MALE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Informing Social ... - Amen

MALE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Informing Social Work Practice of the difficulties Male
Victims of Domestic Violence experience
Denis Lehane
BSW 4
University College Cork
A dissertation presented in partial completion of the
requirements of the degree of Bachelor of Social Work
2005
0

“SLAP”
Slap! A belt across the face with an adult hand
A beating painful; administered and planned
A lust-based love dissolves before a battered eye
Chaos causes corruption with an angry cry
Domestic Violence; Imagine if you can
But be aware; this time the victim is a man.
He reaches for help; his body limp
But some people call him ‘wimp’
Interrogation is the way
In his home he can no longer stay
The Social Worker sides with her
And calls the man a swine, a cur.
Politicians turn their back
Reminding of her sadistic whack
They avoid the issues
And jump through hoops
To avoid the wrath of the women’s groups
Amen is stronger than a man
Five thousand cases also ran
In this small island we call home
Evicted men on the streets do roam
A race of abusers have come to light
And now begins a brand new fight.
These men have nowhere else to go
For in their homes they cannot grow
We were all taught it was a sin
To retaliate and beat a woman we call kin
But there is a group for abused men
It’s based in Navan and called Amen.
By Sean O’Donoghue cited in Cleary, (2004) Letters to Amen: About Male Victims of
Domestic Abuse.
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Table of Contents
Slap………………………………………………………………………………..……..1
Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………….…2
Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………….….4
Dedication…………………………………………………………………………….…5
Chapter One – Introduction……………………………………………………….…..6
• Introduction………………………………………………………………….7
• Research aim………………………………………………………………...7
• Brief introduction to research topic……………………………………...…..7
• Researchers interest………………………………………………….…...….9
• Chapter outline………………………………………………………..……10
Chapter Two – Literature Review………………………………………………...…12
• Introduction……………………………………………………………...…13
• Domestic violence defined…………………………………………………13
• Domestic violence and society in relation to male victims………………...14
• The levels of reporting by male victims……………………………………15
• The main types of abuse male victims of domestic violence suffer………..16
• The affects of domestic violence on male victims…………………………17
• The services available to male victims of domestic violence………………19
• The law and male victims of domestic violence……………………………20
• Male victims of domestic violence and social work………………….….…21
• Conclusion………………………………………………………………….23
Chapter Three – Method and Methodology……………………………………...…24
• Introduction…………………………………………………………...……25
• Methods and methodology.………………...………………………………25
• Research Sample…………………………………………………….….…..28
• Ethical Issues…………………………………………………….…….…...30
• Conclusion………………………………………………………….…..…..31
Chapter Four – Data Analysis……………………………………………………….32
• Introduction……………………………………………………………...…33
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• Domestic violence and society in relation to male victims……………...…33
• The levels of reporting by male victims……………………………………34
• The main types of abuse male victims of domestic violence suffer……..…35
• The affects of domestic violence on male victims……………………..…..36
• The services available to male victims of domestic violence………………37
• The law and male victims of domestic violence……………………………38
• Male victims of domestic violence and social work……………….…….…39
• Conclusion……………………………………………………………....….40
Chapter Five – Conclusion…………………………………………………….…..….42
• Introduction……………………………………………………………..….43
• Male victims of domestic violence and the literature……………………....43
• Male victims of domestic violence and social work practice…………....…45
• Recommendations……………………………………………………….....46
Appendices………………………………………………………………………….…48
Appendix 1 - Research themes ……………………………………………...…49
Appendix 2 - Question guidelines for focus group…………………………..…50
Appendix 3 - Question guidelines for individual interviews………………...…51
Appendix 4 - Summary of focus group.……………………………………..…52
Appendix 5 - Transcripts of individual interviews with social workers……..…59
Bibliography………………………………………………….……………………..…69
Acknowledgements
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I would like to acknowledge and thank everyone who participated in this research.
I wish to express my appreciation and thanks to my tutor, Martin Geoghegan, for his
assistance and informative guidance in carrying out this research.
A sincere thanks to Mary Cleary of Amen and the members of the focus group who’s
participation will not be forgotten in my practice as a social worker.
Sincere thanks also to the social workers that participated in the research in giving a
valuable insight into the relationship between domestic violence and social work
practice.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the staff of University College Cork
for their help and support over the past four years.
Dedication
4

As a sign of my never-ending appreciation and love
I wish to dedicate this piece of work to my wife Katherine.
Without her support, confidence, patience and encouragement over the past four years
I could not have completed the Bachelor of Social Work Degree.
It was a long four years, but looking back it flew.
Thanks Ka.
Max and Judy my loveable dogs
who also played their role in my four years at University College Cork.
With their unconditional love and unstoppable need for fun and games they have kept
me smiling through all the exams and deadlines over the years
and continue to do so.
“Thanks”
“I promise I won’t do this again, ha – ha.”
5

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER ONE – INTRODUCTION
6

Introduction
This chapter highlights the research aim of this dissertation and gives a brief
introduction that looks at and conceptualises the research topic. The researcher’s
interest in the area of male victims of domestic violence is looked at and concludes with
a brief description of each chapter.
Research aim
The aim of this research is to inform social work practice of the difficulties male victims
of domestic violence experience and to document these experiences. To achieve the
research aim the dissertation has been structured around the following themes so that
the experiences of male victims can be drawn from and documented throughout the
dissertation.
• Domestic violence and society in relation to male victims.
• The levels of reporting of domestic violence by male victims.
• The main types of abuse male victims of domestic violence suffer.
• The main affects of domestic violence on male victims.
• The services available to male victims of domestic violence.
• The law and male victims of domestic violence.
• Male victims of domestic violence and social work.
To generate the required knowledge needed to accomplish the research aim the research
has employed the following methods, a literature review, a focus group and individual
interviews.
Brief introduction to research topic
In my research I will be looking at domestic violence on adult male victims in Ireland.
“IN THE SAFETY OF OUR HOME”, for some people these words mean happiness,
comfort and security, a place to retreat from the world. Domestic violence translates
these words into fear, shame, isolation and despair. Victims can feel trapped in the
relationship. This is a process by which the abuser feeds off the power over their
victim. No one wants to admit, especially men, that they feel safer walking the streets
at night rather than in their own home. The occurrence of domestic violence in our
society is one of the most unseen destructive forces with no boundaries in relation to
age, class, race, gender or geographical location.
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If an abused man seeks help as a victim of domestic violence, the majority of society
will see it as a laughable situation. Society chooses not to believe the man. This creates
the feeling of guilt and shame for the male victim (Cose, 1995). Society’s view on
domestic violence has been reinforced by the medias coverage of the issues surrounding
domestic violence, portraying females as the only victims and males as the abusers
(McKeown and Kidd, 2003).
The number of reported cases of domestic violence is only a percentage of its actual
occurrence within our society (Wiehe, 1998). Cook (1997) put forward the argument
from his study on domestic violence that one of the main reasons for men not reporting
the abuse and remaining within the relationship could be known as ‘Internal Excuses’.
In other words putting off reporting or leaving their abuser, because of the belief that
given time things will change.
Partner/spouse abuse can take a number of forms, but the main forms of domestic
violence are physical abuse, emotional/psychological abuse, sexual abuse and economic
abuse (Freeman, 1979.; Gelles, 1983.; O’Leary, 1988.; Brady, 1993.; Cose, 1995.;
Cooke, 1997.; Wiehe, 1998.; Cleary, 2003.; McKeown and Kidd, 2003). For many
victims of domestic violence the initial reaction to the abuse is one of shock and
disbelief (Brady, 1993). For male victims, one of the realities of domestic violence is
that it remains hidden because of feelings of shame and guilt. Often the only people to
know about the abuse are the people immediately involved (McKeown and Kidd, 2003).
In Ireland the only service solely dedicated to male victims of domestic violence is
Amen, located in Navan, Co. Meath. Mary Cleary founded the service in 1997. Amen
is an effective voluntary service that provides male victims of domestic violence with
information and support in relation to legal issues, decision-making and making contact
with counsellors/therapists.
If a person commits a violent act against another person outside the ‘family unit’ it is
considered a criminal offence by law, but if a violent act is committed against a member
of the ‘family unit’ it is not, by law, a criminal offence. It is very arguable that these
actions are indeed a criminal offence (Swindells, et al., 1999).
8

