Do male victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) deserve help? Some reflections based on a systematic review.

Abstract

Based on a systematic review of 32 articles on help-seeking by male victims of intimate partner violence (IPV), this study attempts to understand why men tend not to seek help in IPV. The review of the selected literature establishes that male victimization in IPV is a real problem. However, men tend not to seek help for a variety of reasons, most of which are attributable to either psychological factors or external service barriers. Based on the findings of this study, the implications of the failure to deliver social services to men suffering various forms of domestic violence are discussed.