gets limited attention in our society. The purpose of this study was to examine how male victims of domestic violence are treated by social actors, such as authorities, nonprofit organizations and municipal projects working with male issues. To gain a deeper understanding of attitudes towards this group of men, we used a qualitative approach and conducted semi structured interviews. Respondents, active in above mentioned organizations, who were interviewed, have been in contact with the target group. The theoretical base in this study has been Connell´s theory of masculinities. The results show that the organizations primarily work with the male victims individually, using a psychosocial method. Emasculation, shame and stereotypes of masculinity and femininity can affect men’s help-seeking behavior. Education concerning stereotypes of masculinity and femininity and the heterosexual norm is important to be able to respond to male victims of domestic violence in a good way. Furthermore, the results show that an inclusive, trusting and open relationship, between the professional and the client, is important for the response to the target group.

Male victims of domestic abuse with women as perpetrators is not a common supposition and seems to be a topic which needs further attention. The purpose of our essay is therefore to investigate men's experiences of being abused by a woman in a romantic relationship. The survey aims to illustrate the men's own voices. The aim is also to illustrate the consequences of being a man and having a female perpetrator in a romantic relationship. The study was conducted through biographies, all written by men with experience of this essay's subject. The result is divided in three main themes: the experience of the abuse, shame and being a victim and a male at the same time. The most prominent results included men’s experiences of both physical and psychological abuse where they were a victim of violence by their female partner and suffered major injuries and endured many years of control, humiliation and violations. The results also presented consequences of being a male victim of domestic abuse which featured feelings of shame, fear of others acknowledging them as weak and not being accepted as a victim by society.