Domestic violence is an issue that is prominent in the area of social work practice.
Workers working in the areas of housing, refugees, education, health, social services,
welfare and the criminal justice system all come into contact with families who have
experienced domestic violence, even some of our friends and neighbours at home (Bell
and Wilson, 2003). Mullender (1996) argues that Social Workers do not see domestic
violence as being relevant to their work, which I find hard to believe. I would agree
with Mullender’s suggestion that there is a need to look at organisational structures.
Researchers interest
If I were to tie down one particular event in relation to the reason why I carried out my
research on domestic violence for my dissertation. It would have to be a BBC
documentary video on male victims of domestic violence that I viewed while in the first
year of the ‘Bachelor of Social Work Degree’ at University College Cork. The
documentary video was shown to the class during a free social policy tutorial lecture
and has remained as an area of interest ever since. I was unsuccessful in locating the
name of the BBC documentary video, as the lecturer is no longer working at University
College Cork. Domestic violence is not a gendered incident as victims or perpetrators
may be either male or female. Prior to carrying out this research I had no experience in
the area of domestic violence, but I have focused some of my assignments over the past
four years at University College Cork on the area of domestic violence and social work
practice where possible. These assignments were based on female victims of domestic
violence. In my research for these assignments I found that the material at the College
Library on domestic violence is dominated by material based on female victims, despite
the fact that books exist on male victims. This is another reason why I based this
research on male victims of domestic violence.
Chapter outline
Chapter one - introduction
This chapter introduces the research topic; by giving a brief outline of the research
themes held throughout the dissertation. The researcher’s interest in the area of male
victims of domestic violence is highlighted and the reason given for choosing this topic.
Each chapter is outlined by a brief description of their contents.
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Chapter two - literature review
Chapter two examines the literature in the area of adult male victims of domestic
violence. The literature referred to in this chapter has been generated by reviewing the
available books, journals and past research in relation to the research topic. The chapter
will be structured around the following: Domestic violence defined; Domestic violence
and society in relation to male victims; The levels of reporting by male victims; The
main types of abuse male victims of domestic violence suffer; The services available to
male victims of domestic violence; The law and male victims of domestic violence; and
Male victims of domestic violence and social work.
Chapter three - method and methodology
Chapter three focuses on the methods and methodology applied to this research. The
chapter is structured and divided by the following headings, ‘method and methodology’
which explains how the research was carried out and way, ‘research sample’ which
explains why I interviewed these people and where they come from, and the final
heading is ‘ethical issues’ which highlights any ethical situations that I came across
during the research.
Chapter four - data analysis
Chapter four is a collective analysis of the data generated in the three methods
employed by this research, a literature review, a focus group held with male victims of
domestic violence and individual interviews held with three social workers. The data
generated is analysed following the layout structure provided by the dissertation
research themes (Appendix 1). The similarities and differences that emerge from the
data are highlighted in each section.
Chapter five – conclusion
Chapter five is divided into three sections. The first gives a summary of the findings in
relation to the literature and the focus group. The second is a discussion on research
findings from the focus group in relation to social work practice and male victims of
domestic violence. The chapter then concludes in section three, where
recommendations are put forward from the research carried out.
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CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
CHAPTER TWO – LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
This chapter will examine literature on adult male victims of domestic violence. The
literature referred to in this chapter will include books, journals and past research in
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elation to male victims of domestic violence. I will be looking at the following areas of
domestic violence in relation to male victims as listed below.
• Domestic violence defined.
• Domestic violence and society in relation to male victims.
• The levels of reporting by male victims.
• The main types of abuse male victims of domestic violence suffer.
• The affects of domestic violence on male victims.
• The services available to male victims of domestic violence.
• The law and male victims of domestic violence.
• Male victims of domestic violence and social work.
Domestic violence defined
Domestic violence is a problem within our society that has stretched worldwide.
Domestic violence can be seen as the domination of power and control within close
relationships. Different people have attempted to explain it time after time. Walter (in
Freeman, 1979) presents domestic violence as being a ‘destructive harm’ caused by the
physical, sexual, emotional and economic abuse of one person on another. Domestic
violence holds no boundaries in relation to class, race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic
background or religion (Cleary, 2004).
The occurrence of domestic violence in our society is one of the most unseen
destructive forces within close relationships, why does it happen? Gelles (1983) put
forward an argument based on the ‘Social Control Theory’, with a view that people hit
an abuse other family members because they can. The ‘Social Learning Theory’
maintains that violence is a learned response. O’Leary (1988) held the view that
domestic violence was attributed to a number of factors, these being violence in the
family of origin, stress, relationship dissatisfaction, alcohol abuse and aggressive
personalities. The ‘Attachment Theory’ is another perspective. This is where the
perpetrator of the abuse may have experienced poor attachments within childhood,
developing a ‘lack of ability’ to maintain trust within a close relationship. These
feelings are in turn expressed as anger, anxiety and grief toward their partner/spouse
due to a failure to gain secure attachments in childhood (Wiehe, 1998).
Domestic violence and society in relation to male victims.
13

People are more likely to be killed, physically assaulted, hit or beat up,
slapped, or spanked in their own homes by other family members
than any where else, or by anyone else in our society.
(Gellas, 1997:1)
If an abused man seeks help as a victim of domestic violence, the majority of society
will see it as a laughable situation. Society chooses not to believe the man. This creates
the feeling of guilt and shame for the male victim (Cose, 1995). The way in which
society looks at gender images of men and women are passed down from generation to
generation, this has had a severe negative affect on the reality of the existence of male
victims of domestic violence in our society (Lucal, 1995 cited in Wiehe, 1998; Sewel
and Sewel, 1996; Cook, 1997; Wiehe, 1998; McKeown and Kidd, 2003; Cleary, 2004).
Female victims of domestic violence are increasingly treated by society with sympathy
and support, while male victims are treated with disbelief (Cleary,1997). Society’s
view on domestic violence has been reinforced by the medias coverage of the issues
surrounding domestic violence, portraying females as the only victims and males as the
abusers (McKeown and Kidd, 2003).
Sociologist Suzanne Steinmetz published an article entitled ‘Battered Husband
Syndrome’ in 1978. The article was to highlight to society the fact that both men and
women were victims of domestic violence. Steinmetz’s article was the result of
research she carried out on numerous investigations into domestic violence. Steinmetz
stated that ‘it was husband and not wife abuse that was the most underreported form of
family violence’. This claim was met with disbelief (Gelles, 1997).
Research carried out by McKeown and Kidd (2003) on male victims of domestic
violence highlights that male victims face a society that is heavily influenced with the
belief that ‘women are the only victims and men are the only perpetrators of domestic
violence’. This belief again being reinforced by public awareness campaigns
continuously aimed at female victims denying the fact that domestic violence is a reality
for male victims as well. To date there has only been three gender-neutral studies on
14

domestic violence carried out in the Republic of Ireland. The studies were carried out
by, the Marriage and Relationship Counselling Services (MRCS, 2001), ACCORD
(2003) and the above mentioned by McKeown and Kidd for the Department of Health
(2003). The results of these studies have found that men and women abuse each other
in approximately equal numbers (Cleary, 2004). The development of AMEN since
1997 to the present day has increased public awareness of the prevalence of domestic
violence in our society.
The levels of reporting of domestic violence by male victims
The number of reported cases of domestic violence is only a percentage of its actual
occurrence within our society (Wiehe, 1998). Cook (1997) put forward the argument
from his study on domestic violence that one of the main reasons for men not reporting
the abuse and remaining within the relationship could be known as ‘Internal Excuses’.
In other words putting off reporting or leaving their abuser, because of the belief that
given time things will change. Denial prolongs the underreporting of domestic violence
by male victims (Cook, 1997).
The British Crime Survey (1996) found that among chronic victims of
domestic violence, 60% of women told a friend or relative (compared
to only 29% of men), 22% of women informed the police (compared
to only 8% of men) and 20% of women who saw a doctor or went to
hospital (compared to only 3% of men).
(McKeown and Kidd, 2003: 84; Cleary, 2004:1)
Balswick and Peck (1971) argued that society’s masculine ideals of men being
physically tough, rough, strong and dominant over women has discouraged men from
reporting domestic violence.
An admission that one has been beaten up by one’s wife is therefore,
an admission that one is not really a man.
(Balswick and Peck, 1971. cited in Freeman, 1979: 228)
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McKeown and Kidd (2003) reinforce Balswick and Peck’s (1971) comment above.
Their research points out that a “stigma” exists for male victims that are involved in a
violent relationship. The fear of even more negative consequences if the abuse is
reported, leads victims and perpetrators to conspire in the construction of the silence.
The fear of not being believed. The fear of being unable to see
their children. The fear of their children being considered at risk
and taken into care. The fear of being judged and blamed for the
abuse because of society’s prejudices. The fear of revenge by the
abuser. The fear of partner saying false allegations against him.
The fear of being left homeless and losing custody of children.
(Cleary, 2004:10)
The main types of abuse male victims of domestic violence suffer
Partner/spouse abuse can take a number of forms, but the main forms of domestic
violence are physical abuse, emotional/psychological abuse, sexual abuse and economic
abuse (Freeman, 1979.; Gelles, 1983.; O’Leary, 1988.; Brady, 1993.; Cose, 1995.;
Cooke, 1997.; Wiehe, 1998.; Cleary, 2003.; McKeown and Kidd, 2003).
Many men who contact Amen have been victimised over and over
again by their partner. Domestic violence is an ongoing, debilitating
experience of physical psychological and /or sexual abuse. The
violence may not happen on a daily basis, but it remains as a hidden
terrorising factor. (Cleary, 2004:1)
Domestic violence is a topic that very few discuss in relation to male victims of
domestic violence. It is predominately discussed in terms of female victims, this has
made it very difficult to research along with the fact there is very limited literature
available on male victims at the University College Cork library.
Physical abuse: Is the pushing, punching twisting of limbs, choking, breaking of bones
and damage to property (Cork Rape Crisis Centre, 2002). This form of abuse takes no
particular pattern and victims can be subjected to the abuse at any give place or time
(Dobash and Dobash, 2000).
16

Community studies have consistently reported that more women
than men are physically violence toward a partner. Clinical studies
have consistently implied that more men then women are physically
violent toward a partner.
(Magdol, et al., 1997: 76 cited in McKeown and Kidd, 2003:60)
Sexual abuse: Is the forcing of anyone against their will to have sex, or perform any
sexual act. This also includes the demoralising of a person through sexual comments
(Cork Rape Crisis Centre, 2002). It is very hard for a man to disclose this form of abuse
(Cleary, 2004). Sexual abuse is one of the most intrusive forms of abuse, making it one
of the hardest to disclose.
Emotional/psychological abuse: Is where a person is degraded or humiliated in private
or public areas. This also includes putting a person down, making them feel bad,
cutting off their freedom to friends and family (Cork Rape Crisis Centre, 2002).
Economic abuse: Is the controlling of all financial income (Cork Rape Crisis Centre,
2002).
The affects of domestic violence on male victims
For many victims of domestic violence the initial reaction to the abuse is one of shock
and disbelief (Brady, 1993). For male victims, one of the realities of domestic violence
is that it remains hidden because of feelings of shame and guilt. Often the only people
to know about the abuse are the people immediately involved (McKeown and Kidd,
2003).
It is evident from reviewing the literature available for this dissertation that there exists
a lack of research on the direct effects of domestic violence in relation to male victims.
The aim of this research is to inform social work practice of the difficulties male victims
of domestic violence experience and to provide a modest documentation of these
experiences. A possible cause for this lack of research to date could be provided by
society unwillingness to believe male victims combined by the stigma society hands out
so freely.
17

