Intimate Partner Violence against Chinese Men: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Purpose Exploration of experiences related to Intimate Partner Violence(IPV)is crucial for policy-making, legal improvements, and enhancement of social services. While there have been numerous studies on IPV against women in China, research on IPV against men remains scarce. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the experiences of Chinese men who have experienced IPV. Methods Through qualitative thematic analysis of posts shared by 54 heterosexual Chinese men on public online forums, we examined the experiences of Chinese men who have encountered IPV. Results The results indicate that in addition to common forms of IPV such as physical violence, psychological abuse, sexual abuse, and economic exploitation, Chinese men also experience unique types of IPV, including infidelity of partners, cultural-specific cold violence, and conflicts with mothers-in-law. Conclusions Chinese men are deeply influenced by Confucian culture, and the types and manifestations of IPV they experience differ from existing forms of violence. This adds new research content to the study of IPV. The research findings are beneficial for the development and implementation of intervention measures in different cultural backgrounds.