Constructing Victimisation as Masculine Honour: Men and Intimate Partner Violence in Johannesburg

Intimate partner violence and its psychosocial correlates among male survivors: The socio-ecological implications

“…It's crucial to recognize the prevalent practices of male domination over women, which profoundly shape masculine identities globally [32,33] , including across African countries [34][35][36] . In South Africa, the broader social context for male victims is entrenched in patriarchal discourses, where men are pressured to conform to norms of power, toughness, and hyper-masculinity to maintain dominance over women and gain respect within their communities [21,[37][38][39] . Therefore, investigating the experiences of men who, unable to assert dominance over their partners, become victims and survivors, and examining how they navigate the interaction between their clinical conditions and their failures to enact social expectations, constitutes a crucial aspect explored in this article.…”

“…Furthermore, emerging studies have begun exploring the qualitative perceptions and experiences of male IPV, although with limited sample sizes [9,10] . However, research on IPV against men is scarce in Sub-Saharan Africa due to misconceptions surrounding male experiences, perceptions of manhood, and power dynamics, which can be fluid across different contexts [11] . Despite this, surveys have indicated varying rates of male victimization, ranging from as high as 32% in Zambia to as low as 9% in Mozambique [12] .…”

“…Despite this, surveys have indicated varying rates of male victimization, ranging from as high as 32% in Zambia to as low as 9% in Mozambique [12] . Furthermore, there are documented cases of IPV where women scold their partners with hot water, stab them while they are asleep, and subject them to emotional and physical abuse [13,14] . A study carried out with women serving prison sentences in South Africa has recorded fatalities resulting from IPV among men [15] .…”

“…Although disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and suicidal ideation can be debilitating, male IPV survivors may experience multiple interacting disorders, further exacerbating their challenges. Other nonclinical stressors include challenges accessing legal and medical services, poverty [16,20] , and the inability to articulate normative masculinity [21] . To comprehensively understand the impact of IPV on men, it is crucial to incorporate these perceptions into the analytical framework, as psychosocial difficulties are intricately connected to men's understanding and expression of their identities and normative values.…”

“…To comprehensively understand the impact of IPV on men, it is crucial to incorporate these perceptions into the analytical framework, as psychosocial difficulties are intricately connected to men's understanding and expression of their identities and normative values. This article draws on a more extensive study that examines the experiences of IPV victimization in a sample of heterosexual African men in Johannesburg [14] . The focus here is to contribute to the understanding of a social-ecological analysis of the psychosocial effects of IPV on male survivors, complementing existing clinical analyses in the global IPV literature.…”