The stigma of being in a violent relationship and the fear of even
more negative consequences if others know about it, lead victims
and perpetrators to conspire in keeping secret the violence in their
relationship. (McKeown and Kidd, 2003:13)
Many of the men that contact Amen carry the affects of the abuse with them. The most
visible being the results of physical abuse, cuts, bruises, burns, or even broken bones.
Emotional/Psychological abuse remains concealed, male victims talk about being
deeply depressed isolated and even feeling suicidal (Cleary, 2004).
Research carried out by McKeown and Kidd (2003) highlights a common trend
throughout their research. They found that victims of domestic violence invariably
experience powerlessness within the relationship. Wiehe (1998) held the view that
being the victim of domestic abuse is destructive to one’s self-esteem and self-image.
A man that has been beaten by his wife or partner is most
likely to be a psychologically broken man; the male being
sexually abused by a female is usually a very vulnerable
personality who feels absolute shame and worthlessness.
(Thomas, 1993:138)
The services available to male victims of domestic violence
There are virtually no services for male victims of domestic violence any existing
services are geared towards female victims, even in countries where there is statistical
evidence; to show that domestic violence against men is a reality (McKeown and Kidd,
2003). In Ireland the only service solely dedicated to male victims of domestic violence
is Amen, located in Navan, Co. Meath. Mary Cleary founded the service in 1997.
Amen is an effective voluntary service that provides male victims of domestic violence
with information and support in relation to legal issues, decision-making and making
contact with counsellors/therapists. Amen to date has had in excess of 33,000 calls
from male victims and their families.
18

Support groups are the most effective element in combating
the shame, self-blame and the destruction of self-belief, which
inhibited their attempts to end the violence.
(Kelly and Humphreys, 2000. cited in Bell and Wilson, 2003:201)
Mullender (1996) put forward that men suffering from domestic violence find it hard to
get their fears taken seriously, but claims that the need for services for male victims is
not convincing enough because of the lack of men coming forward to avail of the
services (Mullender, 1996. cited in British Medical Association, 1998). McKeown and
Kidd (2003) argue that the lack of services for male victims of domestic violence is
reinforced by the reluctance of male victims to present themselves as needing these
services. They also put forward the argument that the development of male services can
only progress if there is a heightened public awareness that men are just as much
victims of domestic violence as women are.
Every community should provide support groups for all
victims of domestic violence. Sharing common experiences
truly works wonders towards helping individuals rebuild
shattered lives. (Cook, 1997:154)
The law and male victims of domestic violence
Over the past number of years, there have been a number of changes to the law around
legislation to provide protection to victims of domestic violence.
• Family Law (Maintenance of Spouses and Children) Act, 1976.
• Family Law (Protection of Spouses and Children) Act, 1981.
• Domestic Violence Act, 1996.
• Family Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1997.
• Domestic Violence (Amendment) Act, 2002.
(http://www.irishstatutebook.ie)
19

If a person commits a violent act against another person outside the ‘family unit’ it is
considered a criminal offence by law, but if a violent act is committed against a member
of the ‘family unit’ it is not, by law, a criminal offence. It is very arguable that these
actions are indeed a criminal offence (Swindells, et al, 1999).
Male victims of domestic violence strongly believe that the legal system does not offer
the same level of protection as provided to female victims. In Ireland as elsewhere
there is a perception within the court system that it is indeed more difficult for a man to
receive justice than a woman (Cook, 1997.; McKeown and Kidd, 2003). Despite the
fact that domestic violence legislation is gender neutral (Fahey and Lyons, 1995).
Some Irish barristers have also suggested that a higher standard
of proof may be needed for male rather than for female
complainants of domestic violence.
(Woods, 1998.; Corrigan, 1998. cited in McKeown and Kidd, 2003:91)
Under the Domestic Violence Act 1996 victims of domestic violence can apply for the
following orders. ‘Safety Order Under Section 2 of the Act’, ‘Barring Order Under
Section 3 of the Act’, ‘Interim Barring Order Under Section 4 of the Act’ and
‘Protection Order Under Section 5 of the Act’. Ancillary orders may also be applied for
under section 9 of the Domestic Violence Act without a separate application on the day
of the court. An ancillary order entails custody, access, maintenance and/or
guardianship proceedings (Kennedy and Maguire, 1999).
Amen offers support and assistance for male victims of domestic violence applying for
these orders. Amen recommends that male victims get legal advice from a family law
solicitor, but in cases where the man is representing himself he may be allowed to take
one other person with him into the court room. This person is known as a ‘McKenzie
Friend’ (Cleary, 2003). People who cannot afford legal representation can avail of free
legal aid, through the free legal aid board if the requirements are met.
Male victims of domestic violence and social work
Domestic violence is an issue that is prominent in the area of social work practice.
Workers working in the areas of housing, refugees, education, health, social services,
20

welfare and the criminal justice system all come into contact with families who have
experienced domestic violence, even some of our friends and neighbours at home (Bell
and Wilson, 2003).
Mullender (1996) argues that social workers do not see domestic violence as being
relevant to their work. Research carried out by Milner in 1996 found that social
workers failed to record the existence of violence or to mention it in meetings, often
referring to it in gender-neutral terms where it was reframed as ‘marital conflict’ or
‘fighting’ (Milner, 1996. cited in Bell and Wilson, 2003).
In research by Bell (1996) on social services, staff reported that identifying cases of
domestic violence was ‘almost incidental’ (Bell, 1996 cited in Bell and Wilson, 2003).
Jones (1989) in a review of literature relating to agency responses to domestic violence
reiterates the point made by Bell with the following statement.
Domestic violence is condemned to a certain point … only
when violence exceeds the limits does the condemnation
become overt.
(Jones, 1989: 102 cited in Kingston and Penhale, 1995:154)
Workshops take place at Cork University Hospital, facilitated by a social worker in the
Health Service Executive. These workshops are intended to aid social workers, guards,
chaplins, doctors and nurses to identify domestic violence. Its main focus is to show
workers of all disciplines how to read the signs and how to deal with a person that they
suspect may be a victim of domestic violence. One of its main concerns is to present an
awareness that victims of domestic violence can be both male and female (Southern
Health Board, 2002).
Conclusion
This chapter has examined the limited literature available, in the area of male victims of
domestic violence. It covers a wide range of issues and in doing so it sets out to provide
the reader with an up to date review of issues arising for male victims in today’s society
and the importance of further studies into the area of male victims of domestic violence.
21

CHAPTER THREE
METHOD AND METHODOLOGY
23

CHAPTER THREE – METHOD AND METHODOLOGY
Introduction
As the title of this chapter suggests, chapter three will focus on the methods and
methodology applied to this research. The following headings are applied in this
chapter, ‘method and methodology’ which explains how the research was carried out
and way, ‘research sample’ which explains why I interviewed these people and where
they come from, and the final heading is ‘ethical issues’ which highlights any ethical
situations that I came across during the research.
24

Method and methodology
This research is based on qualitative methods of research. Silverman (1993) points out
that qualitative methods of research are particularly interested in how people observe
and describe their lives (Payne and Payne 2004).
The core concern of qualitative research is to seek out and
intercept the meaning that people bring to their own actions,
rather than describing any regularities or statistical associations
between ‘variables’. (Payne and Payne 2004:176)
The methods employed in this dissertation to generate the required research data was an
extensive literature review, a focus group carried out with five male victims of domestic
violence and individual interviews with three social workers. The combination of
qualitative methods of data collection in this research can be used to support each other
and is referred to as “triangulation” (Mason. 1996. cited in Silverman. 2000).
To find a specific aim for my research, I began by reading the literature available in the
area of domestic violence and decided to base the research on male victims of domestic
violence. As the literature review was now focused I carried out a more extensive
search in books, journals, newspapers and passed research reports. I located this
information in the University College Cork, Boole Library, Amen and the Internet. In
compiling this information I was constantly drawn to the fact that most of the sources
available on domestic violence were dominated by research into ‘female victims and
male perpetrators’. I also found frustrating the fact that research carried out into male
victims relied strongly on data generated from research into the female victims. For this
reason I have to the best of my ability used sources that have remained gender neutral or
have concentrated solely on male victims in their research where possible, but with a
great deal of frustration.
Methodology deals with the characteristics of methods, the principles
on which methods operate, and the standards governing their selection
and application. (Payne and Payne 2004:150)
25

I processed this information and came up with a research aim: ‘To inform social work
practice of the difficulties male victims of domestic violence experience’.
To achieve this aim I structured the research by using the following themes.
• Domestic violence and society in relation to male victims.
• The levels of reporting of domestic violence by male victims.
• The main types of abuse male victims of domestic violence suffer.
• The main affects of domestic violence on male victims.
• The services available to male victims of domestic violence.
• The law and male victims of domestic violence.
• Male victims of domestic violence and social work.
Once a research aim was decided, the information gathered was processed from the
relevant sources. To expand my information in relation to the research aim I had to
decide on where and how I was going to locate this information. Researching the area
of male victims of domestic violence is a sensitive social issue reinforced by society’s
reluctance to face up to the fact that men can, and are victims of domestic violence.
I decided to interview two groups; the first group was a group of male victims of
domestic violence, ‘Group (A)’. This group would provide direct evidence about
similarities and differences in comparisons to the literature, which could be used as a
primary source of data or as a means to supplement or combine with other qualitative
methods to highlight issues. Data was generated with this group ‘Group (A)’, through
the facilitation of a focus group for two main reasons. The first was that it provided a
practical method of gaining the data required for the dissertation, as Amen’s location
was to far to carry out individual interviews. The second reason was that the format of
a focus group would provide the men with support while taking about their abuse.
Morgan (1997) points out that the use of focus groups can serve as a primary means of
collecting qualitative data. Focus groups provide access to forms of data that are not
obtained easily with individual interviews.
As domestic violence is a sensitive and personal issue there was a need for the focus
group to be held in an environment that would provide support and respect for the
participants. The focus group was held at the Amen centre in Navan, Co. Meath where
the men attend their support group, each week. Amen holds their support group on
26

every Tuesday night; this provided me with an excellent opportunity to get the men
together.
The focus group was conducted using an open semi-structured format that consisted of
seven open-ended questions (Appendix 2). These questions were comprised from the
themes laid out by the research aim (Appendix 1). This allowed the focus group to be
open and flexible for both the men involved and myself. This interview was recorded
and lasted for a period of two hours. There were over ten thousand words of data
collected. Because of the time constraints it was more practical to listen to the
recording a number of times and make a summary of the main points raised. The
summary contains the collective responses of the individuals that participated in the
focus group. The summary was guided by the themes of the research project mentioned
above.
The second group consisted of three social workers to link the research with social work
practice. I felt that individual interviews with social workers would provide an
independent professional and direct insight into how social workers view and respond to
male victims of domestic violence. Individual interviews can be used as a means to cue
or control the direction of one-on-one conversations (Morgan. 1997). It was also
beneficial in organising the interviews; as I was able accommodate each social worker
according to their location and schedules. The social workers were from different areas
of social work practice to gain a wide response. These areas were medical social work,
child protection social work and community social work.
Research sample
This dissertation is restricted to ‘Male Victims of Domestic Violence’. To generate a
research sample I used a non-probability method of sampling. Non-probability
sampling can take a variety of forms. The method employed in this research had to be
based on ‘availability’ because one, the contact between social workers and victims of
domestic violence is limited and two, victims of domestic violence have remained
isolated and hidden from society to date.
For the focus group ‘Group (A)’, Amen is the only service that is solely dedicated to
male victims of domestic violence in Ireland, the research sample for the focus group
was generated from Amen and consisted of five male victims attending their support
27

group. These men represented thirty percent of the support group at this particular
meeting and as Amen is the only existing support group in Ireland, it remains out of
reach for a large number of the population. I contacted Mary Cleary in Amen and told
her about my final year dissertation on male victims of domestic violence. Mary was
delighted to help and told me that “the men will talk to any one that is willing to listen”.
Mary told me that a support group meeting is held every Tuesday night and we arranged
to have the focus group on 15 th March 2005. As Amen is located in Navan, Co. Meath,
I needed to travel from Cork and back to carry out the focus group. When I arrived in
Navan for the focus group, I introduced myself and explained to the men who I was and
about the focus group, five of the men volunteered to participate in the focus group.
The members of the focus group were aged between thirty and sixty-five. Occupations
were school teacher, Farmer, Mechanic and the Garda Siochanna. The period of abuse
also ranged from five years to thirty years. The focus group was recorded and lasted for
a period of two hours. The focus group was conducted using an open semi-structured
format that consisted of seven open-ended questions (Appendix 2). These questions
were comprised from the themes laid out by the research aim (Appendix 1).
After reviewing the recorded interview for the focus group, I calculated that there were
over ten thousand words to be transcribed. As this would be extremely time consuming
I decided to listen to the recording a number of times before making a summary of the
data generated (Appendix 4). This summary was compiled using the research themes
(Appendix 1) and contains over two thousand words.
The second group interviewed ‘Group (B)’, consisted of individual interviews with
three social workers. Each interview was recorded and lasted for approximately thirty
minutes. The interviews were conducted using a semi-structured format that consisted
of seven open-ended questions (Appendix 3). These questions were comprised from the
information gained through the focus group (Appendix 4) and the themes laid out by the
research aim (Appendix 1). The same method of sampling, non-probability sampling,
was used to generate ‘Group (B)’. From talking to social workers in relation to this
research, there seems to be a very low contact rate between social workers and male
victims of domestic violence. The disadvantage of this type of sampling with ‘Group
(B)’ was that the samples obtained by this method were likely to be unrepresentative by
their profession (Pole and Lampard. 2002).
28

To cover a broad area of social work practice, the social workers that participated in
these interviews were from different areas of social work practice, medical social work,
child protection social work and community social work. The individual social workers
were contacted by means of telephone conversation were I asked to speak to a social
worker in relation to domestic violence. I told the social workers about the research I
was carrying out on male victims of domestic violence and asked them did they have
experience with any male victims. This process turned out to be very fruitful, as the
social workers I made contact with new of someone or were willing to participate
themselves in an interview for my research. The down side was that not all of the social
workers had hands on experience in the area of male victims of domestic violence. The
medical social worker had experience of working with clients that were male victim of
domestic violence. The child protection social worker was in the process of working
with her first client that was a male victim and the community social worker had
experience of working with families that would have had violence within the home, but
no direct experience with male victims of domestic violence.
Ethical issues
As domestic violence is an issue that is extremely personal and sensitive, it was quite
clear that my research needed to be conducted with respect and sensitivity for those
involved. Payne and Payne (2004) point out that ethical practice is not a switch that can
be turned on or off when one feels like it, but that it ‘lies at the very heart of research’
beginning to end. It is the responsibility of the researcher to maintain moral conduct
throughout the research.
The acceptability of social research depends increasingly on the
willingness of social researchers to accord respect to their subjects
and to treat them with consideration.
(Research Association’s Ethical Guidelines cited in Denscombe. 2002:175)
In the facilitation and arrangement of the focus group there were a number of
considerations to keep in mind, i.e. the location, did the men mind the focus group being
recorded, would they accept me as a researcher and as a person that they could talk too.
29

My own personality was an important advantage and stood me well. I see myself as
being patient, approachable, understanding, having a good use of empathy,
non-judgemental, respectful, reliable, supportive, and a good listener.
It is important for a researcher to remain detached and neutral from the research
findings. During the focus group there were issues discussed in relation to social work
and male victims of domestic violence. The participants aired their thoughts and
feelings about their experiences with social workers. I was able to detach myself from
these views by telling myself I can’t feel responsible for the actions of other social
workers.
Researchers should be committed to discovery and reporting
things as faithfully and as honestly as possible, without allowing
their investigations to be influenced by considerations other than
what is truth of the matter. (Denscombe. 2002:177)
Anonymity and respect was given the highest regard throughout the research to those
who participated.
Conclusion
Chapter three has focused on the methods and methodology applied to this research.
The following areas have been looked at the methods of data collection, methodology,
the research sample, and the ethical issues encountered in the research. This chapter has
explained the how and why of the research was carried out. The next chapter deals with
an analysis of the data generated form the literature review, the focus group with male
victims and individual interviews with social workers.
30

CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS
31

CHAPTER FOUR - DATA ANALYSIS
Introduction
Chapter four is a collective analysis of the data generated in the three methods
employed by this research, the literature review, a focus group held with male victims
of domestic violence (Appendix 4) and individual interviews with three social workers
(Appendix 5) working in the areas of medical, child protection and the community. The
structure of the data analysis will follow the dissertation research themes (Appendix 1).
Each section will begin with an analysis of the literature followed by the focus group
and conclude with the social work interviews.
Domestic violence and society in relation to male victims.
An analysis of the literature revealed the following. Cose (1995) put forward that the
majority of society view the idea of a man being a victim of domestic violence as a
laughable situation. There seems to be an overall consensus from Lucal (1995), Wiehe
32

(1998), Sewel and Sewel (1996) Cook (1997) Wiehe (1998) McKeown and Kidd (2003)
and Cleary (2004) that society’s vision of men and women has been passed down
through the years as men being strong, the bread winner and women seen as being
vulnerable. McKeown and Kidd (2003) highlight the role played by the media, the
media has taken part in solidating society’s views, and coverage has reinforced this
view by portraying women as the only victims.
The response given by the focus group confirms the image of society being put forward
by the literature. As the finding from the focus group revealed a short but direct
response to this question. The group believed that society does not believe that a man
can be a victim of domestic violence.
An analysis of the social work interviews revealed a mixed response. The medical
social worker provided a very positive view towards male victims of domestic violence
and was proud of their active gender-neutral policy in place at the hospital. Figures
from Accident and Emergency show that 18% of male admissions are victims of
domestic violence. In child protection male and female victims of domestic violence
are treated the same, except the male victim’s motives for coming forward would be
questioned. The community social worker also pointed out that male victims of
domestic violence are taken seriously, but again if they had to take a position on one or
the other, they would more than likely side with the female.
The levels of reporting by male victims
An analysis of the literature revealed the following. Wiehe (1998) highlights that the
number of reported cases of domestic violence is only a percentage of its real ocurrence.
Cook (1997) holds the view that male victims of domestic violence underreport because
of a denial that exists within the victim, as he refers to as ‘Internal Excuses’. The levels
of reporting and society’s view of male victims of domestic violence co-exist as ‘cause
and affect’ of the underreporting of male victims of domestic violence. Stigma exists
for male victims of domestic violence, as pointed out by McKeown and Kidd (2003).
Balswick and Peck’s (1971) reinforce this with their portrait of what a man must
measure up to, ‘Society’s masculine ideals of men being physically tough, rough,
strong and dominant over women’. Is it a wonder then that men feel stigmatised with
33

this kind of pressure, along with their fears of losing their family and home as pointed
out by Cleary (2004).
In general, the response from the focus group supports the view taken by the literature.
The men did not report the abuse at first to anyone as they felt they would not be
believed. The belief of the group was that a lot of men stay too quiet for far too long
and suffer in silence, because of the humiliation associated with being a male victim of
domestic violence and also the fear of losing all contact with their children. Another
fear is that if the authorities stepped in they might remove the mother and the children
may never see their mother again. If the men were going to reveal that, they were
victims of domestic violence, it would be to a close family member.
An analysis of the social work interviews revealed that if a male victim of domestic
violence reported to the three interviewees, the report would be taken seriously. The
medical social worker follows a procedure that is in place in the hospital for when a
person, male or female, is suspected of being a victim of domestic violence. An
appointment is made with the victim and an assessment carried out. Support and
counselling is put in place if needed. In child protection there is also an assessment
carried out, but their primary concern is around the safety and welfare of the children.
The community social worker would also carry out an assessment with the male victim
and support him in what ever he would like to do about the situation.
The main types of abuse male victims of domestic violence suffer
An analysis of the literature revealed the following. There is a consensus between
Freeman (1979), Gelles (1983), O’Leary (1988), Brady (1993), Cose (1995), Cooke
(1997), Wiehe (1998), Cleary (2003) and McKeown and Kidd (2003) that the main
types of domestic violence across the board are physical abuse, emotional/psychological
abuse, sexual abuse and economic abuse. This is a topic that very few discuss in
relation to male victims of domestic violence, which has made it difficult to research.
Cleary (2004) pointed out that male victims of domestic violence experience different
forms of abuse, but physical abuse and emotional/psychological abuse are the main
forms. She also points out that male victims find it very hard to disclose sexual abuse
so its occurrence remains unknown.
34

Findings from the focus group support the literature reviewed for this research in that
the main forms of abuse indicated by the focus group were physical abuse and
emotional/psychological abuse. The physical abuse took the form of kicking, stabbing,
plates being violently thrown at them, their hair being pulled, being hit with a glass
bottle and chairs broken over their backs. The emotional abuse took the form of threats
such as false allegations to the authorities that they were sexual abusing their children.
Verbal forms of emotional abuse was where the abuser would constantly tell the man
that he was useless, no good to the family and call him names such as a ‘pervert’. One
man had to publicly beg, by getting down on his knees in front of people and ask out
loud for permission to see his children before his partner would aloud him access to see
his children and for others jealousy seemed to play a large part in the abusers attacks.
An analysis of the social work interviews revealed the following. The medical social
worker’s experience with male victims indicated that physical abuse and emotional
abuse were the main forms of abuse male victims suffered and victims say that the long
term affects of emotional abuse are much worse then the physical abuse. She also
found that in cases of physical abuse that it occurred sudden, from behind and often
with a weapon. The response from the child protection social worker and the
community social worker was that they felt they did not have the experience with male
victims to comment sufficiently.
The affects of domestic violence on male victims
An analysis of the literature revealed that there is a lack of research on the direct affects
of domestic violence on male victims. Brady (1993), McKeown and Kidd (2003) point
out some seemingly obvious initial but lasting affects associated with male victims of
domestic violence such as shock, disbelief, shame and guilt. Or in other words, as
Thomas (1993) puts it, ‘a man that has been beaten by his wife or partner is most likely
to be a psychologically broken man’. Wiehe (1998) pointed to other affects such as low
self-esteem and self-image. Cleary (2004) in her experience of meeting the men face to
face highlights that the most visible affect of abuse on male victims, is the result of the
physical abuse, cuts, bruises, burns and even broken bones. Emotional abuse remains
concealed; the men talk about being deeply depressed, isolated and even suicidal at
times.
35

Findings from the focus group revealed some of the affects of domestic violence to be
isolation, fear, depression and low-self esteem. Even though the men could defend
themselves they would not fight back, but instead lock themselves in their rooms, and
remain isolated. The fear of losing their children was a reality for some of the men and
a threat used frequently for others. For one of the participants, the fear of losing his
children he was like ‘being hit with a sledgehammer’. For some of the participants
these fears lead to the suffering of depression. One of the group members spoke of his
depression; at one stage he lost two stone in weight and still did not turn to anyone for
help. The men are constantly called names during arguments with their partner/spouse
this in turn leads to the men developing a low self-esteem and self-image. The men
would be told that they were not good fathers; they were lazy and good for nothing.
One participant mentioned that he seriously considered committing suicide on one
occasion.
An analysis of the social work interviews revealed the following. The medical social
worker held the view that domestic violence is the same for any human being male or
female. But in the case of male victims it must be worse, having to deal with not being
believed, laughed at and ridiculed. The child protection social worker only put forward
an opinion because she felt she did not have the experience with male victims, that a
man’s self-esteem must be low and their masculinity damaged. She also felt that
depression, shame and vulnerability play a role in the affects male victims suffer.
Similarly the community social worker would only give an opinion of the affects on
male victims. That a man must feel dis-empowered, psychologically hurt and
physically hurt, his role as a parent hindered or even destroyed.
The services available to male victims of domestic violence
An analysis of the literature revealed the following. In Ireland there exist only one
service that is solely dedicated to male victims of domestic violence, this service is
Amen. Amen is an affective voluntary service located in Navan, Co. Meath. Bell and
Wilson (2003) advocate that male victims of domestic violence need to be supported,
that support groups provide support by people that have gone through and are still going
through the affects of domestic violence. Kelly and Humphreys (2000) supports this
36

view with a belief that ‘support groups are the most effective element in combating the
affects of domestic violence’.
A common thread through out this research seems to be the unwillingness of society, a
lack of understanding and ability to believe that men as well as women can be victims
of domestic violence. Mullender’s (1996) hindering comments reinforces society’s
view in providing services by ‘claiming that the need for services for male victims is not
convincing enough because of the lack of men coming forward to avail of services’.
The need for services exist, I travelled to Amen in Navan from Cork, for the focus
Group. If I was a victim of domestic violence and needed to attend a support group, it
would take me five hours to drive up and four hours to drive back down, over three
hundred miles. Cook (1997) argues that every community should provide support
groups for all victims of domestic violence.
Findings from the focus group revealed a quick to respond, as there is only one service
available to these men, and this service is Amen. Amen provides these men with a
support group that is held every Tuesday night and a twenty-four hour help line, seven
days a week. There was one member of the focus group that mentioned that he attends
a service called ‘ALNON’, this is a support group for partners/spouses and family
members of people who suffer from alcoholism.
An analysis of the social work interviews revealed the following. The medical social
worker was of the view that the hospital provided an excellent service for domestic
violence victims. The hospital itself has had an active gender-neutral domestic violence
policy in place and a staff that attend domestic violence training twice a year. But
outside the hospital she held the view that services available for men are very poor and
the only service she knew of was Amen. She also highlighted that disbelief among
professionals exists, i.e. doctors, guards and social workers, some believe and some
don’t want to believe. The child protection social worker was not aware of any service
for male victims and again the community social worker was the same, he was not
aware of any agency or support group for male victims.
The law and male victims of domestic violence
37

An analysis of the literature revealed the following. Swindells (1999) among others has
pointed out a puzzling fact of Irish law. If a person is violent towards another person
outside of the ‘family unit’ it is considered a criminal offence, but if the same act is
carried out against a family member it is portrayed as being acceptable by law. Another
interesting twist in Irish law stems from the ‘gender neutral’ Domestic Violence Act,
1996. As highlighted by Fahey and Lyons (1995), Cook (1997), and McKeown and
Kidd (2003) male victims of domestic violence experience a high degree of hardship in
a justice system that only gives lip service to a gender neutral process provided by
legislation. This view has been solidified by research carried out by Woods and
Corrigan (1998), the research provides comments from practicing Irish barristers that
suggest that male victims of domestic violence require a higher standard of proof.
Amen offers support and assistance in legal matters but do recommend that the men
receive legal advice from a family law solicitor.
Findings from the focus group revealed the following, that it is very hard for a male
victim of domestic violence to trust solicitors. The group felt that the law could be very
easily twisted to suit the needs of the abuser in relation to protection orders, safety
orders and barring orders, only sixty percent of the group knew about orders. The
experience expressed by the focus group was that solicitors used them like puppets on
strings and did not provide them with vital information that would have helped them in
their cases. In cases where the father is seeking custody of their children, solicitors
normally advised them not to use the children to give evidence. The group agreed that
in the cases where the children did give evidence of the abuse against the father, the
men gained custody of their children.
An analysis of the social work interviews revealed the following. The medical social
worker finds the law as being gender neutral only in theory, i.e. ‘Domestic Violence Act
1996’. In practice she found the law to be very bias towards male victims of domestic
violence and from her experience men are not always believed or even heard. When a
male victim looks for a solicitor they find it extremely difficult to find a solicitor that
shows them respect. The social worker in child protection felt that she could not really
give a sufficient answer to this section, but though that the law is not gender neutral
when it comes to male victims and that it is very difficult for a man to access orders, i.e.
safety, barring, interim barring, and protection orders. The community social worker
38

felt that he would not have much experience in legal issues, but that his perception was
that the law just reflects society and is more focused on the female victim.
Male victims of domestic violence and social work
An analysis of the literature revealed the following. Bell and Wilson (2003) pointed out
that social workers, because of the nature of the work, will come in contact with
families who are or have experienced domestic violence. The literature has revealed
some startling views; Mullender (1996) argued that social workers do not see domestic
violence as being relevant to their work. Research by Milner (1996) puts forward that
social workers failed to record the existence of violence which has been reinforced by
research carried out by Jones (1989) and Bell (1996) which highlighted that the
identification of domestic violence was ‘almost incidental’. What I have found
refreshing amongst all of these views was my reading of the domestic violence ‘gender
neutral’ policy being practiced at our very own Cork University Hospital and facilitated
by the social work department, a sign that things can change.
Findings from the focus group revealed that the men had very strong feelings towards
social workers. They were very angry about the way their situations have been dealt
with by the social workers involved. They were concerned with the fact that the social
workers in their cases were very inexperienced and did not seem to be willing to
consider there might be another side to the story, i.e. violence against the man. A main
concern was the response they received from social workers. The men felt they were
not believed, that the social workers involved believed whatever their partner/spouse
was saying over what they were saying. One man’s words were ‘social workers assisted
my wife in kidnapping my children’.
An analysis of the social work interviews revealed the following. The medical social
worker found that there are times that she would not agree with some of her colleagues
in child protection and would challenge some of the decisions made in relation to her
clients at the hospital, as it is part of her role to advocate on behalf of her clients. She
also pointed out that there is a general view that a child is always better off with the
mother, and this is not always the case. The social worker in child protection
highlighted that social workers in Ireland are very young and inexperienced. That they
come from a middle class background and have lead protected lives with few life
39

experiences. She also found that some social workers could not accept that a man could
be a victim of domestic violence. The community social worker accepts that male
victims could feel the way they do about social workers. In his experience of social
workers, he was not aware of any social workers that would collude with the mother to
take the children away from their fathers.
Conclusion
This chapter has laid out the research findings and in general the literature researched
has supports the views given by the focus group. However there has been a mixed
response received from the social workers interviewed. Overall the medical social
worker was well equipped to provide an insightful response due to the high levels of
contact with male victims of domestic violence. The child protection social worker and
community social worker also gave insightful responses, but lacked in the experience of
working with male victims due to the extremely low contact rate between social
workers and male victims of domestic violence.
40

CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION
41

CHAPTER FIVE - CONCLUSION
Introduction
Chapter five is divided into three sections. The first is a discussion on the findings in
relation to the literature reviewed and the focus group. The second is a discussion on
research findings from the focus group in relation to social work practice and male
victims of domestic violence. The chapter then concludes in section three, where
recommendations are put forward from the research carried out.
Male victims of domestic violence and the literature
By reading the literature in relation to male victims of domestic violence and society it
has revealed an image of a society that chooses to believe a man could not be a victim
of domestic violence. Experiences expressed by the men in the focus group were short
but confirmed this image portrayed by the literature. With this view of society in mind
42

it is understandable why the rates of reporting of domestic violence by male victims is
so low, only a percentage of its real occurrence. As one of the men in the focus group
said, “we only want people to believe us, what’s the point in telling someone your wife
is beating you, if their not going to believe me.”
From my reading of the literature I was shocked to find that only a small proportion of
the material discussed male victims and even less discussed the types of abuse these
men suffered. My findings from the focus group showed that the main types of abuse
suffered by men are physical abuse and emotional/ psychological abuse, which
coincided with the literature.
Quite significantly, a conclusion of the research showed that the area of male victims of
domestic violence seems to be forgotten about by the literary world. An even more
significant deduction from this dissertation arose when I tried to locate books relating to
the topic of research in the University library and found that very few were present,
compared to rows of domestic violence material in relation to female victims. Not very
gender neutral for a issue that affects both men and women.
Services available to male victims of domestic violence in Ireland amount to one
voluntary service, Amen. The need for more services was highlighted by my three
hundred mile round trip to Amen in Navan from Cork, to carry out a focus group.
There is a need for more community based services through out the country, no one
should have to travel the distance I travelled to attend a support group. I would estimate
that the Amen support group is only available to about twenty percent of the country in
relation to the distance men would have to travel. Eighty percent, again only an
estimate, are restricted by distance and can only use the twenty-four hour help line
provided by Amen. This is a very valuable part of the Amen service, but there is no
comparison to being able to attend a support group and talk with other victims.
The law for victims of domestic violence stems from the gender neutral ‘Domestic
Violence Act 1996’. In practice the justice system only provides a lip service to this
gender-neutral process and requires a higher standard of proof from male victims of
domestic violence. Findings from the focus group revealed that male victims find it
43

hard to trust or even find a solicitor that believes a man can be a victim of domestic
violence and that the law can be twisted to suit the needs of the abuser.
There was one piece of literature that stood out in my mind in relation to how social
work should be tackling domestic violence in all areas of practice. This was the
domestic violence ‘gender neutral’ policy being practiced at our very own Cork
University Hospital, which is facilitated by the social work department, a sign that
things can change. This was significant because my findings from the focus group
showed a main concern for the men to be the response they received from social
workers. The men interviewed were very angry about the way their situations were
dealt with and were concerned with the fact that the social workers in their cases were
very inexperienced. As one of the men in the focus group said, “social workers assisted
my wife in kidnapping my children”. This man, after putting up with years of abuse
from his wife, said that the social workers in his case would only listen to his wife and
would not believe him when he told them he was a victim of domestic violence.
Male victims of domestic violence and social work practice
In relation to social work practice and male victims of domestic violence, the social
workers interviewed revealed a mixed response between the different areas of social
work chosen for this dissertation, I feel this may be due to the varied levels of
experience in this area held by the interviewees.
The medical social worker had a lot of experience working with male victims of
domestic violence and provided a very positive view in tackling domestic violence.
There is an active gender-neutral policy in place at the hospital of which she was very
proud of, but also pointed out that disbelief exists among most professionals. Once a
man is identified as a possible male victim of domestic violence there is a procedure in
place in the hospital for the staff to follow. When the medical social worker gets the
referral from within the hospital an appointment is made with the possible victim and an
assessment carried out. If the man is identified as a male victim, work is carried out
with the man through support and counselling if needed. The medical social worker
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was well able to identify with the main types of abuse male victims suffer from her
experience and the affects this abuse inflicts on the men. The medical social worker
held the view that domestic violence is the same for any person, but when people are
not believed as in the case of male victims it is worse. The medical social worker was
of the opinion that outside the hospital, services available for male victims are very poor
and the only service she knew of was Amen. She also found that at times she would
disagree with some of her social work colleagues working outside of the hospital in
their decisions and would see the need to challenge them, as it is part of her role in the
hospital is to advocate on behalf of her clients.
In the area of child protection the social worker pointed out that their main priority in
any domestic violence situation encountered is the safety and welfare of the child.
There are domestic violence procedures in place, but the social worker felt that these are
more centred on female victims of domestic violence. In cases where men come
forward as male victims, their motives are questioned because it is very unusual for a
social worker in child protection to come across a male victim of domestic violence. If
a male victim is identified, an appointment is made and an assessment carried out, he is
provided with the necessary supports, but the child protection social worker was not
aware of any service for male victims of domestic violence. The child protection social
worker had no real experience with male victims to comment on the types and the
affects of abuse on male victims. But she did highlight that social workers in Ireland
are very young and inexperienced. That they come from a middle class background and
have lead protected lives with few life experiences. She also found that some social
workers could not accept that a man could be a victim of domestic violence. The child
protection social worker accepts that male victims exist and that more work with them
needs to be done.
In the area of community social work the social worker interviewed pointed out that if
they had to side with either a male or female victim of domestic violence, they would
more than likely side with the female. I feel this is an important point and is the result
of society’s view of a man being seen as the perpetrator and not as the victim in cases of
domestic violence, influencing outcomes in professional practice. If a male victim is
identified an appointment is made and an assessment carried out. The male victim is
supported, but the social worker pointed out that he was not aware of any agency or
45

