By: Bijan Rafii, M. Sc.
Referred by a family member, Miles Markovic walked into the Canadian Centre for Men and Families (CCMF) in downtown Toronto in 2015 covered with bruises and a concussion. However, after enduring a 24-year abusive relationship with his partner, it had not occurred to him he was a victim of domestic abuse (more recently referred to intimate partner violence or IPV). “It was only after coming to the CCMF and going to the police that healing began”, Miles recounted during a press conference presenting a recent study (1) on IPV which for the first time focused on men’s experience of abuse at the hands of female intimate partners.
According to this study Miles’s experience is not rare. Published in a recent issue of the journal Partner Abuse, the authors went back and looked at the large Canadian survey data (2014 Canadian General Social Survey on victimization) previously used to study IPV against women. Using these data containing responses from more than 14,000 heterosexual couples who have been in a relationship for at least 5 years, the study found more men than women (2.9% versus 1.7%) reported being physically assaulted by a spouse or common law partner in the previous 5 years. In more severe category of IPV, men more likely than women (1.1% versus 0.5%) reported being slapped, kicked, bit, hit, threatened with battery, or that something dangerous thrown at them. More men than women surveyed were also exposed to controlling behaviours in the context of physical and/or sexual violence such as restricting contact with family and friends, jealousy and demanding whereabouts. Although more female victims reported physical injuries (27.2% versus 12.3%), rates of long-term psychological impact such as PTSD-related symptoms were similar between the two groups. Other studies looking at the directionality of IPV have found about 60% of the violence is bidirectional. For the remaining 40%, women initiate violence at a rate of about 2.5 times than men do (2). However, women compose approximately 90% of the homicide victims of IPV.
Similar results have been seen in other studies. However there has been little interest in advocating for the male victims of IPV. Accurate estimates in IPV cases are also complicated by the way many surveys have been conducted. These surveys ask if the respondents are victims of IPV and men are less likely to self-identify, probably due to social constrains placed on them, and reluctance to be identified as victims. Many men are also afraid of calling the police when experiencing abuse for fear of being arrested given police are instructed to handle IPV cases through a gendered lens. This phenomenon also explains previous, highly cited studies which focussed on police reported IPV and showed significantly higher rate of female IPV victimization. A friend once recounted paying a house visit to a client and asked about the husband. The wife disclosed she was mad at him and sent him to jail by throwing a hammer at the wall and then calling the police, telling them he had thrown the hammer at her and missed. Due to the 2018 changes in the new federal legislation on IPV, reverse onus would be put on alleged abusers to prove why they should be released and at the very least are saddled with heavy financial burden.
Currently resources for male victims are scarce. According to Sheltersafe, an online resource for female IPV victims, there are about 470 shelters in Ontario where women can turn to if they experience abuse in a relationship. Currently there are no such facilities in Ontario for men, although some such shelters in Alberta have opened their doors to men. Although there are homeless shelters for men where victims of IPV can stay in case of emergencies, these centres do not offer services such as legal, housing, child advocacy and counselling which are offered in women’s shelters. Legal counselling is particularly important as men stay in abusive relationships for fear of losing their children given approximately 85% of child custody cases are awarded to the mothers in divorce cases.
“Domestic abuse IPV is a human issue and not gender issue. Helping men will also help children of these relationships and save women’s lives by preventing escalation of violence” says Dr. Alexandra Lysova who is the lead author of the study.
“Studies such as this support the development of research, policies and intervention programs that acknowledge victimization of both men and women that are both gender- sensitive and gender-inclusive at the same time “, says Justin Trottier, Executive Director of CCMF, who is leading the planning efforts towards opening the first shelter for the male victims of IPV in Canada.
Domestic abuse against women is a serious social malady. However, it is time to create resources for male victims of domestic abuse as well, and train police and judiciary to ensure these cases are handled fairly.
References
1) Lysova, A., Dim, E. M., Dutton, D. 2019. Prevalence and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence in Canada as Measured by the National Victimization Survey. Partner Abuse. 10: 199-221.
2) Straus, M. A. 2008. Dominance and symmetry in partner violence by male and female university students in 32 nations. Children and Youth Services Review 30: 252–275.
