“This Society Ignores Our Victimization”: Understanding the Experiences of Korean Male Victims of Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is defined as physical, psychological, and sexual violence that occurs in an intimate relationship. For the victims, it often leads to devastating consequences such as physical injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Research on IPV has been extensively conducted for several decades. However, most studies have focused on male-to-female perpetration, and men’s victimization has been relatively neglected. This study aims to explore men’s IPV experiences within the context of Korean society, which is characterized by strong gender norms that may impede efforts to understand how men are victimized. Eleven Korean male IPV victims participated in semi-structured phone or in-person interviews lasting 1 to 2 hr, all of which were audio-recorded and transcribed. The transcriptions were qualitatively analyzed using a phenomenological method suggested by Giorgi. In total, six themes were revealed in the data: (a) living with violence, (b) enduring the violent relationship, (c) feeling helpless, (d) ending the relationship, (e) suffering from trauma, and (f) perceiving male victimization in society. Our findings are meaningful in terms of demonstrating how masculinity in one society can shape the thoughts, emotions, reactions, and behaviors of male victims. These findings can be used to tailor outreach efforts and interventions to the unique experiences of Korean men.

Barriers to Men’s Help Seeking for Intimate Partner Violence

“…The isolation the participants reported was not simply a function of the control used by the abuser to prevent help seeking, it was also a reflection of socio-political and -cultural systems that unintentionally enable isolation by excluding males from media campaigns, support services and policy ( Machado et al, 2016 ). This unintended consequence has the power to reinforce the undeserving male victim status and disenfranchise the victim by reducing their social capital ( Park et al, 2020 ). Research with female victims tells us how important developing social and community capital is in the process of recovery ( Piga, 2018 ; Sullivan, 2018 ).…”

Representaciones Sociales Sobre La Violencia en El Noviazgo Desde La Perspectiva Del Hombre Como Víctima: Develando La Otra Cara Del Problema

“…También, los hombres luchan por mantener un ideal masculino y como grupo pueden tener cierto poder debido a su género, pero como individuo, pueden estar en una posición de des empoderamiento debido a otras características, como ser víctima de violencia (Brod y Kaufman, 1994;Janos y Espinosa, 2015;Schrock y Schwalbe, 2009). Estos aspectos, han sido demostrados por Park et al, (2021), explicitando cómo la masculinidad en una sociedad puede moldear los pensamientos, las emociones, las reacciones y los comportamientos de las víctimas masculinas y limitar el reconocimiento de este fenómeno. Como bien menciona, Taylor et al, (2021), el impacto de la violencia y la experiencia de los hombre como victimas sugieren que las necesidades de salud mental de los hombres con violencia acumulada a lo largo de la vida contradicen las expectativas de los roles de género de ser estoicos.…”

Discourses Around Male IPV Related Systemic Biases on Reddit

“…Shame has also been shown to have a deleterious effect on help-seeking (Machado et al, 2016; Park et al, 2020; Tsui et al, 2010). Redditors identified forms of hegemonic masculinity when discussing social attitudes of being a “man” and ideas around shame.…”

“…Men may be less likely to seek help due to the shame and stigma associated with male IPV victimization (Machado et al, 2016; Park et al, 2020; Walker et al, 2020). Subsequently, the vulnerabilities of men with lived experience of IPV may pose problems for researchers using traditional recruitment methods to explore this area of research.…”