An exploration into the experiences of Cypriot male victims of domestic abuse; An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis

Christofi, Eva Mikaela

Abstract

Domestic abuse (DA) perpetrated by female partners against male partners has been a subject of dispute amongst scholars, with disagreements regarding both the existence of male victimization and the nature as well as the severity of such abuse. The current qualitative study explored the experiences of six Cypriot male victims who reported that they experienced abuse at the hands of their female partners. The research employed semi-structured interviews that facilitated the exploration of the participants’ experiences of different types of abuse, the impacts of the abuse, as well as their experiences of seeking and receiving support. Given the importance of cultural understandings on issues such as gender roles, DA and victimization, the study also considered the men’s cultural background and thus, also explored their experiences of being male victims of a particular culture. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) guided the analysis and illustrated that the participants’ experiences of abuse had a damaging impact on their sense of masculinity and on their psychological wellbeing. All participants reflected on their feelings of embarrassment and shame that were linked to being males that were abused by their female partners, as well as their fear of being judged, mocked and perceived as ‘faulty’ men. In terms of culture, all the men reflected on the patriarchal views that some cultures hold on to, and argued that these views made their experiences of male victimization worse. Participants also explained that they were fearful of not being believed, which acted as a barrier to seeking support. Most importantly, several participants reported that they were re-victimized by services that are in place for domestic abuse victims. The findings of this study offer significant insights into the experience of male victimization in order to increase awareness and understanding of DA against men and enhanced support services.

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Feb 7, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 7, 2019
• Keywords: male victimization, domestic abuse, female perpetrators, culture, abused men, domestic violence
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/852450
• Contract Date: Feb 7, 2019
• Award Date: Feb 7, 2019