It is Time to Acknowledge the Male Victims of Domestic Abuse
By: Bijan Rafii, M. Sc.
Referred by a family member, Miles Markovic walked into the Canadian Centre for Men and Families (CCMF) in downtown Toronto in 2015 covered with bruises and a concussion. However, after enduring a 24-year abusive relationship with his partner, it had not occurred to him he was a victim of domestic abuse (more recently referred to intimate partner violence or IPV). “It was only after coming to the CCMF and going to the police that healing began”, Miles recounted during a press conference presenting a recent study (1) on IPV which for the first time focused on men’s experience of abuse at the hands of female intimate partners.
According to this study Miles’s experience is not rare. Published in a recent issue of the journal Partner Abuse, the authors went back and looked at the large Canadian survey data (2014 Canadian General Social Survey on victimization) previously used to study IPV against women. Using these data containing responses from more than 14,000 heterosexual couples who have been in a relationship for at least 5 years, the study found more men than women (2.9% versus 1.7%) reported being physically assaulted by a spouse or common law partner in the previous 5 years. In more severe category of IPV, men more likely than women (1.1% versus 0.5%) reported being slapped, kicked, bit, hit, threatened with battery, or that something dangerous thrown at them. More men than women surveyed were also exposed to controlling behaviours in the context of physical and/or sexual violence such as restricting contact with family and friends, jealousy and demanding whereabouts. Although more female victims reported physical injuries (27.2% versus 12.3%), rates of long-term psychological impact such as PTSD-related symptoms were similar between the two groups. Other studies looking at the directionality of IPV have found about 60% of the violence is bidirectional. For the remaining 40%, women initiate violence at a rate of about 2.5 times than men do (2). However, women compose approximately 90% of the homicide victims of IPV.
Similar results have been seen in other studies. However there has been little interest in advocating for the male victims of IPV. Accurate estimates in IPV cases are also complicated by the way many surveys have been conducted. These surveys ask if the respondents are victims of IPV and men are less likely to self-identify, probably due to social constrains placed on them, and reluctance to be identified as victims. Many men are also afraid of calling the police when experiencing abuse for fear of being arrested given police are instructed to handle IPV cases through a gendered lens. This phenomenon also explains previous, highly cited studies which focussed on police reported IPV and showed significantly higher rate of female IPV victimization. A friend once recounted paying a house visit to a client and asked about the husband. The wife disclosed she was mad at him and sent him to jail by throwing a hammer at the wall and then calling the police, telling them he had thrown the hammer at her and missed. Due to the 2018 changes in the new federal legislation on IPV, reverse onus would be put on alleged abusers to prove why they should be released and at the very least are saddled with heavy financial burden.
Currently resources for male victims are scarce. According to Sheltersafe, an online resource for female IPV victims, there are about 470 shelters in Ontario where women can turn to if they experience abuse in a relationship. Currently there are no such facilities in Ontario for men, although some such shelters in Alberta have opened their doors to men. Although there are homeless shelters for men where victims of IPV can stay in case of emergencies, these centres do not offer services such as legal, housing, child advocacy and counselling which are offered in women’s shelters. Legal counselling is particularly important as men stay in abusive relationships for fear of losing their children given approximately 85% of child custody cases are awarded to the mothers in divorce cases.
“Domestic abuse IPV is a human issue and not gender issue. Helping men will also help children of these relationships and save women’s lives by preventing escalation of violence” says Dr. Alexandra Lysova who is the lead author of the study.
“Studies such as this support the development of research, policies and intervention programs that acknowledge victimization of both men and women that are both gender- sensitive and gender-inclusive at the same time “, says Justin Trottier, Executive Director of CCMF, who is leading the planning efforts towards opening the first shelter for the male victims of IPV in Canada.
Domestic abuse against women is a serious social malady. However, it is time to create resources for male victims of domestic abuse as well, and train police and judiciary to ensure these cases are handled fairly.
References
1) Lysova, A., Dim, E. M., Dutton, D. 2019. Prevalence and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence in Canada as Measured by the National Victimization Survey. Partner Abuse. 10: 199-221.
2) Straus, M. A. 2008. Dominance and symmetry in partner violence by male and female university students in 32 nations. Children and Youth Services Review 30: 252–275.