Online First Publication, July 18, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/men0000222

Arlene Walker, Kimina Lyall, Dilkie Silva, Georgia Craigie, Richelle Mayshak, Beth Costa, Shannon
Hyder, and Ashley Bentley

The Implications, Recommendations and Conclusion are shown below or to see the Full report click the link below

͏Men as victimsDV Geelong2   ­͏     ­͏     ­͏

Implications, Recommendations and Conclusion

Findings from the current study suggest that, when given an opportunity to disclose anonymously and with the use of language that is not associated with perceptions of male-against-female violence, men reveal extensive experiences of IPV, covering a range of physical, social, psychological, financial, and legal abuses. This is an important new finding that could be extended upon in future research. In addition, men report the experience of unintended secondary abuse by authorities, including police. Male victims in this study were reluctant to seek help from police mainly due to fears of ridicule, indifference, and being accused them- selves. These fears, for some participants, were realized. Although disclosures of abuse made to family and friends were more fre- quent than reports to police, gendered stereotypes of IPV also seemed to affect family and friends’ attitudes toward victims. These results highlight the power of societal perceptions to affect individual experiences of IPV and to bias the attitudes and behav- iors of support services. This study underscores the need to continue to equip social and justice services to identify IPV and in particular to dispel unconscious bias when considering accusations of violence. Specifically, we recommend that social and justice service employees be provided with education that recognizes the prevalence of female-perpetrated IPV to enable appropriate, unbi- ased response to male victims reporting IPV. In addition, we recommend that policy and funding of IPV at a societal level be nongendered to ensure that men have the same opportunity as women to access help and support. This is a difficult area, and there are no straightforward solutions; however, one thing is certain: Continued ignorance about the impact of IPV on male victims will lead to further perpetration of secondary abuse. It is important that policymakers explore methods of providing information and support to male victims, including through the use of language and training for police and other agencies, that avoids the assumption that IPV is largely inflicted by men against their female partners.