support group for male victims of domestic violence. The social worker could not
comment on the types and affects of abuse on male victims because of a lack of
experience with male victims of domestic violence. The community social worker also
accepts that male victims exist and that more work with them needs to be done.
Recommendations
1. There is a need for more literature in the area of male victims of domestic
violence in the university’s library. When I looked for these books in the
university library very few were present, but there was a lot of material available
dealing with the issues surrounding female victims of domestic violence. In
today’s society there is an urgent need for the provision of information to be
more gender neutral.
2. There is a need for more services for male victims of domestic violence. Which
has been highlighted in this dissertation by my three hundred mile round trip to
Amen in Navan from Cork, to carry out a focus group. It is essential that more
community based services are made available through out the country. No one
should have to travel the distance I travelled to attend a support group.
3. In addition to providing the above additional services in the community, there is
a need for a replication of the domestic violence ‘gender neutral’ policy at Cork
University Hospital, to be introduced through out the area of social work
practice. As domestic violence is so destructive to human life.
4. In social work training there is a need for a gender-neutral emphasis to be put on
the area of domestic violence in relation to victims and perpetrators. It is
essential that newly trained social workers should be made more aware, and
learn to be more open mined to the fact that men and women are victims of
domestic violence.
5. As domestic violence holds no boundaries, there is a need to re-educate society
in its believe that women are the only victims of domestic violence. The role of
the media and anti-domestic violence campaigns should be to show that the
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abuse affects everyone no matter what their class, race, gender, sexual
orientation, ethnic background or religion.
APPENDICES
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APPENDIX 1
RESEARCH THEMES
1. Domestic violence and society in relation to male victims.
2. The levels of reporting by male victims.
3. The main types of abuse male victims of domestic violence suffer.
4. The affects of domestic violence on male victims.
5. The services available to male victims of domestic violence.
6. The law and male victims of domestic violence.
7. Male victims of domestic violence and social work.
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APPENDIX 2
QUESTION GUIDELINES FOR THE FOCUS GROUP WITH MALE
VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
1. How are male victims of domestic violence viewed by society?
2. How difficult is it to report domestic violence by male victims?
3. What are types of abuse do male victims of domestic violence suffer?
4. What are the affects of domestic violence on male victims?
5. How difficult is it for male victims of domestic violence to access information,
advice or facilities?
6. Does the law protect male victims of domestic violence?
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7. What are the experiences of male victims of domestic violence with social work
practice?
Anonymity of those who participate in this research project will be respected.
APPENDIX 3
QUESTION GUIDELINES
FOR INDIVIUAL INTEREVIEWS WITH SOCIAL WORKERS
1. How are male victims of domestic violence viewed by social workers?
2. If a man reports that he is a victim of domestic violence.
(a) Is the report taken seriously?
(b) What are the steps taken?
(c) What intervention is put in place?
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3. What are the main types of abuse male victims of domestic violence suffer?
• Physical Abuse.
• Emotional/Psychological Abuse.
• Sexual Abuse.
• Economic Abuse.
4. What are the affects of domestic violence on male victims?
5. How available/accessible are services for male victims of domestic violence?
6. Is the law gender neutral when it comes to male victims of domestic violence?
• Safety, Barring, Interim Barring, and Protection Orders.
• Custody, Access, Maintenance and/or Guardianship Proceedings.
7. I carried out a focus group with male victims of domestic violence; a main
concern for the men was the response they received from social workers. The
men felt they were not believed, that the social workers involved believed
whatever their partner/spouse was saying. One man’s words were, “Social
workers assisted my wife in kidnapping my children”. What is your view?
Anonymity of those who participate in this research project will be respected.
APPENDIX 4
SUMMARY OF FOCUS GROUP
The following is a summary of a focus group that was held on 15 th March, 2005. It was
located in Navan, Co. Meath. The group consisted of five participants, all of which
were men. The participants of the focus group were between the ages of thirty and
sixty-five. Their occupations varied as follows school teacher, farmer, mechanic and
the Garda Siochanna. When asked, how long had they suffered the abuse, their
responses varied but were between five and thirty years. The main types of abuse
experienced by the participants were physical and emotional. The group stated that they
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found Amen’s policies to be not anti-women but pro children, pro family and very much
anti-domestic violence.
1. How are male victims of domestic violence viewed by society?
The over all view from the focus group was that society does not believe that it can
happen to men that it is only women who suffer domestic violence.
2. How difficult is it to report domestic violence by male victims?
In general, the men said that they did not report the abuse at first to anyone as they
felt they would not be believed. The belief was that a lot of men stay too quiet for
far too long and suffer in silence, because of the humiliation associated with being
abused and the fear that they would lose all contact with their children.
Another fear is that if the authorities stepped in they might remove the mother and
that the children may never see their mother again. The first people they discussed
the issue of abuse was with close members of their family. At first the members of
their family found it hard to believe but they started noticing small things that
showed that the men were not telling lies, and only then started to believe.
3. What are types of abuse do male victims of domestic violence suffer?
Physical abuse:
Physical abuse is one of the main types of abuse suffered by male victims of
domestic violence.
In this focus group participants referred to instances where their partners would get
into a state of rage for no apparent reason and would react violently by throwing
plates, kicking or stabbing with a kitchen knife.
Other instances occurred where they were hit and kicked in the back with the heel of
a shoe, the hair pulled out of their head, chairs broken over their back and hit with
glass bottles.
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Emotional abuse:
Emotional abuse was also one of the main types of abuse and used to the advantage
of the perpetrator in a lot of different ways. Some of the examples given by the
group included the use of threats, such as making false allegations to the authorities
of child sexual abuse. The person involved said that he would never harm his
children, but his partner’s response was that she knew he would never harm his
children, but if she told people they would believe her and not him.
Other forms of emotional abuse can take the form of name calling, and being told
that they are worth more dead instead of alive, because of the amount of money the
abuser would receive from insurance policies. Along with this the perpetrator can
be very devious and an example of this is when one of the participants called out the
doctor one night as he had been attacked and his partner had kicked in one of the
panel doors, but as soon as the doctor arrived, she started shouting and roaring you
won’t hit me and he stated that he had never hit her.
For some of the men involved in the focus group they became the principal
caregiver and were expected to do eighty to ninety percent of the housework if not
all of it. They were also required to care for the children, this entailed having to
help them with their homework, dropping to and collection from school, feeding
them and making sure that they kept any appointments during the week like music,
dancing or training.
One of the men had to publicly beg for permission to see his children.
Jealousy seemed to also play a part and one of the participants found that he was
accused of being unfaithful for only talking or looking at other women, may it be at
work, or even while watching the television.
In some instances the abuser would try to turn the children against their father, by
telling them that their father was no good, that they should not go anywhere with
him and referred to him as a pervert.
The abuse was never hidden from the children.
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One man’s words were that “the bruises will go but the scars of the heart remain.”
Verbal Abuse:
Verbal abuse was also used where the men were constantly told that they were
useless, no good to the family and called names such as ‘pervert’.
4. What are the affects of domestic violence on male victims?
Fear of physical abuse:
Even though one of the men knew judo and karate and was quite capable of
defending himself, he wouldn’t fight back, and instead locked himself away in a
room because he felt that his wife wouldn’t stop at anything. This was the case for
the majority of the men interviewed.
Another victim mentioned that when his partner was drinking she would get very
violent and he new instinctively that he needed to get down the hall as fast as he
could and lock himself away he would be harmed.
One of the participants was told that they were worth more dead then alive. This
was because of the amount of money the partner/spouse would receive from
insurance policies. The fear that this incurred in the man resulted in him cancelling
the policies.
The fear of the losing their children was unbearable and the threat was used quite
frequently. For one of the participants, the fear of losing his children he said was
like ‘being hit with a sledgehammer’.
Depression:
For some of the participants this fear leads, to the suffering of depression. One of
the group members spoke of his depression; at one stage he lost two stone in weight
and still did not turn to anyone for help.
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Some of the participants did not seek help because they were afraid of the stigma
that would be attached if they were known as a man who was beaten up by his wife.
Instead they bottled these fleeing inside.
Low Self-Esteem:
Depression can also be contributed to by low self-esteem. This can be very
dangerous when taken to the extreme. One participant mentioned that he seriously
considered committing suicide on one occasion.
Participants were constantly called names during arguments with their
partner/spouse. The men would be told that they were not good fathers, that they
were lazy and good for nothing.
One of the group spoke of how he feels when he wakes in the morning, these are his
words, “like somebody has taken me out of bed and beats me black and blue and
literally leaves me back in to bed fifteen minutes before I have to get up for work.”
5. How difficult is it for male victims of domestic violence to access information,
advice or facilities?
When I asked about the services available to male victims of domestic violence, the
men were quick to respond, as there is only one service available to these men,
Amen. Amen provides these men with a support group that is held every Tuesday
night. Another service provided by Amen is a twenty-four hours help line, seven
days a week.
Their was one member in the focus group mentioned that he attends ‘Alnon’, this is
a support group for partners/spouses and family members of people who suffer from
alcoholism.
6. Does the law protect male victims of domestic violence?
A general consensus in the group was that it was very difficult to trust solicitors.
Some of the men felt that they were better off representing themselves; one man did
and now has full custody of his children.
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They felt that the law could be very easily twisted to suit the needs of the abuser.
Protection orders, safety orders and barring orders can be used against victims of
domestic violence in trying to gain access to their children. 60% of the focus group
did not know about the various orders that could be obtained.
The experience expressed by the focus group was that solicitors used them like
puppets on strings, and did not provide them with vital information that would help
them in their cases. The overall opinion of the focus group in relation to solicitors
was that it was potluck with whatever solicitor you would get. Some solicitors
would be understanding but the majority didn’t seem to believe the men, that they
could be victims of domestic violence and before any court proceedings would tell
the men that the chances of getting custody of their children were between slim to
none.
One of the men that he received a bill from his solicitor for €2,500 while he was still
receiving free legal aid, because he signed a form without knowing the full extent of
its implications. This was not an isolated incident. The men said that when dealing
with solicitors and signing any contract, that one should be very careful to read a
contract before signing any legal documentation, specially with a solicitor. Free
legal aid ceases if the applicant has capital for instance like a house or land, they
become completely liable for the full cost of legal representation from solicitors and
barristers.
There was agreement within the group that legal documents produced by the
solicitors, barristers and the courts were to be automatically signed by the men
without question because they feel they have no other option. One of the men’s
wives requested a safety order against him, and on the recommendation of his
solicitor he agreed to the safety order not understanding the full implications of the
order himself. Only to find out afterwards when he went to see his children in the
family home two hours later, that his wife was entitled to call the guards and have
him arrested as she claimed that he was in breach of the safety order.
In cases where the father is seeking custody of the children, solicitors normally
advised not to use the children to give evidence but the group agreed that in the
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cases where the children did give evidence of the abuse against their father, the men
gained custody of their children.
The consensus of the group was that if their partner/spouse were granted any of the
orders available it was automatically assumed by social workers and the members of
the Gardai that the man was at fault, and that it was thought that it was the man’s
violence against the woman that was the reason for the order.
7. What are the experiences of male victims of domestic violence with social work
practice?
The members of the focus group had very strong feelings towards social workers.
They were very angry about the way their situations have been dealt with by the
social workers involved. They were concerned with the fact that the social workers
involved in their cases were very inexperienced and did not seem to be willing to
consider their might be another side to the story, i.e. violence against the man.
One of the men’s partner/spouse was in contact with social workers without his
knowledge. Once he did became aware of their involvement, he tried to contact the
social workers on several occasions to make them aware of his side of the story, but
to no avail. When he made contact with the social workers, he was told that his
partner/spouse had made allegations of violence against him, (this was still ongoing
at the time of the focus group). At the time his partner/spouse and children were
staying at a women’s aid refuge centre. He has found from dealing with social
workers, in this instance, that he is dealing with two very young girls and he feels
that they are anti-men. He also feels that they have not, to his knowledge,
investigated any of the issues that he has brought up in relation to his wife’s nonsuitability
as the main carer of his children. This is based on the fact that his
partner/spouse has been violent towards him in front of the children. He also stated
that his wife suffers from alcoholism and has a conviction for being drunk while
driving. At the time the children were in the car.
A main concern for the men was the response they received from social workers.
The men felt they were not believed, that the social workers involved believed
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whatever their partner/spouse was saying over what they were saying. One man’s
words were, “Social workers assisted my wife in kidnapping my children”.
