Intimate Partner Violence and Male Survivors’ Help-Seeking

This study identifies distinct patterns of intimate partner violence (IPV) polyvictimization among male survivors and examines the relationships between these patterns and help-seeking behaviors from various sources. It also explores whether these relationships are moderated by survivors’ race/ethnicity.

Methods

The study sample included 3,832 male survivors who reported 7,421 perpetrators, drawn from the 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey in the U.S. A latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted to classify IPV polyvictimization based on six types of IPV. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine associations between IPV polyvictimization patterns and help-seeking behaviors (i.e., from police, doctors, and psychologists). Interaction terms between race/ethnicity and polyvictimization patterns were included to test for moderating effects.

Results

The LCA revealed four distinct patterns of polyvictimization: (1) Physical and Psychological Violence (PPV), (2) Physical Violence and Stalking (PVS), (3) Coercive Control (CC), and (4) Psychological Aggression (PA). Compared to PVS survivors, those in the PPV group were more likely to seek help from all sources. Survivors in the CC group were more likely to seek help from doctors. Black and Other Race survivors were less likely than White survivors to seek help from psychologists.

Conclusions

More complex forms of polyvictimization involving both physical and psychological violence were associated with greater help-seeking from professional sources. The lower rates of mental health service utilization among racial/ethnic minority survivors warrant further investigation. Improving male survivors’ access to legal and mental health services requires addressing societal biases surrounding IPV and promoting cultural sensitivity in service provision.