Men’s experience of abuse in intimate partnerships : impact and implications

Men who experience abuse in their relationships can undergo emotional hardships, suffer injuries, and can experience various psychological problems. Cultural gender norms create barriers in receiving the appropriate help men need. Large population based studies show that men do in fact experience incidents of physical and emotional abuse yet men are often overlooked in the domestic violence literature. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an important societal problem that needs to be evaluated and addressed for both genders, even if women are the primary victims of IPV. This report will present research regarding the prevalence of female-perpetrated abuse and discuss implications within the literature. The impact and consequences IPV has on men will be reviewed as well as barriers men face in getting help. New questions will be posed that need addressing and practical implications will be provided for researchers and mental health practitioners.