Men as Victims of Intimate Partner Violence – Results from a Qualitative Study in Germany

• In Event: Intimate partner violence

Abstract

Both qualitative and quantitative research focused primarily on female victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). However, there is an increasing interest in society, counseling services and research on violence against men. A research project conducted by the Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony (KFN) addresses the topic of IPV against men in Germany. In addition to a representative online survey on the prevalence of partner violence, a total of 16 qualitative interviews with heterosexual and homosexual male victims of IPV were conducted from July 2022 to March 2023. The aim of the interviews was to understand the subjective experience of violence and to reconstruct the underlying dynamics of the couple’s relationship. Positive or negative experiences with the police, support or counseling services were also a focus.

The interviewees (aged 20-69) experienced physical, psychological, and sexual violence in heterosexual and same-sex relationships. Those affected reported various emotional and physical consequences and different willingness to seek counseling or help. This paper will present the methodological approach to the interviews and then reconstruct the different experiences of IPV and their (emotional) consequences for the victims. The key question will be if and how the interviewees acknowledged being victims of IPV and how this impacted on their reporting and help-seeking behavior.

Author

• Philipp Müller, Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony