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

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.
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