APPENDIX 5
TRANSCRIPTS OF INDIVIUAL INTEREVIEWS WITH THREE
SOCIAL WORKERS
MEDICAL SOCIAL WORKER
1. How are male victims of domestic violence viewed by social workers?
I would say certainly from my own stance is that they are viewed exactly like any
other patient. This is proof of our gender-neutral policy. We believe that this is one
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of the first in the country. When we talk to our patients, we make clear the policy at
the introduction, that the policy is drawn up taking into consideration that anyone
who comes looking for a service is treated in the same way. In our training sessions
with the staff we always emphasis the fact that males can also be victims even
though the general view in society is that the victim is female and the perpetrator is
male, and we try to knock that on the head. The figures in Accident and Emergency
admissions would reflect that as well, we are currently undertaking research on a
number of domestic violence victims and the male figure is 18% of admissions
which is considerably higher than the national percentage.
2. If a man reports that he is a victim of domestic violence.
a) Is the report taken seriously?
By us very definitely yes!
b) What are the steps taken?
We are not the first people that the victim will come in contact with so we are
relying on the expertise of the Accident and Emergency staff to recognise the signs
and they are recognising them and referring the patients on to us. The steps taken
are exactly the same as when the person is a female. The resources available to us
are different as we are hospital based, but our attitudes to them would be exactly the
same. We’ve had people referred to us by Amen, because, Mary Cleary would be
very aware of our policy here. The tragedy is that our service, is a hospital based
service, unless the patient has been attending here as an out-patient or as an inpatient
we cannot offer them a service.
c) What intervention is put in place?
The same as a female, we would offer them an appointment, we would provide the
same support of counselling and the same assessment.
3. What are the main types of abuse male victims of domestic violence suffer?
The main types would be physical and emotional, as they would be presented in the
hospital with an injury first and would then open up. I would feel that the existence
of economic and sexual abuse would be very low. Most men would actually say
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like most women that the long-term affects of emotional abuse are much worse then
the physical abuse. I have noticed where there is physical abuse, it always happens
sudden, and there is always a surprise element, the woman will come from behind
and often there would be a weapon involved, like a saucepan, anything that they can
pick up. In one incident one man had a kettle of boiling water poured over him.
4. What are the affects of domestic violence on male victims?
The same as in any other human being, but that it is worse for them because they are
not believed, they are laughed at and they are ridiculed, they are not taken seriously.
5. How available/accessible are services for male victims of domestic violence?
Within the hospital, after all our work on the domestic violence policy, and the
training we provide I would hope that we provide an excellent service. Training for
staff is provided twice yearly. The vast majority of the staff involved in recognise
the signs of domestic violence are from the Accident and Emergency ward, but you
will also get referrals from other departments the out-patients, orthopaedic area,
surgery, but in all instances we are relying on the staff, for their awareness, and how
they ask the right questions, and how they proceed.
Besides Amen, outside the hospital services available are very poor. Victims find
that agencies aimed at domestic violence were willing to listen, but were not able to
provide any further support. Why then do they say they have a service, when it is so
limited. A lot of people that I would have come in contact with would say that the
majority of professionals like guards and doctors would not believe them but some
would. We do have to be careful, that we don’t generalise people that there are very
committed people out there, some GP’s do believe male victims and then others
believe that it just can’t happen to a man.
6. Is the law gender neutral when it comes to male victims of domestic violence?
• Safety, Barring, Interim Barring, and Protection Orders.
• Custody, Access, Maintenance and/or Guardianship Proceedings.
In theory it is gender neutral, according to the ‘Domestic Violence Act’ and all the
legal laws that we have it is. In practice, if you look at all the barring orders that are
given against women, numbers are low. Why is that? Is it that men do not apply, is
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it that they are afraid, what does it say? On the other hand I know of a man that his
wife tried to get a barring order against him and she failed, just recently. So maybe
attitudes are changing very slowly there has been a lot of media, John Waters comes
out forcibly, and Joe Duffy had a whole programme dealing with it recently. Men
are from my experience are not always heard, a lot of my colleagues in community
care, while they might provide lip service, they don’t always believe what men are
saying, if there is conflict between a male and female they are more likely to believe
the female.
7. I carried out a focus group with male victims of domestic violence; a main
concern for the men was the response they received from social workers. The
men felt they were not believed, that the social workers involved believed
whatever their partner/spouse was saying. One man’s words were, “Social
workers assisted my wife in kidnapping my children”. What is your view?
A lot of the younger social workers, their training would not have always involved
male victims of domestic violence. There are times, that I need to challenge some
of my colleagues about decisions they might be taking, I have to advocate on behalf
of my male patients, my whole aim is to get them to think, to get them to look at
their own attitudes, because they are reflecting the general view of society, which is
that a child is always better off with the mother, and this is not always the case.
Solicitors too, some men can find it very hard to find a solicitor to represent them,
because they are not believed, I know a lot of the solicitors can be very dismissive
of male victims of domestic violence.
Other than that the training is vital, we include everyone in the training, from
security, porters, chaplins, ambulance staff, ex-ray staff, care staff, nurses and
Doctors anyone involved in the Accident and Emergency department, you don’t
have to have a white coat for someone to disclose information to you. It is a very
large department and in January 2002 we carried in depth training, and in one week
alone we trained about a hundred and sixty staff and each year since then we have
been carrying out training, twice yearly. Triad nurses are the most important
persons in the Accident and Emergency Department, they are experienced staff
nurses who will assess how serious a persons injuries are, and depending on his/her
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assessment and on what you say happened to you, depends on what category you are
placed into. We can see from our own figures, when new staff starts and when we
haven’t trained staff for a while, our figures of reporting drop.
CHILD PROTECTION SOCIAL WORKER
Experience: Trained in England, and is now qualified to work in Ireland for the last
four years. During that time she has worked in the following areas: child protection,
adult learning difficulties, asylum seekers, fostering and starting in counselling.
1. How are male victims of domestic violence viewed by social workers?
I have no direct experience of working with men who are victims of domestic
violence, except for the case I am working on currently. My view would be, that it
wouldn’t be common for us to know about it, it is happening but our culture is not
open to hearing about the violence and it would be dismissed. We’d question their
motives when they come forward but we would believe that it does happen. I’d say
the research isn’t even correct around it. I would hope that I would deal with the
issues as if I was dealing with a female victim.
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2. If a man reports that he is a victim of domestic violence.
a) Is the report taken seriously?
I would hope to think that it would be taken very seriously, when I got this report of
domestic violence, I wanted to take it because I had no previous experience with
male victims of domestic violence.
b) What are the steps taken?
We assess the report straight away but our focus would be around the children, and
does it require emergency action. I don’t know if there is a protocol, or whatever,
but I would be very conscious about ringing from the office, the number can be
traced back by the abuser, instead I would always use the mobile, and would never
let the person know who is ringing if the victim doesn’t answer the phone.
I would arrange to meet them, and find out where they wanted to meet. I would
explain my role in relation to the children, and inform them that we had received a
report. I would then, discuss with them the incident and the information that I have,
when did it happen, where did it happen and the circumstances around it.
c) What intervention is put in place?
The intervention would be risk assessment, I’d do some keep safe work with them,
making sure they have credit in their phone, money, and telephone numbers of what
services there are, to make sure they know they are safe. My main focus would be
where is the child in all this, if the children saw the violence, how did they protect
them, where did the incidents occur in the house.
3. What are the main types of abuse male victims of domestic violence suffer?
My opinion emotional/psychological abuse, that would be my first, second would be
physical, economic would be third and sexual would be fourth.
4. What are the affects of domestic violence on male victims?
It affects their self-esteem, their role as a man, their masculinity like their own
opinion of that, depression, a sense of shame around it, and being vulnerable I
suppose.
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5. How available/accessible are services for male victims of domestic violence?
Absolutely none I don’t think, I know that the domestic violence social workers
only work towards women, and might be looking at changing this, because this is
out and out discrimination. I’m not aware of any place in Ireland.
6. Is the law gender neutral when it comes to male victims of domestic
violence?
• Safety, Barring, Interim Barring, and Protection Orders.
• Custody, Access, Maintenance and/or Guardianship Proceedings.
I really couldn’t answer that question, but I wouldn’t say its neutral. I would think
if a man were in that situation, they would have a really difficult time trying to
access these orders.
7. I carried out a focus group with male victims of domestic violence; a main
concern for the men was the response they received from social workers. The
men felt they were not believed, that the social workers involved believed
whatever their partner/spouse was saying. One man’s words were, “Social
workers assisted my wife in kidnapping my children”. What is your view?
I believe that this could happen, a lot of social workers in Ireland are young and
inexperienced. I was trained in England there I would have been considered one of
the youngest in the team, where as in Ireland, I am one of the oldest on the team.
Social workers in Ireland are very young, what you learn in the College isn’t
enough; you need to learn from experience and dealing with your own personal
development, its just about doing the job. I just don’t think that the training sets
you up, particularly for domestic violence as a lot of them wouldn’t be trained in
risk assessment or safety, case loads are too high also, I have between fifty-five to
sixty cases, which is appalling. A lot of the social workers here I’ve found that they
come from a middle class background, and have led protected lives. Where as I
think you need to have some life experience, to deal with stuff and to be able to put
up a hand and ask for help. Also a lot of people’s perception would be that they
could not even accept that a man could be a victim of domestic violence.
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COMMUNITY SOCIAL WORKER
Experience: Twenty-two years working as a Social Worker. Children protection social
worker for two years, community social worker for fifteen years and worked in a
probation resident centre as an assistant house parent for four years.
1. How are male victims of domestic violence viewed by social worker?
Sometimes it’s not taken seriously and sometimes it is, but when it comes to the
crunch, if there was conflict between man and female, female victims are given
priority. There would be more focus put on female victims. Social workers, if they
had to take a position of one or the other, they would more than likely go with the
female in my point of view. Female victims are more inclined to admit to domestic
violence, men sometimes you feel can feel intimidated but until the man says that he
is a victim of domestic violence you can only speculate.
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2. If a man reports that he is a victim of domestic violence.
a) Is the report taken seriously?
If there were a report I would like to think that we would take it seriously, that the
agency ethos would be that it would be to take it seriously.
b) What are the steps taken?
What steps would we taken, we would work with the person to see what could be
done. We as an agency would take it seriously, but we could be hindered because, it
wouldn’t be viewed seriously across the board and you could come across an
referring agency that may not take it seriously and then you go back to the drawing
board.
c) What intervention is put in place?
I’m not aware of any standard intervention, but certainly what we would do is take it
seriously and if anything can be done in conjunction with the man and his family,
our intervention would be to support them in what they would like to do about the
situation.
3. What are the main types of abuse male victims of domestic violence suffer?
If you asked me to prioritise them I would certainly put emotional/psychological
abuse first, number two economic this is off the top of my head. Between physical
and sexual abuse I feel I don’t know enough to say physical is before sexual, I don’t
know.
4. What are the affects of domestic violence on male victims?
I feel in some ways that they are so obvious, the affects of violence on any body has
to do with disempowerment, has to do with psychological hurt physical hurt, and
what that does to anybody, whether it be a man or a woman, their role as a parent is
hindered, its destroyed. People must feel useless as a person, as a parent, huge
negative affects.
5. How available/accessible are services for male victims of domestic violence?
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From this project, again I don’t think they are that available, if the amount of abuse
to male victims came out I don’t think that the services are they’re to deal with it.
I don’t feel that there is an adequate response, we are not qualified to deal with
victims of domestic violence but we respond I hope in a way that shows
understanding and empowerment, that we would try to source the appropriate
agency, if one exists. Off the top of my head, I couldn’t tell you, I am not aware of
any agency or support group.
6. Is the law gender neutral when it comes to male victims of domestic violence?
• Safety, Barring, Interim Barring, and Protection Orders.
• Custody, Access, Maintenance and/or Guardianship Proceedings.
We haven’t that much experience in this agency because would not have direct
experience of the law. My perception would be that the law just reflects society and
that more focus is put on female victims than men, and I’d say sometimes that there
is a perception that men are just whimps if they admit they are victims.
7. I carried out a focus group with male victims of domestic violence; a main
concern for the men was the response they received from social workers. The
men felt they were not believed, that the social workers involved believed
whatever their partner/spouse was saying. One man’s words were, “Social
workers assisted my wife in kidnapping my children”. What is your view?
I am surprised with the word kidnapped. I accept that, that is the way they may see
it, but I would not be aware of social workers colluding to take children from their
fathers in situations like this. I would be aware of social work prejudice against
men, which isn’t the same thing but that it might lead it. My experience of social
workers in terms of children protection workers that we would not collude, with a
mother and abuser to take the children, I accept that people would hold that view,
that it’s real for them.
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