Sexual Aggression Experiences Among Male Victims of Physical Partner Violence: Prevalence, Severity, and Health Correlates for Male Victims and Their Children

Abstract

Although research has documented the prevalence and health correlates of sexual aggression among women who have experienced severe partner violence (PV), no research has documented the parallel issues among male victims of severe PV. Research also suggests that children of female victims of both physical and sexual PV have worse mental health than children of female victims of physical PV only, but no research has assessed the mental health of children whose fathers experienced both physical and sexual PV. We surveyed 611 men who experienced physical PV from their female partners and sought help. We assessed the types and extent of various forms of PV, the men's mental and physical health, and the mental health of their oldest child. Results showed that almost half of the men experienced sexual aggression in their relationship, and 28 % severe sexual aggression. Increasing levels of severity of sexual aggression victimization was associated with greater prevalence and types of other forms of PV. In addition, greater levels of severity of sexual aggression victimization among the men was significantly associated with depression symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, physical health symptoms, and poor health, and attention deficit and affective symptoms among their children. These associations held after controlling for demographics and other violence and trauma exposure. Discussion focused on the importance of broadening our conceptualization of PV against men by women to include sexual aggression as well.

The psychometric properties of the Sexual Experiences Survey–Short Form Victimization (SES-SFV) and characteristics of sexual victimization experiences in college men.

“…In order to test convergent validity, the Sexual Coercion subscale of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2) was used to assess intimate partner victimization in the past year (Straus et al, 1996). Previous research found that CTS2-SC scores were positively related to psychiatric symptoms in men and a history of physical assault victimization (Hines & Douglas, 2016). The CTS2 contains 14 paired items assessing victimization and perpetration for the same behavior.…”

A Qualitative Study of the Male Victims’ Experiences With the Criminal Justice Response to Intimate Partner Abuse in Four English-Speaking Countries

“…Despite this gendered understanding, a growing body of both qualitative and quantitative research has found a large number of men are victimized by their intimate partners (Desmarais et al, 2012; Douglas & Hines, 2011; Lysova et al, 2019). Research shows that men suffer from various types of IPA, including physical violence and abuse, psychological, financial, sexual, and legal and administrative abuse, parental alienation, and homicide (e.g., Harman et al, 2016; Hines & Douglas, 2016). For example, the U.S. National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) found that the annual prevalence of physical victimization in the intimate relationships was 4.0% among women compared to 4.7% among men (Breiding, 2014), while the 2014 General Social Survey on Victimization in Canada found that the number of men who reported to have experienced physical or sexual violence in ongoing intimate relationships in the past 5 years significantly exceeded that of women (2.9% and 1.7%, respectively; Lysova et al, 2019).…”

Sexual Violence as a Form of Abuse in Men’s Experiences of Female-Perpetrated Intimate Partner Violence

“…Indeed, much of the existing literature around men’s victimization has focused on women’s use of physical violence within the relationship (e.g., Hines & Douglas, 2010), as well as highlighting women’s use of coercive and controlling behaviors (Bates et al, 2014; Bates & Graham-Kevan, 2016). However, only a small body of scholarship has explored the range of abuse experienced by men (see Hines et al, 2007), and very little has considered the possibility of sexual violence occurring in this context (see, for example, Hines & Douglas, 2016; Weare & Hulley, 2019). The analysis here points to relationships existing between the different forms of abuse experienced by men.…”

“…One of the only studies to have specifically explored the experiences of men who have been subjected to sexual aggression from a female partner within an abusive relationship originates in the United States. Hines and Douglas (2016) found that over half of the men in their sample of 611 had experienced some form of sexual aggression within their relationship, with 28% having experienced what the authors described as “severe” sexual aggression (e.g., threats or force to engage in vaginal, oral and/or anal sex). This article therefore makes an original contribution to knowledge by considering sexual violence as a form of domestic abuse in men’s experiences of female-perpetrated IPV.…”

“…As Hines and Douglas (2016, p. 1,149) explain, “assessing for and validating sexual aggression experiences among male physical IPV victims are extremely important because these experiences are associated with more violent and abusive relationships, and with poorer mental and physical health in the men and their children.” The findings discussed in this article evidence men’s experiences of sexual violence within an IPV relationship where the perpetrator is female. They address the pervasive stereotypes around men and masculinity in relation to sexual and domestic violence victimization, demonstrating the ways that men can experience multiple forms of victimization, and the relationships between sexual violence and other forms of abuse.…”